[a63vette]

Hi guys, preparing for my new JWN/Salk/Cary system and I measured my wall voltage at 107-114.  On my old system I had a Tripp lite line conditioner which I just measured and it stepped it up to 130-134. I'm assuming 107 may be harmful, is the 130 from my Tripp lite ok or should I replace it? (Spec says it should step it up or Down to 120. It's about 15 years old (lc6 I think).

Thoughts?

[mark funk]

I would think 107 would be just fine. I think 110 is what the line voltage is right?



                                                                                       

[Speedskater]

Well 134V would be harmful to legacy equipment, but 107V is not great.  Are you in the US/Canada systems?  If you have on of the little Kill-a-Watt meters,  Try checking several of your other receptacles when your voltage is low.  Do your neighbors also have low line voltage?

I wonder what's happening with the TrippLite?

[Speedskater]

I would think 107 would be just fine. I think 110 is what the line voltage is right?                                                                                   

In the US before WW II it was 110V, then 115V or 117V.  For a long time it's been 120V but now it's drifting up to 125V.

So lots of legacy vacuum tube equipment was designed for 115/117V.  Their power transformers may be stressed by 125V.

[a63vette]

Thanks guys, I'm in NY - coned. Suggestions for a budget sub $300 voltage regulator?

[TomS]

http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=le1200

I've used one of these to step down the high line I have.

[Gvt1911]

When I lived in NY, had the house rewired, I got 124-127 volts...Burned out the transformer in my Supratek pre and then same thing in my Audio Valve Eklispe pre...All my tube amps ran crazy hot...I finally got a 10 amp variac and hooked it up before my Blue Circle line conditioner and got the voltage down to 115VAC...Everything ran fine...
Now I moved to Virginia and have 126V again...Hooked everything up the same and I am OK...The variac will also boost voltage, which in your case is what you need...
I would hook it up this way: Variac in wall, then power conditioner, then all equipment comes out of conditioner...Once variac is connected to conditioner, you adjust variac so you get 115VAC out of conditioner, that's it...In summer the house voltage will go down so you can adjust...
Just my 2 cents...

[a63vette]

Thanks guys - hmm, variac sounds good though I like the idea of something that monitors it automatically. Those APC units look like a good reasonably priced option. Thinking APC plus blue circle thingee OR a furman 1215. Thanks all

[richidoo]

A low battery can cause wrong readings on multimeter. This happened to me.

http://www.ustpower.com/Support/Voltage_Regulator_Comparison/Need_Automatic_Voltage_Regulation/Electric_Utility_Voltage_Levels.aspx

You should have 114 or higher mst of the time. Anything lower than that on continual basis deserves service upgrade. You have to ask for it, but they have it budgeted, you just have to ask.

[SET Man]

Hey!

    I think ideally it should be 115-120V

    I used to live in a 15 storey building in mid Manhattan, I think it was built around the 50's. This was about 10 years ago and the voltage there was around 123-126V! Mostly around 124-125V.

    Now I'm in Queens in a small older building, maybe built in the 40's of which seems to have been rewired in the 60-70's. And the voltage here is pretty much around 120V with range of 117-123V. But have seen 109-110V during heatwave.

    Both of of these places' power are supply by Con Ed... go figure. 

    Anyway, I've been using a PS Audio P600 since 2002 to feed my system including my SET monoblocks. I set the P600 to output 117V. Although the voltage in my current place is pretty good I still use it anyway since I do like the sound of my system with it. Unfortunately I didn't have the P600 when I was in Manhattan... that was before it came out.

Take care,
Buddy

[JoshK]

Having lived in the NYC area for quite a few years (many buroughs) I am surprised by the <119V readings....they usually upped the voltage in most cases and occasionally would get a brown out (low voltage, but rare). 

Variac isn't a bad idea for sensitive/expensive gear.  I never really bothered. 

[roscoeiii]

Thanks guys - hmm, variac sounds good though I like the idea of something that monitors it automatically. Those APC units look like a good reasonably priced option. Thinking APC plus blue circle thingee OR a furman 1215. Thanks all

You've got a PM from me about an APC I no longer need.

[HAL]

When I talked to the local power utility, the normal line voltage of 120VAC/60Hz is a range of 114VAC to 126VAC.  This is what they guarantee to the house.  If it is outside that range, as the previous poster indicated, it can be changed at the line transformer.  The 104VAC end is pretty low for modern electronics. 

I would check the AC voltmeter to make sure it is working properly. 

[a63vette]

Thanks everybody, turns out it was in fact a bad DVM meter - I got a Klein and the votage is between 114 and 119. I got a beautiful Variac from GVT1911 which I look forward to using. Tripp-Lite is going in the garbage.

[Soundminded]

Hi guys, preparing for my new JWN/Salk/Cary system and I measured my wall voltage at 107-114.  On my old system I had a Tripp lite line conditioner which I just measured and it stepped it up to 130-134. I'm assuming 107 may be harmful, is the 130 from my Tripp lite ok or should I replace it? (Spec says it should step it up or Down to 120. It's about 15 years old (lc6 I think).

Thoughts?

You've got some real problems and it's not just your audio system. The low voltage is bad news for your refrigerator and air conditioner too. Likely cause is that you are far from the utility transformer and the feeder from the utility is heavily loaded. I'd call the utility about it and tell them you're concerned about your appliances being damaged. Voltage should not vary by much more than 5% nominal 120 volts. This will not be a cheap problem to fix regardless of who pays for it. The utility will probably fight it or tell you it was the contractor who built your home who was at fault for undersizing the feeders. (Many electricians and even engineers size only for ampacity, not voltage drop but it's in the code that they should.)  134 volts is dangerous on the other side and will shorten the life of many things such as vacuum tubes by overheating the filaments.

[srb]

You've got some real problems and it's not just your audio system. The low voltage is bad news for your refrigerator and air conditioner too. Likely cause is that you are far from the utility transformer and the feeder from the utility is heavily loaded.

Guess you might have missed a63vette's post just before yours - the voltage was not that low after all and he just was using an inaccurate multimeter.
 

Thanks everybody, turns out it was in fact a bad DVM meter - I got a Klein and the votage is between 114 and 119.

Steve

[Speedskater]

It was the 134 Volts out of the TrippLite ( and probably a different meter) that confused the situation.

[a63vette]

Thanks again all, my voltage with the new meter seems to range from 110/112- low 120s. I got a very nice variac I've been using from a forum member attached to a furman with a digital meter and its been great. Thanks again.