My new house is 80 years old, so I'll be having a look at that!
his would be my answer - system is fed by its own fuse box, with not radials but 4 & 6mm rings coming from.
It's a separate ground for the audio gear, ideally something like an old metal water tank buried in damp soil.....
but the current delivery is the benefit, as I said.
.....so a 2.5mm ring may be protected by a 32 amp breaker safe in the knowledge the breaker goes before the cable melts. For a radial circuit you need 6mm for that same 32 amp breaker, or the cable melts before the breaker goes.
Knowing absolutely nothing about electricity distribution, can someone please explain to me how a separate supply for the hifi is theoretically beneficial from the view of preventing 'noisy appliances' (fridges etc) from injecting noise back onto the supply?
The separate supplies are inevitably going to meet at the main house box, aren't they?
So what prevents noise that's present on one supply from contaminating the other?
And if you extrapolate further, what prevents noise from your various neighbours' supplies from polluting your own supply? Surely rings and radials will both be affected by this?
You will get some isolation from stuff in your own house, which is a reason for splitting the dedicated supply (and earth) as far back in the system as possible, i.e. immediately after the meter, rather than from the main consumer unit. But if you have contamination from other mains appliances, prevention is better than cure, and elimination of electrically noisy appliances is a better approach. As for noise entering from outside your own home, of course the dedicated circuit will make no difference.Knowing absolutely nothing about electricity distribution, can someone please explain to me how a separate supply for the hifi is theoretically beneficial from the view of preventing 'noisy appliances' (fridges etc) from injecting noise back onto the supply? The separate supplies are inevitably going to meet at the main house box, aren't they? So what prevents noise that's present on one supply from contaminating the other? And if you extrapolate further, what prevents noise from your various neighbours' supplies from polluting your own supply? Surely rings and radials will both be affected by this?
Knowing absolutely nothing about electricity distribution, can someone please explain to me how a separate supply for the hifi is theoretically beneficial from the view of preventing 'noisy appliances' (fridges etc) from injecting noise back onto the supply? The separate supplies are inevitably going to meet at the main house box, aren't they? So what prevents noise that's present on one supply from contaminating the other? And if you extrapolate further, what prevents noise from your various neighbours' supplies from polluting your own supply? Surely rings and radials will both be affected by this?
But if you have contamination from other mains appliances, prevention is better than cure, and elimination of electrically noisy appliances is a better approach. As for noise entering from outside your own home, of course the dedicated circuit will make no difference.
Somewhat cynically covered by Blkmetalboon above, but let's look at this in more detail.
The impedance of your hifi supplies should be well down on the domestic ring. As regards hifi dedicated ring or radial, as I've mentioned above, my choice would be the radial, which is used throughout the world except in the U.K. The ring main was an economy measure (copper price?) introduced after the war. Strange that nobody else copied it !
The ring main was an economy measure (copper price?) introduced after the war. Strange that nobody else copied it !
The ring main was introduced post war as it was calculated to use less copper than radial circuits that were traditionally used.
You know me well!
The UK uses radial circuits all the time.
Yes, they are used for things like outbuildings and garages to save cost. My house, built 1989, has a modern CU and a few ring mains. The garage is on its own radial, with only 1 run of cable and a 5A breaker. It reflects the fact that most people only want to plug in a mower or hoover so why waste the money on wiring?For domestic use? I didn't know that. I thought ring mains had been de rigeur here since their introduction.
For domestic use? I didn't know that. I thought ring mains had been de rigeur here since their introduction.
For domestic use? I didn't know that. I thought ring mains had been de rigeur here since their introduction.
Yes, they are used for things like outbuildings and garages to save cost.
Heavy loads will usually have their own dedicated radial circuit (showers, cookers, immersion heaters)
Tiggers (and others who have done a dedicated line and not heard a difference)There's probably no definitive answer as if one person does this and thinks it's better and someone else does it, but doesn't they are both right in terms of their own experiences. I have tried it in two of my properties, but I could never hear the difference so I don't bother now. I understand more than many about mains supplies and I have to be honest and say that from a physics perspective I can't really see how it can make a difference given the quality of most supplies.