Before the Stereo - Wire!

[Lazarus Short]

I had so many wires, power conditioners, and power strips under my stereo rack that I could no longer push the rack to the wall. I set off a few days ago to move all that "power plant" stuff under a nearby piece of furniture, and was able to move the rack back close to the wall. Good.

That got me to thinking and wondering if all my wires were of a sufficiently heavy gauge. Here's the setup:

Out of the wall socket is a 14-gauge cord cut off a too long cord of a power strip. Into the Hubbel plug I added at the end is a three-way splitter, into which the two VansEvers (Analog and Digital) power conditions are plugged in. One VansEvers unit has a cord in place (gauge unknown), the other has a 14-gauge IEC cord. A power strip is plugged into each VansEvers unit, and their cords are 14-gauge. After that, it's simply the power cords of the individual components, but for the amp I am using the usual 18-gauge IEC cord because heavy-gauge IEC cords are expensive and hard to get.

So, given the overview, here are my questions:

Are the 14-gauge wires between the wall and the power strips sufficient?

Is my 60-watt integrated good to go on an 18-gauge IEC cord? I suspect not, but I am asking here.

For that matter, I am using the same kind of 18-gauge IEC cords on my Cyrus II/PSX combo. Will I really realise better performance with heavier power cords?

Thanks in advance for any input.:scratch2:

 

[dshoaf]

Most of these questions are answered in the National Electric Code (NEC) which specifies minimum acceptable gauge wire based on residential application, wire lengths, application and other factors.

From the description of all of your conditioning gear and extenders, I suggest you reconsider how your gear is loading the distribution (aka: load) panel. Consider getting a licensed electrician involved, provide him with a list of the gear you need to run and ask whether a separate, direct, and isolated drop from the load panel is required.

I am of the belief that your residential load panel, its connections and distribution needs to be solid and well-maintained prior to considering conditioning gear.

Cheers,

David

 

[Lazarus Short]

Thanks, dshoaf! In the house I owned in Kansas City, my main stereo was on a 20-amp dedicated circuit. Here, I am in a rented house, and what you speak of is just not too practical, though the landlord would not mind it. I will say this much, I tried an Acoustic Research power strip in this house (it had worked fine in Kansas City) but its alarm always goes off. I think it's a grounding issue, but I had forgotten all about it until I read your post.

 

[electronjohn]

Stop by a hardware store or home center & pick up one of those neat little outlet testers. LEDs will show when it's plugged in if the outlet's wired correctly. Less than 10 bucks and it'll prove to be handy.