Mains - A Lesson Learned
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2020 4:04 pm
Over the past couple of years I have been quick to complain about of the quality of the mains.
I have been plagued by a buzzing noise which originated in the kitchen. The noise was amplified by my power amp which is a second statement. Mrs S would often get fed up with the noise and turn the system off using that good old method of pulling out the plug. Since the entire system runs from one mains plus this meant a complete switch off of the system.
I borrowed a BMU from Richard which had a negligible effect on the noise. Further investigation and a dc blocker was added which was an improvement. However, the noise remained and seemed to get progressively worse.
The noise from the kitchen was finally identified as coming from the fridge freezer. It’s 4 years old so I assumed that it has a dodgy component but within the manufacturers specifications.
A couple of weeks ago we decided to defrost the freezer compartment. This was the first time we had done this since the fridge freezer was installed. A few days before, the system had been turned off (it’s part of the family Christmas decoration ritual - don’t ask any questions !).
So, back from our Christmas break and today I finally got to plug everything back in. Well, this was a very pleasant surprise. The defrost had “rebooted” the fridge freezer. I can only assume that the unit was working flat-out previously and the removal of a lot of ice. The silent FF means that I now have a silent amplifier
I suppose the lesson is that the problem is not always what you think it is and be prepared to think outside of the box for a solution. If RD is looking down and reading this I suspect he might be having a quiet chuckle.
I have been plagued by a buzzing noise which originated in the kitchen. The noise was amplified by my power amp which is a second statement. Mrs S would often get fed up with the noise and turn the system off using that good old method of pulling out the plug. Since the entire system runs from one mains plus this meant a complete switch off of the system.
I borrowed a BMU from Richard which had a negligible effect on the noise. Further investigation and a dc blocker was added which was an improvement. However, the noise remained and seemed to get progressively worse.
The noise from the kitchen was finally identified as coming from the fridge freezer. It’s 4 years old so I assumed that it has a dodgy component but within the manufacturers specifications.
A couple of weeks ago we decided to defrost the freezer compartment. This was the first time we had done this since the fridge freezer was installed. A few days before, the system had been turned off (it’s part of the family Christmas decoration ritual - don’t ask any questions !).
So, back from our Christmas break and today I finally got to plug everything back in. Well, this was a very pleasant surprise. The defrost had “rebooted” the fridge freezer. I can only assume that the unit was working flat-out previously and the removal of a lot of ice. The silent FF means that I now have a silent amplifier
I suppose the lesson is that the problem is not always what you think it is and be prepared to think outside of the box for a solution. If RD is looking down and reading this I suspect he might be having a quiet chuckle.