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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => AC Power and Grounding => Topic started by: Casey Sharp on February 06, 2018, 04:33:02 PM

Title: Something interesting just happened to me...
Post by: Casey Sharp on February 06, 2018, 04:33:02 PM
Something interesting just happened to me about 10 minutes ago.

I am frequently having to bounce between 120V and 240V. So what I did was install 2 power conditioners in the same rack and just use whichever one I need.  I was testing my 240V conditioner with a step-up transformer just to make sure everything was working properly. Afterwards I powered down and unplugged the 240V conditioner and back into the 120V. I plugged the 120V conditioner into a 120V wall outlet. Once I flipped the power on I heard a pop inside the conditioner and assumed it was an internal fuse. So I just took it apart and sure enough I popped a disc fuse, but my outlets are still working.

Any idea why this could have happened?  My only thought is that I had just ran some gear on 240V and when I plugged that same gear back into the 120V conditioner maybe some capacitors sent some stored energy backwards through the conditioner and thats what popped it.  But I don't know.
Title: Re: Something interesting just happened to me...
Post by: Ron Hebbard on February 06, 2018, 05:02:46 PM
Something interesting just happened to me about 10 minutes ago.

I am frequently having to bounce between 120V and 240V. So what I did was install 2 power conditioners in the same rack and just use whichever one I need.  I was testing my 240V conditioner with a step-up transformer just to make sure everything was working properly. Afterwards I powered down and unplugged the 240V conditioner and back into the 120V. I plugged the 120V conditioner into a 120V wall outlet. Once I flipped the power on I heard a pop inside the conditioner and assumed it was an internal fuse. So I just took it apart and sure enough I popped a disc fuse, but my outlets are still working.

Any idea why this could have happened?  My only thought is that I had just ran some gear on 240V and when I plugged that same gear back into the 120V conditioner maybe some capacitors sent some stored energy backwards through the conditioner and that's what popped it.  But I don't know.
  Casey?  You "popped a disc fuse"?  Or you popped an MOV? 
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard.
Title: Re: Something interesting just happened to me...
Post by: Mike Sokol on February 06, 2018, 05:56:19 PM
My only thought is that I had just ran some gear on 240V and when I plugged that same gear back into the 120V conditioner maybe some capacitors sent some stored energy backwards through the conditioner and that's what popped it.

That's not possible. Got to be something else...
Title: Re: Something interesting just happened to me...
Post by: Tim McCulloch on February 07, 2018, 02:41:48 AM
What is your concept of "conditioned" power?

If you're using surge protectors I'd say your recent event shows they work but they don't do any "conditioning"... hell, they probably don't do a power shampoo, either. ;)
Title: Re: Something interesting just happened to me...
Post by: Keith Broughton on February 07, 2018, 05:57:21 AM
What is your concept of "conditioned" power?

If you're using surge protectors I'd say your recent event shows they work but they don't do any "conditioning"... hell, they probably don't do a power shampoo, either. ;)
An amusing start to my day Tim  ;D ;D
Title: Re: Something interesting just happened to me...
Post by: Chris Hindle on February 07, 2018, 01:10:01 PM
Something interesting just happened to me about 10 minutes ago.

I am frequently having to bounce between 120V and 240V. So what I did was install 2 power conditioners in the same rack and just use whichever one I need.  I was testing my 240V conditioner with a step-up transformer just to make sure everything was working properly. Afterwards I powered down and unplugged the 240V conditioner and back into the 120V. I plugged the 120V conditioner into a 120V wall outlet. Once I flipped the power on I heard a pop inside the conditioner and assumed it was an internal fuse. So I just took it apart and sure enough I popped a disc fuse, but my outlets are still working.

Any idea why this could have happened?  My only thought is that I had just ran some gear on 240V and when I plugged that same gear back into the 120V conditioner maybe some capacitors sent some stored energy backwards through the conditioner and thats what popped it.  But I don't know.
As Ron said, you popped an MOV, not a fuse. It is supposed to take the "bad shit" and pass it to the Neutral (or ground, i forgot) so it bypasses your gear. This is why the gear still worked. They wear out. When going bad, they will also add noise to your system, and trip GFCI breakers.
Personally, i have UPS in the system, and power bars. No damn "conditioners"
Chris.
You can turn a "conditioner" into a power bar by clipping out the MOV.