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Desktop and Stereo Overloading a Line?

I hooked up a line out on my new desktop PC to the auxiliary in on my

650 watt stereo. Everything was great for a day or so, then my computer froze. Because I didn't know these new computers turn off when frozen by holding the power button in for a few seconds, I eventually unplugged the computer. Then I plugged it back in. Sometime between unplugging it and plugging it back in, half of my studio shorted out. The other half remained on. Afterwards, the CPU was messed up, and needed replacing.

The apartment handyman said that one of the two "lines" in my studio was overloaded, and that I could rectify the problem by balancing the usage of the two lines, and possibly by switching the main from 15 amps to 20 amps. A clerk at a tool shop where I bought a receptacle tester agreed that it was line overload. But, I did shift things around, and still, I had one episode of one half of my studio browning out for a sec, and the other blacking out for a second, after which I gave up, and am now only using my stereo when my computer is not on, and vice versa.

Since adapting this policy about a month ago, no power problems have ocurred. In the two or three years before I got the desktop, I had the stereo hooked up to my laptop, and never had such power problems. About 7 years ago I had a similar stereo hooked up to a desktop, in a share-rental house so dated it only had one non-grounded outlet in my room (I used a grounding attachment), and I did have similar power problems that were resolved, IIRC, by not using the stereo with the computer. My current studio has 11 grounded outlets.

I figure there's got to be something I'm missing, a way to use both at the same time without risking harm. I counted the amps up (including refrigerator, et c.) as best I could, and it doesn't seem like I was ever using 15 or more amps. I was only running two laptops, a printer, the stereo, the desktop system, a few generic, power-sipping gadgets, and a few studio standard lights (no dishwasher, oven, or A/C). Plus, I see people all over the place with home entertainment systems much bigger than my stuff, probably running with A/C and what-not, and I never hear of the problem I'm having.

What can I do?

Thanks, Keith

Reply to
kness_0133a
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kness_0133a wrote: [snip]

A *few* studio standard lights?!?!?! How many kilowatts do they take?

Did I ever occur to you that just maybe your setup has something different than those other "people all over the place"????

Reply to
Watson A.Name "Watt Sun - the

auxiliary in on my

then my

turn off

seconds, I

in.

half of my

Afterwards, the CPU

my studio

balancing the

from 15

receptacle

things

studio browning

after which I

is not on,

problems have

desktop, I had

power problems.

desktop, in a

outlet in my

similar power

with the

use both at

(including

like I was

laptops, a

power-sipping

oven, or

entertainment

A/C and

You urgently need a real electrician to decide if all your equipment is correctly grounded and all connected to the same phase of the supply.

Reply to
John G

Thanks for responding.

I don't know, maybe you're thinking of "movie studio" or "art studio", or something. By studio, I mean "an apartment without a separate bedroom". By standard, I mean the light fixtures that came with the studio. Plus, they've got the energy-saver flourescent lights in them, standard household 60-75 watt stuff.

Reply to
kness_0133a

Thanks. I don't know what you mean by urgently, but, okay, I guess... Why did I buy a receptacle tester, then?

Reply to
kness_0133a

in message news:...

Yeah, thhis is what I had in mind:

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In any case, you may have something fundamentally wrong with your electrical system. This isn't something to be triflked with, since it could cause a fire. Have it checked out by someone competent.

I've seen some very bad elecrical systems, such as those old 'knob and tube' wiring installations from WW1 and before. Really bad, really. Scary!

Actually I meant WW2, above, but then come to think of it, one really bad one was from before WW1(!)

Reply to
Watson A.Name "Watt Sun - the

Okay, I tried to post a follow-up through Google, but somehow it didn't post:

I don't know, maybe you're thinking of "movie" or "art" studio, or something. By studio, I meant "an apartment without a separate bedroom." By standard, I meant light fixtures that came with the studio, with 60-75 generic household energy-saver fluorescent bulbs.

Reply to
kness_0133a

Again, I tried to post a follow-up through Google, and it hasn't shown up yet. Sorry.

Thanks. I don't know what you mean by urgent, but, okay, I guess. Why did I buy a receptacle tester, then?

Reply to
kness_0133a

...and, thanks for replying...

Reply to
kness_0133a

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