Electricty Problems

[Peji911]

We recently did our basement. We put a crazy amount of outlets in each room and the wattage is above average.

A few months backI noticed my iMac kept getting problems. Due to warranty, they were constantly fixed. However, it got to a point where I was like, "Apple products are as bad as Windows.

I got rid of my iMac and built a custom windows-based PC. I used the best products at the time. Within a few days, however, the PC started having a lot of problems as well. I tried the computer upstairs for a few weeks and never a problem.

I thought it was my electricity, so I called in a few electricitians and each said it wasnt the electricity. Each believe that something magnetic is going on with all the copper pipes.

Does ANYONE have any other ideas what this could be? Has anyone experienced something similar?

[AUChase]

Re: Electricty Problems

How many amps are coming through the breaker, that runs the outlets in the basement ? I'm not sure how copper pipes would effect the wire running to the outlets.. they have a ground in them and are coated.

[Knight165]

Re: Electricty Problems

You've had electricians check the amperage and voltage?
No surges or "brown outs"?(where it would drop due to a problem.)
Both would give circuit boards a problem.

M.K.
Knight165

[Peji911]

Re: Electricty Problems

Yeah, they have checked everything. Neither one has ANY idea what it could be.

Sucks that no one has had a similar/learned from this.

Gotta move then, cause I need my man cave.

[AUChase]

Re: Electricty Problems

It really does just sound like the breaker running those plugs has too big of an amperage and there's too much power to what would be a standard 110 outlet, but if a few electricians don't think so, then I'm not sure...

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Electricty Problems

To me it sounds like you have too many outlets running on one line. Did you add these crazy amount of outlets yourself ????? Or did you have master electrician that was licensed and fully bonded do it ? Because from the sound of things, your basement setup is a fire hazard waiting to happen.

[snepp]

Re: Electricty Problems

Are there any high draw devices on that circuit? (AC or space heater)

[Burns11]

Re: Electricty Problems

It really does just sound like the breaker running those plugs has too big of an amperage and there's too much power to what would be a standard 110 outlet, but if a few electricians don't think so, then I'm not sure...

Breakers don't work like that, they only cut off flow (break the circuit) if amperage is above a set level, and the reason for that is to protect the wires from overheating and causing a fire.

EMI from water pipes is certainly possible, but seems a bit spurious since it works fine upstairs (typically any EMI from water pipes would come from the ground wires, but all grounds in the house would typically run off the same ground source, a strong enough EMF from the water pipes to disrupt a PC would be fairly odd, and would also effect your cellphone which presumably hasn't happened or you would have mentioned). What was the nature of the "problems" your computer was having? Try running your computer downstairs off an extension cord from upstairs. If it runs fine, you know it's not an EMF from the pipes. When they wired your basement did they put in a new sub panel? Did they run the ground for the sub panel to the water pipe while the main panel is run off a ground spike? That would be a source of EMI from ground and explain why it's not happening upstairs.

However, seeing as you spoke of warranty with regards to the Mac, I would assume problems included fried components, which would point towards power spikes/surges.