Is there anything simple I can do to cure an electrical spike at the caravan?
The fridge freezer is fitted, and controlled by a wall on/off switch.
The mini hi-fi is plugged into a wall socket elsewhere in the open plan kitchen lounge diner.
When the fridge freezer clicks on or off, a nasty spike sometimes comes through the speakers of the hi-fi.
The hi-fi's wall socket also powers the other audio/visual gadgets.
Nothing's broken yet, but it can't be doing any of the equipment any good.
I was wondering if there is something I can plug into the wall socket which will iron out the spike?
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Whilst these surge 'protection' cables are almost up there with HDMI cables in terms of decorrelation between price and performance, probably worth giving one of the ones linked a go, as you say it isn't good for the longevity of equioment to be exposed to these spikes.
Here's another from Amazon:-
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00009RIP3/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE
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Thanks for the replies.
A surge protector should do the job, and for the relatively modest cost, it would be daft not to get one.
Given my aversion to internet shopping, and a nearby Maplins, I will swing by there.
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You will find them (probably cheaper) in the larger ASDA and Tesco type emporiums. Our local ones have a variety of surge protectors.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 28 Sep 11 at 14:08
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I think I got mine from Homebase.
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PC World have them, but some look very expensive.
Also Robert Dyas - online, anyway. I suspect in store also.
Argos - £9.99.
Wilkinson?
Last edited by: FocalPoint on Wed 28 Sep 11 at 14:52
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there is a chance that what you buy wont cure the click. A lot of the surge protectors are designed to protect against a much large spike than you are getting from your appliance. rather than suppress a fast transient.
You mileage may vary of course depending on the quality of the device purchased.
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Zero's right. You're not suffering from a power surge, it's simply a small transient caused by the relay switching the fridge compressor on and off. This should not happen as normally the relay should have a supressor in it to prevent switching spikes. If the fridge is old I would guess the capacitor or diode in the suppressor circuit has failed - would be better to get this looked at or replaced. It would also be worthwhile checking the earthing of the socket for the fridge to make sure you don't have a broken or corroded earth connection anywhere. I wouldn't bother with a surge protector, it won't cure the problem.
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In motoring speak, like a condenser on a set of points?
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>> In motoring speak, like a condenser on a set of points?
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Yes.
Any of these domestic 'surge' arrestors will most likely have about 5p's worth of varistors forming the protection; they provide some immunity from short, fast spikes - the fridge problem may well meet this criteria;; but are no use against persistent over voltage.
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>> In motoring speak, like a condenser on a set of points?
Correct. Manufacturers are not allowed by law to supply household appliances that put transients (spikes) onto the electrical supply.
The cheapest way to prevent mains voltage relays from generating spikes when they switch is to put a capacitor (condensor) across the relay contacts, just like on a car, and to put a diode across the contacts of the relay coil.
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Thanks for the extra info.
Getting at the fridge wiring will be a faff - it's part of the fitted kitchen, so there are no visible cables.
The spike through the speakers is intermittent, although the last one was the loudest which is why I posted.
Given the scale of the problem, and the low value of the items to be protected, I will press ahead with buying a surge protector.
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Whilst it's not the most rigorous engineering approach sticking the stereo on the surge protected socket will probably be marginally more effective anyway, if it's easier I'd do it that way.
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Bagpuss is bang on.
The fridge/freezer is almost certainly faulty, although defective contacts in thermostats can carry on for years. The fridge/freezer is basically being a naughty radio transmitter, spark transmitters being one of the earliest types.
Made worse by the fact many amplifiers respond to stuff way out of the audio spectrum.
Quite likely a surge protector will do nothing.
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>> there is a chance that what you buy wont cure the click.
That's where Argos's 30 day money back guarantee comes in handy (and other places that offer similar 'x' day money back guarantees)
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Interesting to hear it could well be the appliance on its way out causing this, that's what I'd understood re noise induced into hifi/audio. Perthaps you need to toddle off to Russ Andrews for a *proper* mains conditioner.
www.russandrews.com/product.asp?lookup=1®ion=UK¤cy=GBP&pf_id=1401&customer_id=PAA2915091911489DTRQXFBMTDIVDNQM
I wonder what's in that standard £3-50 transformer lookalike that could justify a hundredfold price hike?
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For that price they could at least put a USB socket in it and supply a phone charging lead. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 29 Sep 11 at 08:36
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Absolute cods-wallop.
As not used by any broadcaster
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I am much in awe of that sites ability to sell ER-20 High Fidelity earplugs
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£1,300 odd for a one metre mains cable takes some beating!
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>> I wonder what's in that standard £3-50 transformer lookalike that could justify a hundredfold price
>> hike?
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Judging by "It uses two MegaClamp components for extra spike protection" maybe it has got 10p's worth of varistors rather than the usual 5p's worth.
Some of the reviews of this stupidly expenisve snake oil audiophool stuff on Amazon are really funny, folks well and truly taking the pee out of 2 grand speaker cables and suchlike oiverpriced junk.
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Curing an electrical spike - FocalPoint
