Power Problem (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Braun]

Hi guys, I'm having a power problem here that I'm sure is highly unusual. Basically, I'm living in a 90+ year old frat house, and the electrical system here isn't particularly good. The problem I'm having is that the grounding on the outlets in my room doesn't work properly (there is some electricity actually running through the ground), so that when I have a computer plugged in and I play mp3 audio, there is a bad humming noise. I assume the noise is at 60 Hz (sounds like 60 Hz to me). I can use an extention cord to plug my computer into an outlet in the hallway, which doesn't have this problem. However, I'm wondering if any kind of power conditioning device exists that would help me get a proper ground, or would somehow eliminate the humming noise through my system.

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Jeff,
A power conditioner will not establish a ground where there is none.
What do you mean there is electricity running through the ground? It is normal to get a full voltage reading across the hot blade (the narrow one) and the ground connection. If you are getting a significant reading across the common and ground, then that would definitely be a problem.
If there is s ground problem, it is probably building-wide. Have you tried using a ground lift on your computer? Perhaps the reason the outlet in the hall works fine is because it has no ground (i.e., it is not connected to the outlet).
I suggest you get a plug-in circuit tester from a hardware store. They typically cost about $6, and will tell you if an outlet is wired correctly. If you find that there is a problem, you can get the landlord to fox it. If not, it is not hard to fix yourself.
Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt
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