Electrician in Los Angeles to power condition residence

ghostbusters

Kev> I'm now living in an old house (circa 1938) which seems to be getting

What are the problems you are having? Depending upon what they are, there may be nothing short of a screen room that would help.

Bill

-- Fermez le Bush--about two years to go.

Some of it is RF noise, obliterating radios. Also some big electromagnetic fields around fuse boxes, circuit breaker panels, and flourescent light ballasts. A new house was built next door, and there were some problems when the temporary power pole was put in. Much of the "noise" went away when the pole came down, but has now gotten worse since occupancy. While I realize there is not much we can do regarding devices used by the inhabitants (and I doubt the FCC would be too helpful), I don't know whether we can get some isolation from the actual power grid we share with the community.

Kevin Krell

This one is easy to fix: Turn off all electric powered equipment in your house. The electromagnetic fields are generated any time you use electricity!

Charles Perry P.E.

So you notice the problem in your radio and light balasts and around the electrical panel. What is it you notice around the panel? I doubt you are experiencing electromagnetic fields so strong as to effect your light balasts. I would think it more likely is your power coming in is fluxuating. There are devices called line conditioners that we use to operate machines and computers to clean up power. You might be able to get one for your house. I would complain to the power company. I would think they could check the power and make helpful suggestions if not fix it.

Bob

I once had trouble with interference on FM. I called my power company, and they sent out two men, who had experience with such problems. They pointed out that often they are caused by a faulty doorbell transformer in the neighborhood, or by a fish tank heater. In rural areas electric fences can be culprits. In my case, they scouted the neighborhood with a portable radio and located the source several houses away. It was the doorbell transformer, and when it was disconnected, no more interference,

Kevin Krell ( snipped-for-privacy@worldtrad.org) wrote: : I'm now living in an old house (circa 1938) which seems to be getting : hit with electromagnetic/RF interference from the neighborhood, possibly : through the power grid. : : I'm seeking an experienced electrician who could look into and resolve : these conditions as much as possible/reasonable. Most electricians seem : to be very good at sockets, switches, and lights (general house wiring), : but I thought perhaps that you might have some recommendations for : troubleshooting of this nature. : : Kevin Krell : International Traditional Music Society, Inc. : snipped-for-privacy@worldtrad.org

I'd like to see a regulation that every building have an rf trap where the electrical service enters. The idea is to prevent interference generated in the building from getting to the power lines. Maybe a simple by-pass capacitor in every meter would help.

AM, FM, CB, TV, wireless phone, and/or ham radio? please elaboate just enough to show what the problem is.

Also some big

please explain the method used to determine these areas are a problem.

A new house was built next door, and

contact a local amateur radio club. ask if they have an "RFI committee" or someone able and willing to look at your problem. his person may be able to localize the problem and suggest a further course of action.

If you are getting RF interference, verify it with a battery operated AM radio. Start turning off circuits in your house until it goes away. That will indicate which circuit is at fault. If you disconnect everything and it still continues, it could be coming from utility equipment. Perhaps a bad distribution transformer whose condition got worse with the added load of a new house. If so, call the local utility.

I don't know how you detect 'electromagnetic fields' around equipment. They are normal at 60 Hz, but if there is some RF noise coming in from another source, it will be more noticeable near any electrical equipment.

Testing by taking an AM radio around near devices (TV, lights & their switches, appliances on/off, near breaker and fuse boxes, etc.). I've got a call into the local utility's Interference Group (didn't realize they had one) and see where that leads me. Thanks.

Kevin Krell

Do be careful with the assumption that interference will be detected near the offending device. Its possible that the interference may be conducted quite some distance from its source.

Leave the radio in a location where the interference is noticeable and start turning things off.

You need an electrical contractor that primarily does industrial and commercial work. The problems you are having are not unusual for large commercial or industrial applications and they should have the ideas and test equipment to quickly find your problem. The average residential contractor is another field entirely. Their focus tends to be, do it quick, do it cheap and do it to minimul code standards. A good commercial/industrial contractor may be a little more expensive but he will have qualified and experianced electricians with proper (and expensive ) test equipment to isolate your problems.

While it does vary by area, this is really more th sort of thing you look to a consulting engineering firm for. Most contractors, even the good ones, are not equipped to handle those sort of investigations. WHich is why the come to us. jk