Electrically isolating network hardware from dehumidifier: isolation transformer or line conditioner?
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Posted by on December 3, 2005, 1:26 pm
Please log in for more thread options Hi. I have a dehumidifier plugged into the same electrical outlet as my DSL router and wireless router. I want to electrically isolate the DSL and wireless units from the on/off switching of the dehumidifier. The dehumidifier has a big electric motor inside of it, and I've read that the on/off action of that motor kicks electrical garbage backwards into the line and can affect my electronics. I've narrowed my choices down to either an isolation transformer: http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=227 or a line conditioner: http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=208 The models I picked out cost about the same. It looks like they cover most of the same ground, but not being an electrician, I'm not completely sure. Which do you recommend? Thanks. Roger Carlson | ||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Charles Schuler on December 3, 2005, 4:43 pm
Please log in for more thread options You most likely do not need any isolation. Your routers have power supplies with big capacitors that will absorb reasonable transients. I lean toward protecting the entire building or home with a transient suppressor at the main power panel. | ||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Al Dykes on December 3, 2005, 6:06 pm
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>
>> Hi. I have a dehumidifier plugged into the same electrical outlet as my
>> DSL router and wireless router. I want to electrically isolate the DSL >> and wireless units from the on/off switching of the dehumidifier. The >> dehumidifier has a big electric motor inside of it, and I've read that >> the on/off action of that motor kicks electrical garbage backwards into >> the line and can affect my electronics. >
>You most likely do not need any isolation. Your routers have power supplies >with big capacitors that will absorb reasonable transients. I lean toward >protecting the entire building or home with a transient suppressor at the >main power panel. > > it doesn't hurt to put the smallest name-brand UPS you can lay your hands on in front of the DSL modem and router. I was able to use the internet with my laptop for the entire 24 hours of the last big blackout because that's how I was wired. I had a *big* ups for my desktop system, which I shut down as soon as the power quit. I ran the laptop and the DSL connection off the big UPS for the next day, easily. Nothing, short of a direct lightning hit, that happens to your DSL router can be propagated to your PC or any other LAN devices. -- a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m Don't blame me. I voted for Gore. | ||||||||||||||||
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Posted by Bennett Price on December 3, 2005, 9:42 pm
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rogacasa@gmail.com wrote: > Hi. I have a dehumidifier plugged into the same electrical outlet as my
The isolation xformer won't help. The line conditioner will but you
> DSL router and wireless router. I want to electrically isolate the DSL > and wireless units from the on/off switching of the dehumidifier. The > dehumidifier has a big electric motor inside of it, and I've read that > the on/off action of that motor kicks electrical garbage backwards into > the line and can affect my electronics. > > I've narrowed my choices down to either an isolation transformer: > > http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=227 > > or a line conditioner: > > http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=208 > > The models I picked out cost about the same. It looks like they cover > most of the same ground, but not being an electrician, I'm not > completely sure. Which do you recommend? > > Thanks. > Roger Carlson > want to plug your electronics into it, not the dehumidifier - this means you can buy a much much smaller line conditioner. But I would do two things first. 1) See if you actually have a problem. The electronics gear is likely to do just fine without any extra gizmos. 2) See if you can run the dehumidifier from another socket or circuit in the house. | ||||||||||||||||
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Posted by CJT on December 3, 2005, 9:46 pm
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rogacasa@gmail.com wrote: > Hi. I have a dehumidifier plugged into the same electrical outlet as my
Unless you're seeing a problem, I wouldn't bother. The router should
> DSL router and wireless router. I want to electrically isolate the DSL > and wireless units from the on/off switching of the dehumidifier. The > dehumidifier has a big electric motor inside of it, and I've read that > the on/off action of that motor kicks electrical garbage backwards into > the line and can affect my electronics. > > I've narrowed my choices down to either an isolation transformer: > > http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=227 > > or a line conditioner: > > http://www.tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=208 > > The models I picked out cost about the same. It looks like they cover > most of the same ground, but not being an electrician, I'm not > completely sure. Which do you recommend? > > Thanks. > Roger Carlson > be regulating its own power (and if it runs off of a "wall wart" there's already considerable isolation), and ethernet is designed to be pretty tolerant of noise. -- The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net. | ||||||||||||||||
> DSL router and wireless router. I want to electrically isolate the DSL
> and wireless units from the on/off switching of the dehumidifier. The
> dehumidifier has a big electric motor inside of it, and I've read that
> the on/off action of that motor kicks electrical garbage backwards into
> the line and can affect my electronics.