Crackly amp in certain sockets

[Redw28]

Hi,

My house is about 30 years old and I have been here for 17 years. Before we arrived, the previous owner had an extension done which included a new dining room.

I now want to use that room to play music, so I have moved a guitar amp and a small PA but when I plug them in, they crackle like mad. If I plug them into most of the old part of the house they don't crackle but interestingly, they do in the living room, which is the old part, but next to the dining room.

I'm not keen to get an electrician in until I have a slightly better idea of what to ask for. I have a;rady paid for the amp to be serviced only to find that wasn't the problem!

Any ideas?

 

[Pete999]

Hi,

My house is about 30 years old and I have been here for 17 years. Before we arrived, the previous owner had an extension done which included a new dining room.

I now want to use that room to play music, so I have moved a guitar amp and a small PA but when I plug them in, they crackle like mad. If I plug them into most of the old part of the house they don't crackle but interestingly, they do in the living room, which is the old part, but next to the dining room.

I'm not keen to get an electrician in until I have a slightly better idea of what to ask for. I have a;rady paid for the amp to be serviced only to find that wasn't the problem!

Any ideas?

Faulty connection on the socket circuit?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

If you connect a (preferably filament) lamp to the same socket, does it flicker in sync with the crackles? That would indicate a faulty line or neutral connection. If not, it may be a faulty earth connection. This would tend to manifest more if an instrument input to the amp is turned up with nothing connected, as that makes it more sensitive to bad earthing.
In either of these cases a proper electrical test is needed by an electrician as bad connections can cause risk of fire or shock.

Alternatively, there might be another load connected to the circuit that is spitting out severe mains-borne interference, although it would tend to affect other circuits as well to a lesser extent. Try turning off all appliances on the same circuit.

 

[Redw28]

Faulty connection on the socket circuit?

Thanks for the quick response Pete. Is there any way to test that? I have just walked the amp around the house and it is only the sockets in the living room and Dining room that are crackly. I haven't yet worked out whether they are on the same switch on the main panel.

 

[Pete999]

Thanks for the quick response Pete. Is there any way to test that? I have just walked the amp around the house and it is only the sockets in the living room and Dining room that are crackly. I haven't yet worked out whether they are on the same switch on the main panel.

Without stating what Lucien said in his reply, that in my opinion is your best option

 

[Redw28]

Thanks Pete, I hadn't spotted Lucien's response.

Lucien - Thanks for the detail, I'll try to find a lamp to check it with. It doesn't really change if you turn the amp up. I will now check which circuit they are on and work from there. And I'm not going to touch it myself, i just want as much information as possible to give the electrician.

Thanks!

 

[Pete999]

Thanks Pete, I hadn't spotted Lucien's response.

Lucien - Thanks for the detail, I'll try to find a lamp to check it with. It doesn't really change if you turn the amp up. I will now check which circuit they are on and work from there. And I'm not going to touch it myself, i just want as much information as possible to give the electrician.

Thanks!

You're welcome good luck