Playing with Earth

[MartinT]

For years I've read about the benefits of installing a good earth to improve the hi-fi system but I've never got around to it - until today!

Take one 4' copper rod with clamp, a length of Kimber 8TC earth cable, a soldering iron, long masonry bit with hammer drill and good sized sledgehammer or mallet. Total material outlay about £25.

In my new house the usual earthing arrangement to the plumbing is under the sink in the utility room, close to the outside wall. I drilled through the double-brick wall and used a rod to pull the earth cable through. Then came lots of stripping and forming the ends of the cable into loops, soldering them to seal all the strands. Next, piledriving the rod took about half an hour, leaving about 2" protruding. Finally, connecting it all up (remembering to cut the power to the house as I had to dislodge the current earth connections), making everything nice and tight and weatherproofing the outside connection with some vaseline. Altogether, less than two hours from start to finish.

The result was, to be frank, very surprising. My soundstage has become more 3D, more palpable with superb focus on instruments and an enhanced sense of space. Where before I could still locate the speakers with my eyes closed (my preferred mode of listening), now I can't locate them at all, so solid is the image. Timing also seems improved with the Techie showing what it can do by starting and stopping on a sixpence.

If I had known to expect this level of improvement I would have done the job ages ago. Very well worth the cost and effort.

[The Grand Wazoo]

I suspect this is something many of us (me included) have been meaning to do for ages. Good to hear it's worth it.

Now try chucking a bucket of water on the soil around the rod - see if it makes any difference.......................

[DSJR]

I think this is illegal....... but I could be wrong!

When we had our new central heating boiler fitted last Autumn, the electrician threw a bit of a wobbly as the gas pipe was supposed to be earthed to the system and this would have meant an unsightly wire running along the front of the house. It ended up that we had our certification downgraded as it was a "repair" rather than a new heating system...

[Ali Tait]

TO ANYONE CONTEMPLATING THIS,YOU NEED TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL!
The problem with this is that you are providing a very low-impedance path to earth.The danger of this is if you have a fault on anything electrical inside your house,any shock you recieve could be orders of magnitude greater than would normally be the case.The low-impedance path to earth could mean that fault currents of possibly 10's OF THOUSANDS OF AMPS COULD BE GENERATED!! Obviously this WILL KILL YOU!

PLEASE PLEASE think twice about doing this,and if you do,be aware of the risks!

[MartinT]

Now try chucking a bucket of water on the soil around the rod

I already did that as soon as I had finished driving it into the ground

[MartinT]

Ali - the principle of earthing is to ensure that fuses/contact breakers blow, that is how it offers protection. Touching a live wire will rely on your path to earth (i.e. rubber soles), not the additional earth I have installed.

Dave - it shouldn't be illegal as I have not tampered with the existing earthing arrangements, only added to them.

[Spectral Morn]

TO ANYONE CONTEMPLATING THIS,YOU NEED TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL!
The problem with this is that you are providing a very low-impedance path to earth.The danger of this is if you have a fault on anything electrical inside your house,any shock you recieve could be orders of magnitude greater than would normally be the case.The low-impedance path to earth could mean that fault currents of possibly 10's OF THOUSANDS OF AMPS COULD BE GENERATED!! Obviously this WILL KILL YOU!

PLEASE PLEASE think twice about doing this,and if you do,be aware of the risks!

THANKS ALI....

Guys I wasn't sure what to say here about Martins thread. However it should be stated for the record and this is simply because I don't know if what Martin has done is safe....

*NB* AOS (ART OF SOUND) DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MEMBERS OR GUESTS MESSING AROUND WITH THE ELECTRICITY IN THEIR HOMES. BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY WORK ON THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY AND HOW IT IS WIRED, CHECK WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH A FULLY QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN. HE/SHE WILL KNOW IF ITS LEGAL AND ABOVE ALL*SAFE*. THE LEGISLATION ON SUCH MATTERS IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING, AND NOT ONLY COULD IT EFFECT YOUR HOUSEHOLD INSURANCE BUT IF WRONG IT COULD KILL. IF IN DOUBT DON'T.


Regards D S D L

[Ali Tait]

Martin I'm well aware how it works,I build high-voltage substations for a living.I have to reiterate,this practice could potentially be extremely dangerous! You are placing an earth outwith the equipotential bonding of your house.I will say again-THIS IS POTENTIALLY LETHAL!

In the 25 years I have been in the industry,I have buried 7 collegues,all killed by electricity in one way or another.This tends to focus the mind wonderfully on the potential dangers of electricity.

Nuff said.

[Spectral Morn]

I am closing this thread until the safety of the procedure martinT has done can be verified.


Sorry D S D L

[Spectral Morn]

Thread reopened to allow further discussion. It should be noted that this is not an endorsement of the procedure MartinT has undertaken or its safety, but only that AOS would like to allow further discussion about it.


regards D S D L