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Author Topic: Tacima mains conditioner  (Read 2940 times)

Jon21

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Tacima mains conditioner
« on: November 01, 2018, 11:41:59 AM »

Not sure if this is in the right section, please feel free to move if not.

Does anyone use one of these? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tacima-6-Way-Mains-Conditioner-black/dp/B00UB0G4DQ

The reason I ask, is that when the boiler is running, there seems to be an increase in ES per hour recorded on DSLStats. Whether that is down to the boiler itself, the pump or the motor on the diverter valve, I'm not sure. I've ordered one but I'm not sure if it'll do much?

Other than that, I'm not sure what else I could do to reduce ES. I'm already using a run-IT-direct cable and the master socket is a Mk4 NTE5c (perhaps not as good as the NTE5a Mk3). I'm not racking up large amounts of ES in a day, so not causing a problem.

[Moderator edited to simplify the URL.]
« Last Edit: November 01, 2018, 04:47:31 PM by burakkucat »
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Ixel

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2018, 12:34:20 PM »

I use one, well I have a few actually (mainly for important equipment such as computers or my server/network cabinet). I can't comment on whether they'll solve your problem but I think overall they are worth having anyway. The reviews seem good and presumably especially help those with audio related hardware (e.g. equalisers, big speakers and such).
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tubaman

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2018, 12:52:39 PM »

It certainly won't do any harm to try it.
If the interference is getting back onto the ring main then it could well make a difference, but if it's radio frequency interference (RFI) being generated and picked up through the air then it may not be so effective.
The most likely candidates will be the boiler fan motor or the circulation pump, but as these are usually induction motors I wouldn't expect them to be particularly noisy electrically.
Might be worth getting an AM radio out and seeing if you can trace where the noise is coming from that way.
 :)
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Jon21

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2018, 01:25:38 PM »

It certainly won't do any harm to try it.
If the interference is getting back onto the ring main then it could well make a difference, but if it's radio frequency interference (RFI) being generated and picked up through the air then it may not be so effective.
The most likely candidates will be the boiler fan motor or the circulation pump, but as these are usually induction motors I wouldn't expect them to be particularly noisy electrically.
Might be worth getting an AM radio out and seeing if you can trace where the noise is coming from that way.
 :)
Just tried with an AM radio tuned around 600Khz, put the heating on briefly and the white noise gets louder once I get near the boiler or the pump. Also tried around the TV/Soundbar/Freesat recorder in the lounge and there was a kind of pulsing sound within the white noise. So might be worth putting them on one of the mains conditioners?
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tiffy

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2018, 03:38:51 PM »

As already stated by other members, certainly won't do any harm to try, only issue that I have ever found in use is that "home plugs" (ethernet through ring mains) don't usually work through mains filters and require a direct connection to the ring main, probably not a big issue and easy to arrange but just a consideration when using any form of mains filtering.

I further appreciate that home plug usage is frowned upon by many forum members as they can themselves be a source of interference to xDSL systems, experience seems to vary between different makes and installations.

It is more difficult but if at all possible I would suggest you should try to establish / eliminate the source of the interference, if you believe that it is being induced into the mains can you filter the heating system common mains supply ?
Definately more difficult as a filter would have to be added at the common supply point to filter all components, boiler, pump motorised valves, stat's etc., filter would have to be added at the consumer unit or heating common isolation point, small discreet mains filters are readily available for hard wiring, one example:
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/power-line-filters/2192808/

Heating system boiler / room temp. stat's are quite common sources of electrical interference, does your noise event coincide with any temp. stat's. operation or more usually the period just prior to operation usually "heat demand satisified" (switching off) ?
I had a similar occurance in my daughters house with the oil fired CH boiler temp. stat., was easy to identify in this case as it also played havoc with the house TV's when switching off, stat. replacement cured the issue.
May not be similar to your circumstances as the mains borne noise generated was transient and clearly associated with a particular event.

Of course if the believe the interference to be RFI (air borne) and not ring mains borne then the mains filter you suggest won't do any good, will have to eliminate at source.
« Last Edit: November 01, 2018, 03:43:34 PM by tiffy »
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Jon21

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2018, 04:04:36 PM »

The thermostat is a Hive, so I don’t think it should be causing any interference. It might do but it communicates wirelessly with the receiving unit (using Zigbee I think). Unfortunately, there’s only one ring main for the entire house. It’s not split into upstairs, downstairs, kitchen etc. The supply to the boiler is likely to be spurred off from the ring main. Be interesting to see if this mains conditioner makes a difference or not.
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tiffy

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2018, 05:22:34 PM »

Quote
The thermostat is a Hive, so I don’t think it should be causing any interference.
OK on the Hive room temp. stat., in my case it was the boiler temp. stat. causing the issue, not familiar with gas fired systems but I would imagine there would have to be a boiler temp. stat. in gas fired systems also so the same principal would apply.

Quote
Unfortunately, there’s only one ring main for the entire house. It’s not split into upstairs, downstairs, kitchen etc.
Doesn't really matter in this case, the source is the same common house mains supply regardless of the number of fuses / circuit breakers incorporated.

Quote
The supply to the boiler is likely to be spurred off from the ring main.
Certainly possible but not good practice, modern systems are usually wired directly back to a consumer unit 6 amp circuit breaker.
Even if the CH supply is spurred off the ring main there should be a common take of point through an accessable, local fused spur switch to protect / enable isolation of the CH electrical elements, the ring main circuit will be fused @ 30 amps or through a 32 amp circuit breaker which ever is fitted in your consumer unit, my oil fired CH system is supplied from a 6 amp circuit breaker with a 5 amp fuse fitted at the local spur box isolation point, common practice I believe.

Quote
Be interesting to see if this mains conditioner makes a difference or not.
Yes, certainly hope so, will make life a lot simpler.

For the record, I am not an electrician and would strongly advise that the services of a competent, registered electrician is sought before any electrical systems (other than those served by a 13 amp plug) are accessed and/or modified.
 
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Jon21

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2018, 05:35:33 PM »

Ah yes, forgot that the boiler supply goes back to a switched fused spur in the airing cupboard. The house doesn’t have a modern consumer unit, it’s a c.1970’s unit with cartridge fuses  :-X
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tubaman

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2018, 07:21:37 PM »

You will get noise on your AM radio when it's right near to most electronic devices, but it should quickly fade and disappear as you move away more than a couple of feet.
I had a bad laptop charger that pretty much obliterated AM radio for about 30 feet around it - hopefully you don't have anything like that!
 :)
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Weaver

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2018, 06:38:53 AM »

I use a Tacima 6-way, mains also goes through a Belkin ‘AV’ main filter as well, goes through both, so doubly filtered and comes out of a small APC UPS.
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Jon21

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2018, 12:21:47 PM »

Got the modem, router, switch and Raspberry Pi on the Tacima now. Has it made a difference? Possibly. As the weather has gone a bit warmer, the boiler isn't running for as long, so hard to tell. That's if it was the cause. Still, it's well made and I've now got a couple of extra sockets. May get one to put the lounge TV etc. on.
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Weaver

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2018, 03:17:40 PM »

For the telly or some such important kit I would recommend the top end (esp. ‘AV’) Belkin units because they claim they have fairly big MOVs in them so should give better surge protection. They do die to save the kit they are protecting, so you have to keep an eye on them. Also you are supposed to be able to claim against Belkin if you attached kit does actually get fried. The only way to find out whether or not that is true is to try it, unfortunately.

I use the Tacima for filtering, not for protection.
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tiffy

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Re: Tacima mains conditioner
« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2018, 04:00:09 PM »

Got the modem, router, switch and Raspberry Pi on the Tacima now. Has it made a difference? Possibly. As the weather has gone a bit warmer, the boiler isn't running for as long, so hard to tell. That's if it was the cause. Still, it's well made and I've now got a couple of extra sockets. May get one to put the lounge TV etc. on.

Hope this solves your perceived issue keeping things as simple as possible, apologies if I over complicated the situation in earlier posts, inclined to get carried away at times !
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