Hair dryer makes noisey amplifier

[pictacado]

When my wife turns on her hair dryer in the bathroom the amplifier (onkyo) for our stereo in the living room makes a loud rattling sound, like some component switching on & off rapidly.


Seems like a voltage spike of some sort sent through the circuit from the hair dryer, its an old house, probably a cheap hair dryer.

Any ideas why this happening and how to prevent it?

 

[william tele]

I don't know why, but it's pretty normal....

As far as preventing it, I'd say to turn off one or the other.

 

[Sparky2]

It's the electric fan motor in the hair dryer, creating an Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) effect, via the old house's aging (poorly-earthed) electrical system.

Just for giggles, have her turn the hair dryer on, first with full heat, and then with just cool air only.
I would be interested to isolate the dryer's fan motor, apart from the heating coil element in the hair dryer, just to see if there's a difference in the audible effect coming out of your Onkyo's speakers.

 

[Alamo]

Your wife needs to find the schematics of the hair dryer online, have a good soldering iron at hand and a few components.
I think it's ok if she uses your tdpri account in the DIY section so she can be walked through the mod process.

Disclaimer:
Hair dryer voltages are lethal! Learn how to properly safe a chassis for work, learn to verify it's safe, and never, ever deviate from those steps.

 

[RLee77]

Lower the bias on that hair dryer...

It may help a bit to get a quality two stage noise filter for your stereo power. I use an IsoBar, an older one with 2 stage noise filtering. Seems to be discontinued now, but it was similar to this:
Tripp Lite Isobar 4 Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip, 6ft Cord, Right-Angle Plug, Metal, & $50,000 INSURANCE (IBAR4-6D) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005119M/?tag=tdpri-20

But it doesn’t mention the noise filter type; the newer ones seem to be more geared towards surge, unfortunately.

 

[24 track]

its for that reason I have installed a dedicated 20 amp service to the studio, all the lights, dimmers and room out lets are on the house current 15 amp , all studio gear is isolated from dishwashers and microwave

 

[String Tree]

When my wife turns on her hair dryer in the bathroom the amplifier (onkyo) for our stereo in the living room makes a loud rattling sound, like some component switching on & off rapidly.


Seems like a voltage spike of some sort sent through the circuit from the hair dryer, its an old house, probably a cheap hair dryer.

Any ideas why this happening and how to prevent it?

A down and dirty method is to go to the Breaker Panel, pop the cover, move the White wire on the Neutral Bar to another Spot.

 

[3fngrs]

Tell your wife to go analog and use a towel!

 

[Toto'sDad]

It's the electric fan motor in the hair dryer, creating an Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) effect, via the old house's aging (poorly-earthed) electrical system.

Just for giggles, have her turn the hair dryer on, first with full heat, and then with just cool air only.
I would be interested to isolate the dryer's fan motor, apart from the heating coil element in the hair dryer, just to see if there's a difference in the audible effect coming out of your Onkyo's speakers.

You're just trying to get him in trouble huh?

 

[Toto'sDad]

Tell your wife to go analog and use a towel!

I'll bet that works REAL good!

 

[charlie chitlin]

People still use hair dryers?

 

[3fngrs]

You're just trying to get him in trouble huh?

lol

 

[SecretSquirrel]

During the 1970s CB radio craze, we had a CB "base station" in the kitchen. In the morning, when the radio static was low, my roommates and I would drink coffee and listen to the spurious radio emissions of the various electrical appliances being used around the neighborhood coming over our CB speaker.

It was like a game; you could tell that one motor whine was a hair dryer, another one we were pretty sure was a food blender. You might hear an electric shaver for a few minutes, then a vacuum cleaner motor.

Yeah, we were a little weird.

 

[SURF]

They use diode for regulating heat in some (half power). Just a thought.
And old brushes in the motor will add electric noise.

 

[william tele]

A down and dirty method is to go to the Breaker Panel, pop the cover, move the White wire on the Neutral Bar to another Spot.

ST, I don't get this one. Move that circuit neutral to another spot? Not sure how that would change anything.

 

[william tele]

People still use hair dryers?

How else you gonna get your mullet to "poof"?

 

[Obsessed]

Hair dryers use up to 15 amps which is about the maximum for a given circuit in a house. Vacuum cleaners too (unless you have a cheap one). You might even notice something when the refrigerator turns on and off.

 

[flyingbanana]

People still use hair dryers?

Yup. Hair is still wet after a shower.

 

[charlie chitlin]

Yup. Hair is still wet after a shower.

In Southern Calif?
For about 2 minutes!

 

[HoodieMcFoodie]

People still use hair dryers?

Those with hair do...