When I was a young volunteer at my church, I knew nothing about electricity. Anytime I was caught in a conversation related to power, the best I could come up with was saying “1.21 jigawatts!” and hope the other party laughed. One particular time we were having serious issues with our audio system. I had to work with the systems installer and electrical contractor to figure out why; and spouting “Back to the Future” lines wasn't helpful. It was during this time that I first heard the term “Dirty Power” and apparently we had it.
Dirty power has become the go to word to describe any oddity or instability in the incoming electrical quality. It often involves voltage fluctuations, frequency changes, and other variations that cause the power to be unstable. These fluctuations can range from the annoying to the deadly. What dirty power doesn't cover though is that annoying humming sound you hear in some sound systems. That is usually caused by a grounding issue and is sometimes lumped in with the dirty power problem. It shouldn't be.
We now live in a digital world --- and from a power perspective, a world that is much less forgiving than analog. Even the most traditional churches are becoming more technically advanced, but the larger A/V production and digital signage systems in contemporary churches are much more vulnerable to electrical power-related issues.
Many of us are operating in older buildings, and few of us have the luxury of ripping out the entire electrical system and starting over. Here are a few ideas to help combat dirty power, and keep your equipment running so it's ready when you need it.
Power Strips
First off, stop using those “surge bars” you bought in the check out lane at Ikea for $5. Just because they have a breaker on them doesn't mean they will protect your equipment. If you need more outlets do not go all Clark Griswold and plug a surge bar into a surge bar. This just isn't safe and can begin to introduce other problems on that circuit. Power strips are fine, but only after a professional surge suppression device is in-line before them.
I am a big believer in putting surge protection in at the breaker box. At my previous church, we had this done for our most sensitive equipment in the video production room. Each subpanel that played a role in our weekend service also had suppression installed. This isn't drastically expensive, but it does have to be done by a licensed electrician and it needs to be check yearly.
From there our gear was plugged into your typical A/V power strips/conditioners like a Furman or SurgeX unit as just a second level of protection.
Battery Backups
Battery backups are also highly recommended. I have several in my home alone --- not so much because I have power issues but more so when the power goes out…I have 45 minutes of Internet and WiFi to use while I wait for it to come back on. More over, the higher end backups will help protect your gear from brownouts. Most devices these days can fluctuate a few volts up or down, but the further down you get the more damage can be done by under-powering.
On the flip side, nine times out of 10 when the power suddenly goes out, your equipment isn't going to be affected. It's when the power suddenly rushes back on that you receive a surge that can harm your gear. So having a decent battery system that can kick on when things get out of whack is a great addition. There is one very large thing to remember here though; you have to maintain them and replace them periodically. Unlike diamonds, batteries are not forever. I will never forget the feeling of losing power during a church service and hearing that sad sound of a dying battery backup right before my console shut off.
Isolate your equipment
Finally, it's very important to isolate your equipment . This requires knowledge of how your circuits are laid out. In the big picture you would want you audio, video, and lighting equipment to all be on separate sub panels. This way their draw isn't affecting the others or somehow back feeding. I once had a PA system that made a whooshing sound every time the lights were brought up. I also had a system where every time the kick drum was hit, distortion lines ended up on the projection screens.
Another thing to consider is what items are sharing outlets. You really don't want that awesome booth fridge plugged into the same circuit as the soundboard. Every time that compressor kicks on it likely draws enough juice to release electromagnetic interference.
In a perfect world, that outlet your computer is plugged into should be putting out 120 Volts at 60 Hz. But, we do not live in a perfect world, and at times that voltage can wreak havoc on those sensitive electronics.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but one Sunday morning you will come in and find something won't be working. Taking preventative measures and having a backup plan in place will be your best stress reducer against dirty power.
