[infiniteposse]

Hi all-

I've just finished a new home studio build and things have gone quite well on the whole.

Here's what was done, electrically speaking:

1) We installed a completely new panel and upgraded the service to 200 amps. There is, however, just a single service running to the house and a single panel for both the house and the studio.

2) We used a Star grounding scheme, so every new outlet that was added has a direct link to the ground (as I understand Star-grounding, that's the point). My electricians worked from documentation provided to them about Star-grounding (sourced from this forum and Rod G.'s book), so presumably they get the idea and did it correctly.

3) I specified that all of the studio-based outlets should be off of any circuit (?) with mechanical items connected to them, including HVAC, Fridge, Water Heater, Dish Washer, etc... I'm presuming this was done correctly, but was going to have them double check.

4) All electrical work done was based on recommendations from an acoustic consulting firm we contracted who specializes in building studios.

5) There are no dimmers in the studio and no lights with transformers. All lighting was spec'd for studio usage.

I've just started mixing and tracking in the room in the last few days and it turns out that the new HVAC system is causing the lights downstairs to dim slightly and I'm also hearing clicks and pops on occasion through my tube amps, DAW monitor output and I also recorded quite a few yesterday, my least favorite thing in the world.

My question is, how can I isolate and remedy the problem?

I've learned in the last day that despite the whole premise of the studio construction project being that the studio needs clean power with no major appliances connected, I've now learned that 240v appliances are on both "legs"
of the power and are therefore connected to my outlets, lights, outlets connected to gear, etc... The house was always just going to have a single, upgraded service panel which no one said was of concern, but evidently this means that by default the 240 appliances have to be on the same circuits as my gear.

I've been reading through threads about various power conditioners such as the Furman AR-15 SERIES II or AR-1215, the much more expensive Equi-tech boxes and also the least expensive APC conditioners. All seem to help to maintain consistant line voltage, which I'm guessing is what is fluctuating when the HVAC system cycles on, yes? Would these solutions help the issue of pops through amps and my DAW?

Is there perhaps a way to specifically clean up the HVAC curcuit so that it doesn't affect the house as a whole?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!

Lee