Test for dirty ground?

Tweakers' Asylum

Tweaks for systems, rooms and Do It Yourself (DIY) help. FAQ.

How would I go about testing my line and ground to determine if it is "dirty" or if I just have poor line regulation on the Live wire?

I have a decent digital voltmeter. Connected between Live and Neutral, I get ~127V, with some small oscillation (maybe a 1V variation with a 1Hz time constant). I measure between Live and Earth Ground, I get the same readings. When I switch to DC, I show an average of .1V DC, oscillating between 0V and 0.2V. I'm not sure if the DC reading means anything, as it may be an artifact of the meter.

I don't measure any appreciable voltage (either AC or DC) between Neutral and Ground.

Are there any other tests I can perform with a DMM and maybe some simple circuits?

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Topic - Test for dirty ground? - Jayme 12:15:09 09/17/07 (9)

RE: Test for dirty ground? - chris_w 15:56:43 09/18/07 (0)

RE: Test for dirty ground? - rick_m 19:45:01 09/17/07 (0)

RE: Test for dirty ground? - kenster 13:17:57 09/17/07 (4)

Yes, our AC mains are 'dirty" indeed. - cheap-Jack 13:39:59 09/17/07 (3)

Filter Low Frequencies? - Jayme 15:32:16 09/17/07 (2)

How you measure such LF oscillation on the powerline ? - cheap-Jack 08:18:15 09/18/07 (1)

RE: How you measure such LF oscillation on the powerline ? - Jayme 17:49:01 09/18/07 (0)

RE: Test for dirty ground? - risabet 12:30:34 09/17/07 (1)

Dirty line then. - Jayme 13:16:07 09/17/07 (0)

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