Handling really bad Voltage problem

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Boot_Comp

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I've recently moved to a new place where the Voltage is a real PITA.

I lost my Premier AC stabilizer (double boost one) a week back. Have now replaced it with a V Guard VEW400 which has a display of the input and output voltages, with this I once noticed the i/p voltage go as low as 110V (during the daytime that too!).

Anyhow I am looking to see if anyone else has faced these kinds of voltages and what is the best way to handle this?
Would a mainline stabilizer be a good choice or would an inverter be better (considering the frequent power cuts also)? Do inverter's provide Voltage regulation also on the mainline?

TIA
 
invertors is not for voltage stabilization, its will do a little job on the same, but it will switch to invertor mode ,so ur battery will die soon.The best option is to use a CVT (constant voltage stabilizer) with wide AVR. In many cases a stabilizer/CVT/UPS/Invertor normally goes off/standby if the i/o v drops below 140 or 160V unless on few specific models.

Else you can order an custom CVT/UPS from a local integrator.
 
CVTs are entirely different , but better than stabilizers with constant voltage/spike/surge protection, good range AVR etc.
 
Thanks for clearing that up. I installed the APC Powerchute personal edition and with that noticed that I/p voltages were fluctuating from 190-250 regularly. Really weird place this. So think I really need to get a CVT ASAP.

BTW, any recommendations or reliable brands (and approx cost) to get this from?
 
Can you describe the nature of the fluctuation ?

does it go low and stay that way ie its stable or is it just unstable, fluctuating often between low & high.
 
Fluctuating like hell.

Continuously goes up and down almost every few minutes (as I'm writing this Powerchute shows voltages from 254 to 216 then 230 and 220 to 234 to 240 and so on)
 
Well first solution is always to go and take the matter up with the power company,is it bescom.Give them a complaint ask the line men to check the settings in the power conditioner for your area.

Before you buy a check the specs of the CVT/servo stabilizer etc that you are buying to see if it can handle that wide voltage fluctuation.
 
Boot_Comp said:
Fluctuating like hell.
Continuously goes up and down almost every few minutes (as I'm writing this Powerchute shows voltages from 254 to 216 then 230 and 220 to 234 to 240 and so on)
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OK, i think the problem is local rather than with your power company.

Do you know if your appt gets 3-phase or single phase ?
 
It gets 3 phase electricity (all 3 seem equally bad though) and btw this is in Chennai (sorry I didn't mention that before).
 
Is it an apt or an independent house ?

Do you know for certain whether you are getting all 3-phases or is everything on 1-phase ?

Another point is electric water geezers. Does the fluctuation increase when they are on or does it make no difference ?
 
blr_p said:
Is it an apt or an independent house ?

Do you know for certain whether you are getting all 3-phases or is everything on 1-phase ?

Another point is electric water geezers. Does the fluctuation increase when they are on or does it make no difference ?
Click to expand...

This is an apartment (checked with other residents here and they too mention the same problem and say it is worst in the summer).

Yes as far as I can tell we are getting all 3 phases.

No water geezers (not really needed in Chennai :)).
 
One problem could be due to a floating neutral. That is the neutral wire that is grounded at the apartment transformer is broken, then you will get fluctuating voltages in all the 3 phases. So get an electrician to check whether the wire is properly grounded. Another problem if your apartment complex does not have its own transformer is whether there is any welding company operating on the same phase. Then also you will get fluctuations. If the problem is the first one, then it can be set right by an electrician. Hope this helps.
 
Boot_Comp said:
This is an apartment (checked with other residents here and they too mention the same problem and say it is worst in the summer).
Yes as far as I can tell we are getting all 3 phases.
No water geezers (not really needed in Chennai :)).
Click to expand...

Well in chennai you do have lots of ACs so if your apartment has lots of them that explains the huge voltage fluctuation,your apartment transformer cannot handle the huge load at peak hrs.I also assuming there is no power conditioner in your apartment.
 
Yes there are a lot of AC's (at least one per apartment and some have 2 or 3 including ours) and there is no power conditioner at the moment.

The reason behind my post was to get more information on this and an idea of the cost for a Power Conditioner / CVT and any reliable brands to get this etc.
 
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