Fridge motor causing sound dropouts

[whatisk999]

For a while I've been experiencing a problem where when the fridge motor starts or stops, the sound to my HTPC speakers drops temporarily then comes back. It's usually similar to a drop in volume and then goes back to what it was. Occasionally though, the sound stops altogether like it's been muted and I reset the TV and Amp and the sound is back to normal again. I power off and on both as I use a Harmony and it's the easiest way. It also occasionally happens when the exhaust fan in the downstairs bathroom turns off also (is connected to the bathroom light switch).
My HTPC is connected to the TV (Panasonic OLED) and audio is then sent to the Amp via ARC. Unfortunately I can't have the HTPC connected directly to the Amp as the Amp doesn't pass through 4K HDR/DV. So all audio comes from the TV to the Amp via ARC.

Checking the fuse box, power seems to be divided into 2 circuits with a single larger breaker (https://imgur.com/a/Fcwpfgr). Hopefully I am using the correct terminology.

 

I've done some testing and found that the lounge and kitchen are on the same circuit/switch in the fuse box.
One circuit looks to be the downstairs (lounge, dining, kitchen) and front part of the garage. The other is the back part of the garage and upstairs areas.
I have run an extension lead from the power point in the garage on the other circuit to the lounge and plugged just the Amp into it. The issue seemed to persist, but perhaps not quite as bad.
I then plugged the Amp back into the power board that all my HT equipment is plugged into and plugged the power board into the extension lead. Doing this looks to have fixed the sound dropout issue with the fridge motor. So, while I initially thought it was the Amp, perhaps it's something with the TV and ARC when the fridge motor causes a small surge or similar on the circuit?

 

Wondering what people's thoughts are on the issue and what solution there may be. Having an extension lead running from one end of the house to the other isn't really viable obviously.

 

Could something like this stop the issue? https://www.amazon.com.au/Thor-Filter-Protected-Outlets-Filtered/dp/B077ZRJ9CP

 

This is the power board I am currently using: https://www.i-tech.com.au/belkin-surge-protector-outlet-8-2m-cord-tel-av-unlimited-warranty-f9g823au2m-gry.html

Cheers.

[playdough]

Hi, yoy did well to isolate the problem

Sounds like it may be a bad connection on the power (lounge/kitchen  feeding)  circuit, probably behind  a power point on that circuit.

Could even be way back at the board at the circuit breaker weather it be the breaker or local connection.

 

Get a Sparky, they will isolate the bad connection and fix it. Will make it easy for them if you give them your story.

[whatisk999]

2 hours ago, playdough said:

Hi, yoy did well to isolate the problem

Sounds like it may be a bad connection on the power (lounge/kitchen  feeding)  circuit, probably behind  a power point on that circuit.

Could even be way back at the board at the circuit breaker weather it be the breaker or local connection.

 

Get a Sparky, they will isolate the bad connection and fix it. Will make it easy for them if you give them your story.

 

Cheers. Will look into that. I think a while back it also did it but somehow eventually resolved itself. But is obviously back again now.

 

With it being on the other circuit now (same as the bathroom exhaust fan), there is a more pronounced click through the speakers when it turns off, but I no longer seem to be getting the interference from the fridge.