Originally Posted by
DawnFurlong
Someone there suggested I might try plugging it into a UPS unit (Uninterruptible Power Supply - sort of like a surge protector on steroids - evens out high/low electrical surges/power). I was already using a surge protector, but I went ahead and picked up a UPS unit. I was stunned that it worked. Stitching worked, thread cutter worked. Fast forward several months, once again I started having issues. Again took it into the store, again it worked fine there. My UPS was showing as working (green light). I picked up another one in case it really wasn't working. Still issues.
I live in an older house, so I am sure the problem is largely due to electrical current that is not constant.
#1, there are different types of UPS power supplies. Not all smooth out the power variation (most don't). The type that do are expensive - basically they don't simply pass power; they charge up a battery in the UPS then invert the DC battery power to AC line voltage. These are called "double conversion" UPS units. Line interactive also do some level of power conditioning/leveling, but only at the extremes.
#2, if you are having "dirty" power, your utility may be able to put a monitor on it to see what's going on. It could be a poorly bonded connection in one of their boxes causing the problem. This is worth asking about especially because "dirty" power can damage other things - HVAC, refrigerator compressors, etc.
#3, it could also be a poorly designed power supply board in the machine itself. In this case, unless you can smooth out the power variation, you will always be fighting poor design.
#4, your house wiring design could be a problem. If things with motors are on the same circuit as the machine, they could cause noise or voltage droop/spike. Try not to have items with computer boards on the same circuit as a refrigerator or freezer or similar items (in newer construction, those items usually have dedicated circuits as required by code).