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Troubleshooting 8
®
Troubleshooting
©2004 PS Audio International Inc. All rights reserved.
Owner’s Reference
Humbuster HB-III
If no power comes out of the HB-III it probably indicates no power is going into the HB-III. There
are no internal fuses or switches on the HB-III to stop the flow of power. Check to see if power is
flowing to the unit. Plug your AV unit into the same power source as the HB-III to test.
Another possibility is the line cord. Swap line cords and make sure the unit has power. Sometimes
the line cord feeding the HB-III is not functioning properly. Test both cords if necessary.
If you have determined the HB-III does not pass power, turn to the service section of this manual for
details on receiving service. There are no user serviceable parts inside.
If the HB-III and its powered equipment lose power mysteriously chances are pretty good that you
have the HB-III connected to a switched receptacle on the wall or the back of a receiver or a power
conditioner.
Switched AC receptacles are those receptacles that are controlled by a wall mounted power
switch and are typically intended to be used to power on/off a lamp in the room. Most times these
receptacles are unmarked and inadvertent switching on or off of the power switch can cause a lot
of headache in trying to track down the reason your new equipment does not power up. Most
switched receptacles are on the top AC receptacle in a two gang box. Always use the lower
receptacle on the wall port if you are unsure.
If the HB-III gets extremely hot to the touch the most likely possibility is the load you are attempting
to power is too much. The HB-III
can handle loads drawing up to 15A on an intermittent basis, like
that of a high power amplifier playing music. Remove the load, or try another load. If removing the
load or reducing the load does not solve the problem, turn to the service section of this manual for
details on receiving service. There are no user serviceable parts inside.
If the HB-III does not eliminate or significantly reduce the hum inside your AV unit there are several
possibilities:
1. The AV unit is not humming because of DC on the line. In rare cases an AV unit’s
internal transformer is so poorly made that it vibrates and hum even with perfect AC
power. In this case you should refer to the manufacturer of the AV unit for help.
2. The DC on the line is only partially responsible for the hum. In this case, decide if the
reduction in internal hum is sufficient to justify the use of the HB-III.
3. Some transformers do not hum when presented with DC. The HB-III is still of value
because it solves the asymmetry that causes transformer core saturation. The HB-III
should remain connected to your equipment.
Running the HB-III on any voltage from 90 to 240 VAC is permissible.
No power comes
through the unit
The HB-III
becomes too hot
If the results
are less than
expected
The HB-III
mysteriously
turns on or off
Running the
HB-III on other
voltages than
your country of
purchase
Humbuster Manual.indd 8
10/7/08 8:42:12 AM
