I found a Welborne Labs Gatekeeper line conditioner used for a good price. Does anyone think this is worth it for an old house? Also, will this protect against surges? If not, what should I hook it to in order to do this?

I would not use a line conditioner for surge suppression. Install a decent surge suppression unit at the main panel and use the line conditioner (if needed) for power conditioning. Using the line conditioner for your first line of defence in surge suppression is asking for trouble.

I'm renting and will not be doing anything such as adding a surge protector to the main line of the house. Can I hook the power conditioner into some sort of surge protector that is just plugged into the wall?

A surge suppressor installed before the line conditioner would be an excellent idea.

Surge suppressors are typically sacrificial devices, and as such, should be a separate piece of the protection scheme.

So, you wouldn't consider adding a $50 or whatever device to the mains that you could then remove when you leave for greener pastures?

A true "line conditioner" provides a power "boost" in brown-out situations. Make sure yours does as some of them only clip power surges (most do this by using a battery, some use capacitors). EMI/RFI filtering and such are bonuses.

A true "line conditioner" provides a power "boost" in brown-out situations. Make sure yours does as some of them only clip power surges (most do this by using a battery, some use capacitors). EMI/RFI filtering and such are bonuses.

The battery is typically used to 'ride' through a voltage dip. As for EMI/RFI filtering, I wish I could find credible evidence that it has any effect on the final AV output parameters from equipment.

Plug your amplifier into a circuit that also has an electrical dimmer on it, and see if you get a buzz in your speakers. If you do, you'd benefit from RFI filtering.

Plug your amplifier into a circuit that also has an electrical dimmer on it, and see if you get a buzz in your speakers. If you do, you'd benefit from RFI filtering.

Which is often no more than a cheap ferrite core or replacing/removing/not using the dimmer switch.;)

Plug your amplifier into a circuit that also has an electrical dimmer on it, and see if you get a buzz in your speakers. If you do, you'd benefit from RFI filtering.

Then fix the poor grounding/bonding or cheap dimmer switches first. This is nothing more than putting a band aid on the original problem.

This is nothing more than putting a band aid on the original problem.But that's how most conditioners are used. :p

But that's how most conditioners are used. :p

Yeah, why fight it.... the marketing guys at the power conditioning companies have us beat:eek:

Yeah, why fight it.... the marketing guys at the power conditioning companies have us beat:eek:Actually, that was meant only partly in jest. If there's noise or a ground loop, the best course is to fix the underlying problem. However, most hobbyists tend to think in terms of getting a gadget to "fix" it. Often it does help, just like a band-aid.