Treadmill motor inteference disconnects ADSL modem - suggestions? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: stryker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2015, 10:48:13 am
content: Hi guysOur treadmill is located at the far end of the house and in a room without a phone extension. At speeds above 6km/hr however it increasingly interferes with our ADSL connection to the point that from 9km/hr the modem does not find sync and connection is not restored until the treadmill stops.I've tried 3 different ADSL2+ modems, with different filter/spitters without there being any noticable difference found between choices. Running the modem on a UPS that's disconnected from the mains (so purely running on battery) does improve things however, so it appears the noise is in the mains power rather than induced in the phone line. ADSL while on that battery can still drop, but it's a big improvement, and it tends to be able to reconnect. My UPS is too small to run the treadmill on, so I've not been able to try that (but am keeping an eye out for something to suit).From what limited information I've found, treadmills can be a nasty source of electrical interference. And it would appear I've got a live example. Is there anything I can do to modify the treadmill to reduce this? I recently pulled a food processor apart and found a capacitor across the mains - is this something that could help, and if so how do I calculate the right value to reduce the interference that kills ADSL2+? Or if that's not the answer, what can you suggest I try?ThanksGeoff

author: bookaboo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2015, 10:58:54 am
content: Check the brushes they may be on their way out causing more EMI than normal. Then check/replace or fit suppression caps across the mains:http://www.justradios.com/safetytips.htmlOr all in one package like this one:http://uk.farnell.com/schurter/5500-2081/filter-pwr-line-10a-0-00025a-1/dp/2353473Get one suitable for your line voltage and treadmill current.

author: TheUnnamedNewbie
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2015, 11:14:33 am
content: If the noise is common-mode, it might be interesting to also add a common mode choke? And you could experiment with the capacitor values - without measurements of the noise itself you can't really say what magic value will work best.There also exists pre-built mains filters, you could try one of those if you don't want to experiment with mains voltages.

author: stryker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2015, 09:00:33 pm
content: Thanks for the quick replies guys.Quote from: TheUnnamedNewbie on December 19, 2015, 11:14:33 amWhat would I need to measure the noise, or is there a range that I should focus on that is known to impact ADSL?Geoff

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2015, 09:51:05 pm
content: Once upon a time treadmills were used togeneratepower, not consume power.http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/prisoner4099/historical-background/enlarge-treadmill.htm

author: tron9000
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 21, 2015, 09:23:11 am
content: have you tried moving the tread mill?I had my xmas tree up last year and the lights on, had an ADSL cable running under the tree and noticed my internet was suffering BIG TIME. Turned tree lights off, issue gone.Could it be that your treadmill is up against and ADSL line, under the floor boards or in the wall?Or it could be your ADSL line is in close proximity to a mains line anywhere in the house?I mean your problem could be solved by literally moving a wire out of the way!