How to hook up a car stereo to AC power?
You require a bridge of 12V AC-to-DC power supplier/adapter between the wall outlet and car stereo to connect to a house plug. Connect the black wire to join the negative terminals of the power supplier and the stereo. Moreover, combine the RCA and positive (red) wires of the amp and connect this combination to the positive terminal of the supplier. Put the house plug of the power supplier into any wall socket and you’re good to go.
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Are you replacing your car stereo and want to set up the old unit in the house because it boasts better sound quality than regular lightweight home stereos?
You can do that only if you know how to connect a car stereo to a house plug. A car stereo operates on the 12V DC. Meanwhile, the power outlets in our houses provide 110V AC.
You will need a bridge of AC-to-DC power supplier between the wall outlet and amplifier to use the stereo at home. If you want to wire a car stereo to a 12 V battery see this article.
In this post, we will walk you through all the steps on how to connect a car stereo to a house plug.
Without further ado, let’s find out how you can make use of your car stereo at home.
What You Will Need to Follow This Guide
- AC-to-DC power supplier
- 10-gauge black and red wires and 16-gauge wire
- A wire stripper
How to wire a car stereo to an outlet plug (STEPS + VIDEO)
Determine the current rating of your car stereo
All car stereos work on the 12V DC but draw different quantities of current. Therefore, you have to first determine how much current your stereo unit draws.
You can find that out by looking at the amplifier’s current rating in the user manual. Finding this out is important because you will have to buy the AC-to-DC power supplier accordingly.
Bring the power supplier for the required current rating
Usually, car stereos operate at 12V DC with 10A current rating. Therefore, we have picked an AC-to-DC power supplier that offers voltage conversion at this current rating.
If you want to use the car stereo with a house plug for a long time without experiencing any malfunction, invest in a power supplier that boasts good heat dissipation and features thermal and voltage cutoffs and short circuit protection.
Prepare the Wiring
This is the most important and exhaustive step of how to connect a car stereo to a house plug. You will need three different wires to connect your stereo with the AC-to-DC power supplier.
- A 10-gauge red wire
- A 10-gauge black wire
- A 16-gauge wire (of any color other than black and red)
Ensure the lengths of these wires are long enough to connect the stereo with the power supplier in a setting you want to use the stereo at home.
After making sure that wires are of the required length, remove ½ inch insulations from both ends of all three wires. Use any top-quality wire stripper to remove insulation without messing up wires and shorten their lengths.
Connect the Wires to the Stereo and AC-to-DC power supplier
Loose the connecting screws on the positive (+), negative (-), and RCA terminals of the amp. Any flat-head screwdriver will do the deed.
Then:
- Insert the 10-gauge red wire in the positive terminal, 10-gauge black wire in the negative terminal, and 16-gauge wire in the RCA terminal. Tighten the screws to securely clamp the wires to their respective terminals.
- Twist the exposed ends of 10-gauge red wire and 16-gauge RCA wire together to make them one consolidated connection. The three wires coming from the amp have now converted into 2-wire input.
Then loose the positive and negative terminals of the AC-to-DC power supplier. Slide the twisted red wire into the positive end of the power supplier and black wire to the negative end and tighten the screws.
Your stereo has been connected to the power supplier and all set to work with a house plug and wall sockets.
Plug the power supplier into a wall socket
Put the house plug of the power supplier into any wall socket in the house and switch on the button on the wall as well as the power supplier. Your stereo will turn on immediately and be ready for playing your favorite music.
FAQ
Is it safe to connect my car stereo to a house plug?
As long as you use the proper adapter and follow safety guidelines, connecting your car stereo to a house plug can be safe.
Can I damage my car stereo by connecting it to a house plug?
If you use an improper adapter or overload the circuit, it is possible to damage your car stereo.
Do I need to use a transformer when connecting my car stereo to a house plug?
No, you do not need to use a transformer as long as you use the proper AC to DC power adapter.
Conclusion
We hope you find how to connect a car stereo to a house plug guide helpful. A bunch of wires and an AC-to-DC power adapter are all you need to play your car stereo at home. If you find this tutorial helpful, don’t forget to share it with fellow audiophiles also looking to set up their car stereos at home.
Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / *Image Disclaimer: We use images/data from Amazon Product Advertising API solely on products that link to Amazon. On products with the "Price at Crutchfield" button, we use images/data from Crutchfield.com as per the partnership deal.
