How to see if there's DC at my AC outlets?


Can I simply take a voltmeter, set it to DC, to see if there's DC on my AC lines?

I have Joule Electra monoblocks with an external variac, and it has a tendency to hum / buzz rather loudly at times. I am wondering if its related to DC being present at the outlet. It's not due to ground loops, that I can tell.

Thanks!
1markr
What if I test the hot to ground or neutral to ground?

I tried isolating just the amp, with nothing else plugged in, and the variac still hums / buzzes.

PS Audio has a product called the Humbuster that stops DC from getting to your electronics which causes the transformers to hum. So how does the DC get into the lines, then?
Did you try going around your house and turning everything off to see if it stops? If you are in an apartment it could be your neighbors stuff.

Does the variac hum with nothing plugged into it? If it only hums with something plugged into it then something might be loose in the Variac, but I still think noise on the line is the most likely culprit.
What's with the Variac? In my experience, all Variacs buzz, but some buzz more than others.
El, I have a Variac that has never buzzed that I noticed, but it is rated at 15 amps and I probably never got close to that limit.

Mark, now that I think about it, why are you using a Variac?
It comes as part of the Joule VZN-100s amps. There are the two monoblocks, and they are connected to Joule's variac. It supplies controlled AC voltage to the monoblocks. I suppose this way your amps always get the proper voltage that you dial in (64 to 65 volts AC), and you're not constrained by the higher and lower voltage supplied by the power company.