Electrical Outlets

mellowhead

mellowhead

New member
I'm trying to add more outlets for the tank and am not sure the best way to go about it. I went to HD today to see what they had and I found some power strips that had up to 12 Outlets on it, but on the side of the box it did mention that this was not intended for aquarium use or for anything involving water. So I looked at the wall outlets that change your standard 2 outlet to a 6 outlet, but again had the same warning about not intended for aquarium use. What can I do to safely add more outlets? What have you done to gain more outlets?

Regards,
 
First off that avitar is funny, well to all of us old school gamers.

Ok everything is going to say that, even a GFCI receptacle says it I'm sure if you look at the package. Nobody wants to assume the liability that is our hobby.

The power strip will be totally safe as long as you plug it into a GFCI receptacle or find a plug in GFCI to go between the outlet and the wall. Make sure that the power strip is mounted to something and not sitting on the floor where water can run down the cord into the "monkey face." Occasionally check the power strip for salt creep as salt deposits are mildly conductive and can cause minor shocks and heaven forbid neusance trips of the GFCI which could cause anything plugged into said power strip to shut off like in the middle of the night or when you are not home.

The final options are to buy something like a Reef Keeper Light which comes with four controlled outlets and I am prety sure is UL listed for aquarium use. Plus you get the benefit of getting a thermal probe to control those pesky heaters that stick on at times. Or you can check the LFS or pet store for a UL listed strip that will suit your needs.
 
I have said it before, now I will say it with some seriousness:

Just because you use a GFCI, it does not make your system safe.

Picture1-1.jpg


It is the tangled mess of line cords, under and around the tank that makes them unsafe. Insulation faults, and other line to neutral faults are the most common accidents waiting to happen, around an aquarium, and are associated with the tangled mess of cords, and a GFCI will not trip with a line to neutral fault.

Device listings are not listed based on who does or does not want to accept liability for your aquarium. UL listings are based an location and usage. Locations usually involves wet or dry. If a device is not listed for "wet" locations, in other words water will affect how it behaves, it is common sense that the device should not be used in "wet" or potentially "wet" locations.

Unfortunately, common sense is lacking, a great deal of the time. It is a shame, that 'not for use in aquariums' has to be specifically stated for a device that is not designed for "wet locations"/"outdoor" use, in other words it is not moisture/water resistant.

Regards,

Jim
 
Jim, I have read many of your electrical advice and appreciate it, but I was hoping for more advice on what can I use. Any thoughts?

Regards,

@ hpglow, yup it is an amazing avatar:D
 
Your safest bet is to bite the bullet and hard wire in a second circuit from your main circuit breaker/fuse panel, with GFCI device installed. Most good quality power strips should be fine to use provided you take steps to keep them dry and don't overload them.
 
mellowhead said:
Jim, I have read many of your electrical advice and appreciate it, but I was hoping for more advice on what can I use. Any thoughts?

Regards,

@ hpglow, yup it is an amazing avatar:D
Click to expand...

Problems associated with cords:

Damaged wires
Receptacle leakage
Worn electrical insulation
Wet connectors/plugs
Loose electrical connections
Shorted wires
Wires or cords in contact with vibrating metal
Overheated or stressed electrical cords or wires

These issues are fire hazards, in addition to a potential threat to people.

The above conditions contribute to what is called an "arc fault"-- an unintentional arc across a gap. An Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) is designed to detect these "unintentional arcs", yet differentiate intentional arcs, or "normal arcs", such as in motors. The "arc" in arc welding is an intentional arc, but gives an indication of the potential danger with arc faults.

The NEC now requires, by the wording, that essentially all receptacles in a dwelling be protected by AFCI's, that are not required to be protected by GFCI's. (new construction, in wall receptacles, with no retrofit requirements.) AFCI's can be piggy backed on GFCI's. For instance an AFCI breaker, and a GFCI outlet, or a combination AFCI/GFCI receptacle.

So now we have two devices to work with, yet neither will protect against a line to neutral contact through a person, when messing with a wad of cords plugged into a power strip, or contacting the output side of a ballast.

So what is the best safety device? YOU, along with common sense.

Dedicated circuits are the best way to run aquariums. AFCI/GFCI protection is warranted, but understand the limitations. Redundancy is a good idea (nuisance tripping of GFCI's.) Do nut run a continuous load the exceeds 80% of the branch circuit rating.

If you gotta have every piece of equipment, ever made for aquariums, plugged in all at once, and use power strips, mount the powerstrip securely to an immovable object, isolated from potential contact with water. Do not exceed the current rating of the powerstrip. Run the cords in a orderly proficient military manner (oxymoron?), so that you know exactly which cord goes where, at any point between the power source, and the load. Label the plug ends of the cord. Make sure you can unplug the correct plug the first time, using only one hand. (The other one stuffed in your pocket so you know where it is)

Do not work on your lights, unless they are disconnected from the power source. (not even to change out a lamp)

:beer:

Jim
 
Thanks for the thorough reply. How much should I expect to pay, rough guess, for a dedicated circuit installed?

Thanks again, I'd rather not set my home on fire. :beer:

Best Regards,
 
First, what size of tank do you have?

It is hardly worth your time to run a dedicated circuit if you have a 30G nano. But I have run them for tanks as small as 70 and planted no less than 12 receptacles behind them. I am a licensed electrician so when I put tanks in my house I put in the proper equipment and branch circuits to service them.

Your local pet store or LFS should have a power strip or a power strip with a timer listed for your usage for $30 to $50.

Getting a dedicated circuit added to your home will vary on many factors, but to cut a long story short... in order to get a licensed, bonded, and insured installation your looking at no less than $80 per hour plus materials. You may get lucky and find some guy who is doing side work to do it for around $150 total bill but if your house ever burns down your going to want someone to sue and that entity is the insurance company of the shop that did the work.
 
mellowhead said:
Thanks for the thorough reply. How much should I expect to pay, rough guess, for a dedicated circuit installed?

Thanks again, I'd rather not set my home on fire. :beer:

Best Regards,
Click to expand...

I am in So Cal, so how much it would cost in Florida, I have no idea. Out here it would not put you in the poor farm, however it would not be "cheap" either, depending on the complexity of running the wire. If I put a price on it, it could be construed as 'advertising' and violate the UA, though that would not be the intent.

Regards,

Jim
 
Thanks...I'll just call my electrician:lol:

I'm not too worried about the exact price, hence why I said rough guess. Just wanted something to compare it to, so I had an idea of what I might hear. When you consider the cost of a house paying a few hundred or so dollars is nothing.

Regards,
 
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