Electrical question

T

TommyP

New member
So the dryer at my house wouldn't turn on so my dad flipped some breakers to get that back up and running. In the mean time, I'm at work and get a call from my gf saying "the tank is off". I panic at this point lol but everything is fine. The surge protector my lights are in (with dial timers) is not working.

I have 2 surge protectors. 1 is for my lights which is plugged into another surge protector for the rest of my equipment which goes into the outlet. This can't be safe long term.

Besides a controller, what kind of surge protectors do you guys use with multiple outlets so I have enough room for everything? I am going to re-organize my sump area and wiring and label everything nice and neat this weekend. Also, it's just a regular outlet, should I install a special type of outlet instead? Sorry for the long read.
 
Unless you spend real money surge suppressors are little more than power strips. If it's pumps and heaters etc... I wouldn't worry about them. If it's important I get something like an ISOBAR which comes with a meaningful warranty. Otherwise I just use those long black power strips from Lowes with the outlets spaced apart so It's easier to keep things neat.
 
fermentedhiker said:
Unless you spend real money surge suppressors are little more than power strips. If it's pumps and heaters etc... I wouldn't worry about them. If it's important I get something like an ISOBAR which comes with a meaningful warranty. Otherwise I just use those long black power strips from Lowes with the outlets spaced apart so It's easier to keep things neat.
Click to expand...


Thanks man, I'll take a look. It's similar to those DJ strips people have been talking about?

Also, any idea on why my lights aren't working? Again, I will check when I'm home but my gf said the surge protector that the lights are plugged into is properly connected to the main power strip that everything else is working on. Could the timers pop when this happened? I'll make sure the little dimple things are pushed in.
 
I can't find a link to the ones I've used online, but it's something like this;
http://www.lowes.com/pd_275272-3568...p&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=power+strip&facetInfo=

Is your light power strip the one with the timer integrated as part of it? If so I think they are junk. I've had two coralife i think is the brand. The one with daylight/moonlight outlets, half quit within a month or two and the dual timer one had the same trouble(lost one of the timers) so I don't put a lot of faith in them. If it's the digital one it's supposed to be better but it has a funky problem when you first set it, in that it won't actually start working until it's gone through a full cycle of the clock, so if you have that one, maybe if the breaker got shut off to the timer strip it confused it and it will start working normally after it passes the next set point.
 
ok thanks, Yeah I know exactly what you're talking about. I need about 10 outlets though, It may be too long to fit under my stand. (i gotta make room and organize anyway so I'll figure it out)

I have 2 dial timers, There's an outlet on each side so each timer has 2 outlets. I use 1 timer for my whites and 1 timer for my blues. Then the power plug for the fuge light is in this same power strip. No lights are working. Hope it's just a bad power strip...
 
I understand what you mean. Sounds like the power strip may have popped. Most surge suppressor strips have a reset but on the side or the end(acts a bit like a circuit breaker) so maybe nothing more than pushing the button. Otherwise it sounds like the strip itself died.

and the strips I've gotten at Lowe's are made by utilitech(I mispoke earlier as it's considered a suppressor even though I didn't care if it was one) and they have two lengths around 3ft or 1ft. That's what I've been using on all of my tanks the last few years without incident.
 
Spracklcat said:
I put a DJ strip in my newest tank, and I would never ever do anything else again. So much easier.
Click to expand...

That is probably what I'm going to do. Just going to go to guitar center or somewhere to see if they have it at the store instead of ordering it online. No sam ash around me that I know of.
 
Guitar center stocks them. By the Dj equip. About $30.

I wouldn't plug any high draw items such as lights or heaters in. One channel in mine burned out from my light.
 
mbg75 said:
Guitar center stocks them. By the Dj equip. About $30.

I wouldn't plug any high draw items such as lights or heaters in. One channel in mine burned out from my light.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks for the advice. Everything is now working and it's such a pita to re do everything and organize it better I may just leave it alone. I was looking inside and can't really find anywhere to put this strip anyway
 
Thanks, looking for something with more outlets. I now have no room to plug in my 2 timers for the 2 dosing pumps I got from BRS.
 
I am also using one Of the DJ power strips with individual switch one each outlet also has built in o/l fuse n real surge protection
image.jpg

Bought it from the DJ store on sunrise hwy in west babylon think was around $30 we'll worth it no more unplugging from power strips with wet hands
 
Thanks for all the replies

I'll check out newegg, I like the DJ strip though with the switches. When I have time I will try to re-organize everything. Probably this weekend.
 
For anything in or near the tank, you should really be using a GFCI breaker. They come in all shapes and sizes but I firmly believe they are the most safety critical part of a system.

There are those that do not like them but most often the complaint is that they trip too often or some other nonsense.

As background, a GFCI detects potential voltage in the tank can be shocking. Also, a GFCI should be used in conjunction with a ground probe that is placed in the water.

I can go into a long spiel about them if needed but my short response is "use both GFCI and ground probe always!"

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