Electrical safety

[lbear]

What do you do to ensure electrical safety of your aquarium?

I have GFCI and grounding probe. I also have drip loop for power lines. Any other safety devices needed?

 

[ricks]

I've heard that grounding probes can complete the circuit. Making you part of the circuit. Anyone else hear this????

 

[69camaro540]

as long as the circuit is protected by a GFCI and it does work properly, you are protected.

 

[Bandsaw]

If you use a grounding rod without the GFI, then yes you can run a risk. If the GFI is doing its job, you are better protected than using a GFI alone.

 

[bertoni]

The GFCI and grounding probe is a good combo, IMO. I would suggest considering using multiple GFCIs, so that one bad piece of equipment doesn't shut down all the equipment attached to the tank.

 

[PatMayo]

I took Jonathans advice. I have 2 GFCI plugs in my system plus 2 grounding rods in my tank and sump.

I feel safer now. My other plugs are held up on the side of the stand using heavy duty Velcro. You can see how I did it here:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=780206

This will keep accidental spills out of the receptacles.

Regards,

Pat

 

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Ibear,

A GFCI works fine with a grounding probe. A GFCI detects when current leaves the circuit and flows to ground. If something fails in your tank the current will travel to the probe and trip the GFCI. If you don't ground the tank there is a chance you can reach into the water and you become the grounding probe. Again the GFCI trips but you will get a momentary shock.

 

[lbear]

Thank you for your advice. I will get 2nd GFCI and grounding probe.

 

[MCary]

Tom, as long as your weighing in on this, I heard grounding probes are a waste of money. Comments?

 

[lbear]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7038451#post7038451 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Hi Ibear,

A GFCI works fine with a grounding probe. A GFCI detects when current leaves the circuit and flows to ground. If something fails in your tank the current will travel to the probe and trip the GFCI. If you don't ground the tank there is a chance you can reach into the water and you become the grounding probe. Again the GFCI trips but you will get a momentary shock.

Does that mean GFCI won't work correctly without properly installed grounding probe? The GFCI won't break the circuit before human body becomes a grounding path.

 

[PatMayo]

That's what it sounds like to me. I don't know about you guys but I hate being shocked and anything that will help prevent that is cheap in my mind. You can get the probes for like $13.50. Seems like cheap insurance to me. When it comes to water and electricity it just does make sense to take chances. That's my take on things.

Regards,

Pat

 

[bertoni]

That's correct, with no grounding probe, the human might become the grounding path. If the GFCI works, the jolt won't harm or kill you, though. If...

 

[69camaro540]

if you also use a titanium heater in your sump, wouldn't the titanium shell of the heater be grounded and act like a grounding probe.

 

[bertoni]

Maybe. Depends on the product. I don't trust any heater, given the track record I have with them failing.

 

[lbear]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7054815#post7054815 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 69camaro540
if you also use a titanium heater in your sump, wouldn't the titanium shell of the heater be grounded and act like a grounding probe.

The titanium heater tube doesn't provide a path for current to its power cord. The heating circuit is inside the titanium tube.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Only a failure of something that uses a 3 prong plug is probably going to trip the GFCI. The lights in your hood are grounded so dropping the hood in the tank should trip the GFCI. However, many people doing retro will skip that step and the result is they get a shock before the GFCI trips. I've never had a heater that employed a three prong plug so I don't imagine a failure would trip the circuit. Some filters and powerheads are 3 prong but others are not. I use the grounding probe myself just to be sure. There are people however that feel that grounding the tank produces a path for induction currents and that this many harm fish and inverts. Induced currents do not trip the GFCI as they are not caused by actual current leaving the household circuit. Therefore the current flow from induction is more or less continuous. Does it hurt? I really don't know and I'm somewhat sure nobody else really does. It is more theory than fact.