Electricty tingle in my tank.

[tuumi]

Help. Voltage leaking into the tank. I can put my hand into the water and it really starts to tingle. It's bearable but I'd like to try to find the culprit. Can I just unplug certain pumps/light/heaters and try to see what is making it happen?

 

[DougSupreme]

yeah, but use a voltage tester to check, not your hand.

 

[hillscp]

Dude! Don't use your body as a testing instrument Get a Volt Meter. You can buy one really cheap at Sears.

 

[tuumi]

I think I found the culprit. Hydor Theo heater. I feel better now. It's scary reaching into a tank and getting a mild tingle.

 

[moonyguy]

I had 2 visi therms and they both did the same. I am glad I took them out.

 

[BuddhaKiss]

I've gone through that, my first suspicion was my heater which turned out to be true

 

[Zestay]

its always the heater =P..

 

[richard king]

A titanium grounding probe is cheap and always a good idea.

 

[cindre2000]

Interestingly enough I find that small cuts on the hand feel very similar to the stray voltage.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

Don't put all your faith in grounding probes. IMO the best option is to make sure all your equipment is plugged into a GFCI.

Keep in mind that any electrical equipment used in or near the reef has the potential of transferring stray current into the tank- including your lights, and almost EVERYTHING will put current into the water in some fashion- even if it is miniscule.

It's when you start to feel it that there's a problem. Glad you tracked down the culprit.

 

[downhillbiker]

I have found that everything seems to leak some amount of electricity into the tank. I have unplugged and tested, unplugged and tested, just to find that nothing is releasing anything significant, but rather it is cumulative. I use a grounding probe, but still get a tingle when I am barefoot and stick my hand in the tank in the basement. I think this is because I am making a more efficient ground. When I have shoes on it doesn't do it, and when I am upstairs it doesn't do it, just in basement with shoes off.

 

[InsaneClownFish]

I think this is because I am making a more efficient ground.

Bingo. When I rub my socks on the carpet and put my hands in the tank...bingo.

 

[Steve175]

I only notice tingle when my feet are wet with saltwater [better grounding]. . . also a bit of a too frequent occurrence during unplanned unorthodox water changes.

 

[tkeracer619]

Check that all of your reflectors are grounded. A lot of the electricity people feel from the water is due to their reflectors not being grounded properly. It is induced voltage, which can be minimized by choosing different equipment and making sure things are grounded properly.

Hydor is at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to leaky equipment.

The less stuff you run internal the less induced voltage you will have.

Always mount heaters with the cords out of the water, don't toss them in the sump loose even if they are fully submersible.