Capt. Nemo
Active member
Could I please have some recommendations for the best and most reliable GFI and grounding probe and who sells them. Is it really necessary to have both a GFI and a grounding probe for my tank. Thanks guys!
Gfi
- Thread starter Capt. Nemo
- Start date
GFCI's are available at all home improvement stores. Wiring them in is pretty basic. One thing is GFCI's are very large and don't always fit in standard outlet boxes, but they do make an extension plate for them.
Personally I thing a grounding probe is useless. You'll get arguments with that. But a grounding probe is not a safety device. Companies that sell them don't make the claim that they are safety devices. They claim that it removes stray voltage that can mess up your fish. There is no evidence that stray voltage affects fish or that grounding probes prevent that damage, but to each his own. If you believe it, then why not, they are not that expensive.
Mike
Personally I thing a grounding probe is useless. You'll get arguments with that. But a grounding probe is not a safety device. Companies that sell them don't make the claim that they are safety devices. They claim that it removes stray voltage that can mess up your fish. There is no evidence that stray voltage affects fish or that grounding probes prevent that damage, but to each his own. If you believe it, then why not, they are not that expensive.
Mike
Capt. Nemo
Active member
Does it matter which GFI plug-in I buy? Is there a high quality brand of GFI that you would recommend? Thanks.
Capt. Nemo
Active member
Thanks Mr. Bertoni. Is there a particular brand or type of GFI and grounding probe that you would recommend? Thanks again.
Gary
Gary
Mike 1911A1
New member
Buy a personal protection GFCI (any brand really) and a grounding probe. While a GFCI should trip if you have faulty equipment, you should NEVER rely on such a device for personal safety. I ground probe will help protect you should you have faulty equipment. Also, a GFCI will trip if there is a GROUND FAULT. Alot of electrical equipment used in tank are not grounded. Therfore without a grounding probe, the GFCI may NOT trip even if there is dangerous voltages in the tank (that is until YOU complete the circuit).
Mike
Mike
Capt. Nemo
Active member
Thanks Mike. Is it a good idea to plug the GFCI and grounding probe into a surge suppressor?
One of the most common is Lutron
All of the GFi's I have are Lutron - have not had a single problem
All of the GFi's I have are Lutron - have not had a single problem
Mike 1911A1
New member
I don't think you need a surge protector just a GFCI and ground probe. Surge protectors are mainly used to prevent damage to equipment due to large power surges (ie: lightning). If your hands are in the tank and your power lines are struck by lightning, there's probably nothing that will save you including surge protectors. Remember, buy a personal GFCI (as used in bathrooms and kitchens) as some GFCI protectors are rates to save equipment (not lives) due to ground faults. It will say "for personal protection". Hope this helps.
Mike
Mike
Capt. Nemo
Active member
Hey guys,
I stopped in at HD today to pick up a GFCI. The unit that they had was a Portable Shock Buster inline GFCI. I was about to buy it, until I read the caution that its not to be used as a permanent power source. I was a little aprehensive about buying this until I got some feedback as to what to make of this caution. This same GFCI is also sold at drsfostersmith. Is there anyone familiar with this unit. Please advise.
Thanks,
Gary
I stopped in at HD today to pick up a GFCI. The unit that they had was a Portable Shock Buster inline GFCI. I was about to buy it, until I read the caution that its not to be used as a permanent power source. I was a little aprehensive about buying this until I got some feedback as to what to make of this caution. This same GFCI is also sold at drsfostersmith. Is there anyone familiar with this unit. Please advise.
Thanks,
Gary
Capt. Nemo
Active member
Anybody want to take a crack at this. Is there anyone familar with this GFCI and if I can use it for my tank? I realize that this is a very important safety issue. I've heard comments that a GFCI could save your life. If this is truly the case, then I dont want to compromise on the GFCI that I buy. Could someone please give me some GFCI's that they use and would recommend and where I can purchase one. The Portable Shock Buster inline GFCI that I had mentioned is not only sold at HD, but also at drsfostersmith and at Marine Depot which would give me reason to believe this would be a good GFCI to use for my aquarium. Thanks for everyone's advice and input.
Gary
Gary
I've used a shockbuster for a year... it has come back after a power outage.
I use this one...
I bought it at Lowes.. cost about the same as a GFCI outlet (about $13)--- I bought it because I didn't have the room to access my outlet to swap it out...
I'm running (2) 20 amp circuits to my new tank and will be protecting them with GFCI breakers at my main panel...
I use this one...
I bought it at Lowes.. cost about the same as a GFCI outlet (about $13)--- I bought it because I didn't have the room to access my outlet to swap it out...
I'm running (2) 20 amp circuits to my new tank and will be protecting them with GFCI breakers at my main panel...
Capt. Nemo
Active member
This was listed as one of the features for this GFCI:
Automatic Reset Feature - this device automatically energizes for use upon being plugged in and after loss of primary power.
The only question I have about this is that one of the cautions says that this is not to be used as a "permanent power source." Ofcourse, I will need this device as a permanent connection for my equipment(skimmer, pump and heater,etc.)
Automatic Reset Feature - this device automatically energizes for use upon being plugged in and after loss of primary power.
The only question I have about this is that one of the cautions says that this is not to be used as a "permanent power source." Ofcourse, I will need this device as a permanent connection for my equipment(skimmer, pump and heater,etc.)
Capt. Nemo
Active member
Is it a good idea to plug in multiple GFCI's into a surge surpressor? That way I can pare off my equipment and in the event of a failure of one device, my whole system will not shut down.
fareforce
Premium Member
Honestly, I would just install a real GFCI. They are very easy to install (takes about 5-10 mins), and IMO you wont have to worry about them not resetting, or not tripping.
They make two different types of GFCI's (mainly)
A 20 AMP:
And a 15 AMP:
Just so you know the buttons on the front use to be red and black, but UL is now requiring them to be white/ivory. You can still probablly find one of the older ones, but try to get the newer ones to be up to code.
You can have 20 amp circuits connected to both GFCI's. The 15 amp receptacle is limited to a cord and plug that draws a maximum of 15 amps. Some cords are designed for 20AMP (ie. spa's)
This is what the back will look like:
One advantage with using the in-wall GFCI is that you can have eveything down stream protected. It is assumed that if there is a GFCI as the first receptacle, that everything downstream is protected. This is usually not the case. This is typically only the case in kitchens and bathrooms. Most electricians will wire GFCI's as below. This make only the one receptical protected.
They make two different types of GFCI's (mainly)
A 20 AMP:
And a 15 AMP:
Just so you know the buttons on the front use to be red and black, but UL is now requiring them to be white/ivory. You can still probablly find one of the older ones, but try to get the newer ones to be up to code.
You can have 20 amp circuits connected to both GFCI's. The 15 amp receptacle is limited to a cord and plug that draws a maximum of 15 amps. Some cords are designed for 20AMP (ie. spa's)
This is what the back will look like:
One advantage with using the in-wall GFCI is that you can have eveything down stream protected. It is assumed that if there is a GFCI as the first receptacle, that everything downstream is protected. This is usually not the case. This is typically only the case in kitchens and bathrooms. Most electricians will wire GFCI's as below. This make only the one receptical protected.
Capt. Nemo
Active member
What do you mean "not protect anything down stream." Wouldnt that mean anything that I plug into the GFCI would not be protected? What good would a GFCI plug -in be if that was the case?
