xinumaster
reef addict
Good advice Roy. I'll do that tonight. Maybe we'll have a fire drail too.
My 6yr son told me to quit this hobby after almost burning down the house.
- Thread starter xinumaster
- Start date
HybridFish
New member
you're lucky you didn't get electrocuted while putting out the fire with aquarium water since you did have a live wire on the floor sparking. In either case, good thing you were home to catch it. Another 5 minutes or so, you would have lost at least the room.
I'm putting together a tank right now and I'm starting to reinforce my wire routing and connections. We can never be too safe.
I'm putting together a tank right now and I'm starting to reinforce my wire routing and connections. We can never be too safe.
xinumaster
reef addict
Hi hybridfish, the main circuit breaker did trip but only after the fire started.
terryhendrixson
New member
We werent so lucky our house did burn down.Luckily no one was hurt.Have two circuits with arc fault breakers now.
xinumaster
reef addict
Hi terryhendrixson, did your insurance cover the damage? Can you me more about arc fault breaker? Is that the samething as commonly called circuit breaker?
Perry
Perry
Vincerama2
Active member
Some reading for you re: Arc Fault Breakers
http://www.askthebuilder.com/320_New_Arc_Fault_Breakers_-_Small_Price_To_Pay_For_Peace_Of_Mind.shtml
Oh yeah, you can get GFCI breakers, which protect entire wiring circuits in your house, but, since it's for the whole circuit, everything will cut off when the gfci trips (which is should only do if there is trouble anyway OR if it's too sensitive to your MH lights turning on!)
ALso, with GFCI outlets, you can actually protect all the "downstream" outlets with the same GFCI unit, if the GFCI unit is the first outlet in string of outlets wired in series.
V
http://www.askthebuilder.com/320_New_Arc_Fault_Breakers_-_Small_Price_To_Pay_For_Peace_Of_Mind.shtml
Oh yeah, you can get GFCI breakers, which protect entire wiring circuits in your house, but, since it's for the whole circuit, everything will cut off when the gfci trips (which is should only do if there is trouble anyway OR if it's too sensitive to your MH lights turning on!)
ALso, with GFCI outlets, you can actually protect all the "downstream" outlets with the same GFCI unit, if the GFCI unit is the first outlet in string of outlets wired in series.
V
Arc fault breakers will not detect arcing from the ballast to the lights. The arc fault breakers will only detect arcing that occurs directly on the 120V line.
There are two parts to the ballast: the high voltage side (the side that plugs into the wall outlet/120V) and the low voltage side (the side that plugs into the lights). The low voltage side is typically around 30V. So if the low voltage side shorts or begins to arc, the arc fault breakers will not notice it. This is because the ballast acts like an isolation unit between the two. It takes 120V in and steps it down to 30 volts.
If the arc breaker where to notice the arcing on the low side, then it would trip all the time because halide bulbs and flourescent lights create arcs when turned on.
There are two parts to the ballast: the high voltage side (the side that plugs into the wall outlet/120V) and the low voltage side (the side that plugs into the lights). The low voltage side is typically around 30V. So if the low voltage side shorts or begins to arc, the arc fault breakers will not notice it. This is because the ballast acts like an isolation unit between the two. It takes 120V in and steps it down to 30 volts.
If the arc breaker where to notice the arcing on the low side, then it would trip all the time because halide bulbs and flourescent lights create arcs when turned on.
Malster1
New member
Must be that time of the year. I just had a fire as well.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=800010
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=800010
Vincerama2
Active member
Dang Malster1 ! Glad you are OK and woke up in time! Time to install extra smoke alarms!
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