Reefers worse nightmare...Electrical Fire

[jkreefer]

The water expecially loaded with salt will cause a short between the hot and neutral , or hot and ground terminals and start arc'ing usually starting the plastic around it on fire .

 

[racrumrine]

Thank you Professor.

I'm going to double check to make sure that I have drip loops for everything.

Even with that, it sounds like they can still burn up (as Phyxius mentions). I always thought, the fuse on them is supposed to trip.

Best of luck,

Roy

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9412373#post9412373 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sfsuphysics
Roy basically, get nice salty water (lots of charges) across a connection to cause an arc, this arcing (flow of electrons) tends to be quite hot, as a result, you can get fire.

 

[sid700]

Can you have a couple of GFCI outlets connected in series in the same circuit? I figure, if the last GFCI outlet trips, the other equipment will continue to run.

 

[dswong01]

Bernie,
No you only need one GFCI to protect that circuit

 

[dreamreefer]

I think I know what sid700 is referring to...if you have all your plugs distributed across different GFCI outlets on the same circuit, when one of them trips, all downstream outlets from there trips as well, but your upstream outlets should be left untouched. So it depends on which outlet it is...I have 2 GFCI on the same circuit, when the lower one trips the other still runs but not the other way around, which trips both because the other one is upstream...

 

[Unarce]

Glad you and your home are okay

 

[Qwiv]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9415916#post9415916 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sid700
Can you have a couple of GFCI outlets connected in series in the same circuit? I figure, if the last GFCI outlet trips, the other equipment will continue to run.

It depends on how you wire them. You can wire a GFI to protect many recepticles or only one. To protect other outlets via a single GFI, the other outlets need to be connected to the load side connections on the GFI. Basically the electricity goes through the GFI to get to the other plugs. If you connect them so that the electricity does not need to go through the GFI, the they are not protected. It is the same as a circuit breaker will cut power to everything connected to that breaker, but not other breakers. My tank is run on may plugs wired to 4 GFI's. If a ground fault occurs, only 1/4 of the equipment should loose power. The equipment is connected in such a way that the tank can survive with any one GFI tripped.

Also, a GFI does not protect against a short, that is the job of the breaker, but a short can occur without the breaker or GFI detecting it and still result in a fire. For example, my tank is on a (2) 20 amp circuits. If the tank shorts out is a way that only draws 19 amps and doesn't short to ground, it will continue to short out until some other event occurs.

There are load detecting breakers that can detect the tank for that condition, but there are so sensitive/fussy, they are more likely to kill the power to the tank during normal opperation.

 

[Qwiv]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9409822#post9409822 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GreshamH
I made my own (electrical experience) I also use ones that are rated for continues use, and that are properly designed (ones for audio equipment - rack mount). Most power strips on the market (cheapos) may be rated for 15 amps, but they are wired in a series, so the first one in the circuit bares the brunt of all the others. That's where the fire starts! Another problem is, many of those cheapos are not truly designed for continues use, and the same goes with extension cords.

They better not be wired in series. They have to be wired in parallel or you will get a voltage drop. I agree that they are just made to catch on fire unless you buy the nice ones, but who does that when a $5 one is hanging right next to it that looks just as good.