RO/DI Question

[SerranidTerror]

I know I should know the answer to this question but my brain just isn't what it used to be...sooooo

Why is it that when I stick my hand in a bucket of fresh ro/di water I get shocked?

 

[kaptken]

well,...??,,!??

it must be the LIVE extension cord hanging in the bucket of water doing the zapping. But then again, true RO-DeIonized water should have ZERO conductivity, just like distilled water. I would knock the guy what sold you the RODI upside the head, or maybe clean the salt out of the bucket before starting your electrical conductivity experiments.

Electrical maintenance people for the utilities use RODI or distilled water to hose salt deposits off LIVE 500,000 volt coastal high tension power line insulators, from helcopters. the idea being pure water is a great insulator and wont conduct a charge.

You should Check your RODI or clean your BUCKET!!! But by all means, take the power cord out of the bucket.

 

[SerranidTerror]

Well one time it happened I was running the unit outside at night and we had a little thunderstorm. It was pretty dark out and i reached into the bucket and a blue bolt shot from my finger into the water. Was kinda cool, but it hurt a bit. Wouoldn't be the first time I've shot blue lightning bolts from my finger!

And someone told me putting the extension cord in the bucket would end all my tank woes!

 

[Gordonious]

Were you standing in a puddle or in wet grass? Perhaps there is an electrical line coming into your house or an outdoor outlet that has a frayed line on it. Are you heating the water? Old heaters are often found to have leaks and things that allow electric and water to mix.

Jon

 

[SerranidTerror]

At the time the grass was probably wet. But it happened to my g/f when she was making R/O water for me this weekend on the wooden stairs in the back, no heater.

The best was when I was in safeway one time. I reached out to grab the freezer door and a blue bolt shot from the handle to my finger. The whole aisle went dim...was kinda nifty although my heart felt kinda funny for an hour or so. Being a pisces me no likey electricity.

When I interned at Oceanic Institute my hand also found out we had some electric current in our fish larviculture system. At least I got a big thank you from the shrimp department later since my finding helped maintenance determine where the problem was, before that they told the shrimp department they were crazy and it must have been a fluke.

I also didn't need to stick my hand in the bucket, touching the outside of it worked just as well!

 

[wds21921]

Hehehehe, the trick is to first find the source of the electric leakage. Short-term guess of course would be any power you're using in the mix bucket. If not there then you might have some sort of electrical field thats happening? Power lines, perhaps even a single wire not grounded correctly?
I had this happen in my tank to any open cuts (working construction it happens). And yes it was electrical in nature not simply salt sting.
After finding the source (HOB filter pump) I eliminated that and also began using a small stepladder to work on my tank. As long as my feet/shoes weren't making direct contact with the floor, it all but eliminated all of the electrical effects.