shock

[corbett_n]

My aquarium occasionally shocks me, what can I do. I think my lights (2- T5's) are the culprit. What is causing them to shock me, and what can I do about it?

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Install a ground probe. Do you have a GFI feeding the lights?

 

[corbett_n]

what is a gfi

 

[ionredline0260]

Gallons of Fire Ignition

 

[Young Frankenstein]

LOL Ground Fault Interceptor (GFI) is the type of outlet to use in wet locations according to NEC (National Electrical Code) It can save your life. In your case if you touch the surfase of water with a volt meter and the other side of the volt meter a ground you will find out you have a "hot tank" energized with 120 volts. Electricity and water is no joke.

 

[rooroo]

More likely that its a powerhead, heater, or pump inside your tank causing the problem than the lights. Try shutting things off one by one and try to narrow down what is shocking you, then replace whatever is. Things should not be shocking you. Also absolutely install a GFI outlet, or get a plug in GFI. They cost like $10 at HD or online. They should be mandatory and can absolutely save your life.

 

[alexb518]

rooroo has a point. I'd bet on the heater. does it have a small, hair line, crack in it? try unpluggin things one by one until you find the problem. I doubt it's the lights, but don't rule them out. check the heater first, then i'd start unplugging the powerheads one at a time until you find the source.

 

[peregrinus]

do what alex said unplug one thing at a time and see at what point you don't get a jolt. also you could use a volt meter..

 

[mwwhite]

Thought we would throw this in - since we are talking about life saving.... we learned (on here) that we were also using the WRONG power strip! omg

Most power strips are NOT constructed to run continuous. We read a post about someone who nearly lost his house due to a powerstrip shorting and catching the aquarium and the wall behind it on fire! Showed pix... it was an eye opener. We have since bought a new power strip that is constructed to run continuous (HD or Lowes has them).

We also had an electrician, just yesterday, run a new circuit. We totaled up the wattage we're pulling on the one and we were dangerously close to overload. We are planning a 150 upgrade in 6 weeks too so more power will be needed. We also did GFCI's.

One thing that scares us more than anything else is fire.

hth

 

[Nano Chris]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9543540#post9543540 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by peregrinus
do what alex said unplug one thing at a time and see at what point you don't get a jolt. also you could use a volt meter..

Yeah i think that would be much safer to use a volt meter imagine if you had 15-20 different plugs, i believe you would be dead by time you get to it, and id bet it would be the last one you check.:lol: