I put my hand in my sump today to retrive an item and recieved a healthy shock. While I am not worried about myself does this have an impact on the criters in the sump and in the display tank connected to it? I am wondering if thios might be the problem with my corals not looking so good. It was a very healthy shock I could not keep my hand in the tank at all.
Stray electrical in the tank
- Thread starter quonnie
- Start date
I put my hand in my sump today to retrive an item and recieved a healthy shock. While I am not worried about myself does this have an impact on the criters in the sump and in the display tank connected to it? I am wondering if thios might be the problem with my corals not looking so good. It was a very healthy shock I could not keep my hand in the tank at all.
jdoenumber2
New member
I had a total loss a couple of months ago as a result of a bad mj1200. All i have to say is take care of it as soon as possible.
reefman2020
In Memoriam
Every tank should be protected by a Gfi, water next to that much power should have some safety precautions.
cardiffgiant
Active member
I had a slight amount of stray voltage that was coming from a MJ1200, and two of the black stealth heaters. My fish seemed to be fine, but several corals (mostly LPS) were not doing well. Things turned around remarkably when I removed those devices.
Brent Thomann
New member
Once in a while I get a little tingle when touching the water. I can't tell if its my dried cuticles burning from salt water or electricity in the water. How do you measure if theres electricity in the water with volt meter? I'm running at least 10 MJ900's and several heaters for many years now.
There are meters to test for stray voltage, Brent. I haven't used mine in years. You can borrow it if you wish.Trouble is when powerheads go they usually give a good jolt and you won't need a meter to tell.. Just run equipment through gfcis. Plug in gfci's go for about $10 and you can plug an outlet strip into them if you wan't to run more than one piece of equipment through them. Saved me from a bad powerhead situation 2x. Harbor Freight probably has them.
I use several of these:
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=17696&cat=1116&page=1
I use several of these:
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=17696&cat=1116&page=1
cardiffgiant
Active member
IME, stray voltage may not always trip a GFI. The devices that were leaking stray voltage in my tank weren't. You're better off checking with a voltage meter.
This is a nice article on testing for stray voltage.
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/996/996_5.html
spinoleo
Member
cardiffgiant that article from 1996 I read they did not test with a gfic.A gric will trip at 4ma of current loss between the hot and nuetral so if any leakage up to .4amps it will trip.testing with a voltmeter you have to test between ground and the tank not both probes in the water and the best meter would be a simpson style meter not a digital meter (especially a cheep radio shack or home depot) .I have tested with fluke meters and 4 different meters gave 4 different readings.The most important thing about using a gfic is to test it often they do go bad. my name is Ben also
mr.maroonsalty
New member
I tried testing mine with a voltmeter and I got different reading depending on where I got ground from. I remember years ago arguments over which they thought worse stray voltage, or what I remember them calling stray current which happened once ground was added.
aww_419
Registered Member
The gfic to our hot tub went bad last week. I was called to drive back home to buffalo because of the electrical smell. I test pretty often too as i had one go bad on me before and didnt notice till i saw smoke coming from the bathroom and had a char mark on the wall next to the outlet lol. I have everything in the tank run off of 6 separate gfic outlets. at about $13 retail each its one of the cheaper things in this hobby to keep you and your investment safe. I have 1 heater on 1 outlet the other on a different outlet same with the 2 powerheads and 2 pendants so that if one outlet or piece of equipment fails the whole tank doesnt go powerless. Good luck be safe.
aaron
aaron
cardiffgiant
Active member
Another thread that I saw suggested that stray voltage may be greater in certain areas of that tank, and that a system could benefit from having a grounding probe in both the sump and display.
By the way, a couple of weeks back I was doing some maintenance to my basement sump without shoes on and took a really bad hit from a clip on flood light. Holy *_)(*#$&. My arm was sore for at least a day afterward. Thank you GFCI.
Brent Thomann
New member
I can't use gfi's on most of my outlets because they're not grounded, older house. No easy what to ground them either from their location.
I once used grounding probes but I later found they were adding to the shock when touching the water. When I put them in the water the shock got worse. Weird? Corals weren't doing good either with them in it seemed. I was grounded them to the only grounded outlet which was from an extension plug running from my basement.
I would like to test the voltage some how. I have a Craftsman Digital Multimeter, can i use that successfully? Or we have one of these-http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350278979278
Thanks,
Brent
I once used grounding probes but I later found they were adding to the shock when touching the water. When I put them in the water the shock got worse. Weird? Corals weren't doing good either with them in it seemed. I was grounded them to the only grounded outlet which was from an extension plug running from my basement.
I would like to test the voltage some how. I have a Craftsman Digital Multimeter, can i use that successfully? Or we have one of these-http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350278979278
Thanks,
Brent
The probes provide a ground to a tank . So they convert the voltage to current as it runs to the ground. Otherwise you are the ground probe when you touch the water. The gfci trips when minute amounts of current go to ground and don't flow back through the gfci.
Ben, I got a shock like that from the hood of a pc light several years ago as my arm brushed it while my had was in the water. Loose wire in the hood and my arm acted like a piece of wire to the water
I think salt creeep also conducts the electricity which
Ben, I got a shock like that from the hood of a pc light several years ago as my arm brushed it while my had was in the water. Loose wire in the hood and my arm acted like a piece of wire to the water
I think salt creeep also conducts the electricity which
The probes provide a ground to a tank . So they convert the voltage to current as it runs to the ground. Otherwise you are the ground probe when you touch the water. The gfci trips when minute amounts of current go to ground and don't flow back through the gfci.
Ben, I got a shock like that from the hood of a pc light several years ago as my arm brushed it while my had was in the water. Loose wire in the hood and my arm acted like a piece of wire to the water
I think salt creeep also conducts the electricity which
Ben, I got a shock like that from the hood of a pc light several years ago as my arm brushed it while my had was in the water. Loose wire in the hood and my arm acted like a piece of wire to the water
I think salt creeep also conducts the electricity which
