Stray Voltage Experiment

[Pete_the_Puma]

Hi all,

This thread/idea came from my other thread about stray voltage.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2561827


Hypothesis: It is normal to measure some level of voltage potential in the tank. I guess I am trying to quantify how much is normal/average


Methods: Plug in all your equipment, make sure the heaters are ON, then hook up a voltmeter to measure V (AC) and take one end of the voltmeter to a ground on an outlet, the other into the DT and tell us what kind of voltage you measure.

Important: I was initially getting a ZERO value but that was due to the fact I had poor contact between the grounded electrode, make sure it is touching the side of that contact.


Post your numbers here with a list of equipment on the tank.

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

I'll go first


28 Volts measured potential

Vectra L1 return
2x Maxspect Gyre powerheads
2 x small Eheim pumps for reactors
2 x Cobalt neotherm heaters (75W I think)
Protein skimmer pump unknown
Tunze osmolator ATO


No single device was a big culprit, every piece of equipment when unplugged serially measured about 1-6 Volts, the 28 are a summation of all that.


Pete

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

Well I just found this very informative thread:


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1647879


I measure my mA and found there to be 0.05 mA. Is that level a problem? should it read zero?


Pete

 

[Skim]

I would not bother with it unless your are going to use a ground fault and using it for your own safety. It's like those guys that do work on the High power lines, they can grab and hold a cable no problem but if any part of him was grounded poof! So if you have stray voltage if the tank the life in the tank won't even know it but you put a ground on well now it has a path and you have completed a the circuit. The Tank and water are like an open circuit if you put your hand in it and you were standing on a concrete floor well you poof you and fish and corals have a numbing experience. If you do the same thing and have running shoes on well all is well in Reef Land.

So Tip of the week ALWAYS WEAR RUNNINGS SHOES OR RUBBER SOLE SHOES WHEN WORK ON TANK !