sittnon18s
josh
i unplugged everything and my one heater is 9.1v the other is 6v my return pump is 2v my brand new skimmer is 5v my powerheads are 6v or so each. pretty much everything i have in the tank is producing some voltage. what can i do
voltage in tank question
- Thread starter cnaegler
- Start date
bhammer
Addicted User
I think it will always be discussed as to what's bad and what's not. I just look at nature and don't think the ocean has the same issue. I am a firm believer in getting rid of stray electricity.
I don't know if electricity could flow backwards though a grounding plug. It is like water and will take the path of least resistance and head out my ground wires I have at the service panel.
I for one and a big believer of having the probe. Do a quick google and you will find people that have been electrocuted by their aquarium. A ground probe will take care of that.
As far as the GFCI tripping, it does not because only the grounding port is used and not the hot and neutral.
It is best to use an analog meter for testing as it will be most accurate. I live and work in the aerospace industry and have access to many fancy meters.
I don't know if electricity could flow backwards though a grounding plug. It is like water and will take the path of least resistance and head out my ground wires I have at the service panel.
I for one and a big believer of having the probe. Do a quick google and you will find people that have been electrocuted by their aquarium. A ground probe will take care of that.
As far as the GFCI tripping, it does not because only the grounding port is used and not the hot and neutral.
It is best to use an analog meter for testing as it will be most accurate. I live and work in the aerospace industry and have access to many fancy meters.
Skunkbudfour20
New member
If you have 50 feet of wire from the panel to a ground rod, and you have 10 feet of wire to your tank, through you, and to a ground... wouldnt that be the "easiest path" with the least resistance? I am pretty sure water (which is a large part of your body), and especially salt water is more conductive than copper... but im not a pro
sittnon18s
josh
so what do i do about my prob. is my meter not good because its a digital meter
is 120 amps bad?? ill go test it again but im almost 100% sure its at 120 amps
is 120 amps bad?? ill go test it again but im almost 100% sure its at 120 amps
bhammer
Addicted User
I would think no, because you still do not have a complete circuit.
And no, water in any form (Pure water is actually not conductive at all) is not more conductive than copper, or aluminium for that matter. There are actually few materials more conductive than copper; gold, silver and superconductors. I know I am missing some materials.
bhammer
Addicted User
Are you sure you are reading 120 amps and not miliamps? Just want to be sure. 120 amps is a bunch...
In perspective, .1 amp could kill you, especially if moving from one hand to another and not pointer finger to middle finger. Your body can be as low as 300 ohms of resistance and following ohms law, as little as 30 volts could in therory supply enough to kill you.
Voltage is only part of the equation. The body can take thousands of volts (think tazers) but very little amps.
Skunkbudfour20
New member
I am aware pure water isnt conductive.
Found what i was looking for... gold isnt more conductive, but silver is.
I guess it would come down to resistance (ohms) in the circuit. But, like stated earlier, electricity takes ALL paths to ground, not the easiest. More electricity will be present in the least resistant, but still.
And how isnt through your tank, you and into a ground not a complete circuit? Your body is completing it, because stray voltage in your aquarium is isolated by glass, and not actually flowing anywhere.
sittnon18s
josh
yea my meter says 120.1 and its on the squigly line over the A mode. everything that i have plugged in thats in the water is giving off some amps and some volts so its not just one thing. i guess im going to start off with replacing my heaters first. maybe i could go with an external pump also. and tee it to have two return pipes and maybe eliminate a powerhead or two.
sittnon18s
josh
what would miliamps look like .120 not 120.1
Most standard outlets in your house are going to be connected to a 20 Amp breaker. So if you try to pull more than 20 through it, it will trip (cut the power to that outlet). I sort of doubt that it's 120 Amps, it might be 120 milliAmps or microAmps. 120 Amps would be pretty bad..
sittnon18s
josh
so then is 120 miliamps bad and what are most testers set at. mine only has amps volts and ohms on it
sittnon18s
josh
my meter is the gardner bender clamp on digital
reefergeorge
New member
I would be worried at over 60 volts. Anything less is just induced.
The voltage is still there after you add your ground probe, but the way you are measuring it will not show it. Put a resistor in series with the GP, and measure voltage across it. You will still have the same voltage.
A bird on a power line does have current flowing through it because its feet are a different spots on the line, and the line has resistance. So you get a voltage drop across the bird.
These treads have gone on for pages, and never come to a agreement. We all agree that you should have everything on multiple gfci outlets for your safety. If you want a gp to be the ground fault, buy a GP. If you don't want current in your tank, and trust gfci tech. with your life then don't buy one.
The voltage is still there after you add your ground probe, but the way you are measuring it will not show it. Put a resistor in series with the GP, and measure voltage across it. You will still have the same voltage.
A bird on a power line does have current flowing through it because its feet are a different spots on the line, and the line has resistance. So you get a voltage drop across the bird.
These treads have gone on for pages, and never come to a agreement. We all agree that you should have everything on multiple gfci outlets for your safety. If you want a gp to be the ground fault, buy a GP. If you don't want current in your tank, and trust gfci tech. with your life then don't buy one.
sittnon18s
josh
i think now that it must be milliamps because if it was amps the breaker would trip. do u test for amps the same way
Skunkbudfour20
New member
Birds on a power line are protected because they arent grounded... its isolated (like voltage in your tank with no ground) but the second you add a ground, a bird would die... or explode?
Think of it like grabbing an electric fence and jumping.
I dont see how people think that a competed circuit (a grounding probe) is better than an open one (insulated by glass, completely isolated)... Hell you could strip down an extension cord, and put the hot lead in the water and still not harm anything... UNLESS YOU GIVE IT A PATH
The current isnt harmful unless its flowing somewhere... if you are getting shocked when you stick your hand in, track it to the responsible equipment, and stop it at the source because its only going to get worse.
And if you arent using a GCFI, you need to ASAP... why do you think they ARE REQUIRED BY CODE in bathrooms and any areas where a corded item can reach water (blow dryer, radio etc..) because the second theres a current drop or change, they stop power before it can harm you.
sittnon18s
josh
yea thats the same meter i just put one of the probes in the water and one to good ground. i think thats wrong though not sure
I'm not using a clamp meter, just a regular multitester:
http://www.testequipmentdepot.com/ideal/images/61-360.jpg
On the meter, I plugged one probe into COM, the other into mA. I held the COM to the ground on the outlet, and the mA I dipped into the Display Tank. I then adjusted the dial to AAC of 200mA and got 0, adjusted to 20m/10A and got 0, adjusted dial to 200u and got 18.2
I had one like that a long time ago. I never used mine to check amps so I don't realy understand how it works for that. I assume that you just get the milli amps due to electronics in the tester. You only get amprege when something is using power to do work- burning lights , pulling motor load ect. I would just make sure to get the bad equipment out of the tank.
reefergeorge
New member
Since it has nothing to do with this thread, I wont go into detail, but your part wrong. On high voltage lines the drop from point a to b has a voltage drop because of the resistance of the wire. The farther apart the bigger the difference.
The birds two feet are separated on the line, and If the voltage drop is enough. Like in high voltage lines, He will get a zap. You wont see birds on 35kv lines and above. Just getting close makes the hair on your arm stand up.
