Electricity in tank.. HELP?

[afss]

I stuck my finger in my tank tonight, and felt a bit of a buzz. I stuck a different finger in and didn't feel it. Stick my first finger in and I do... The finger that I feel it in has a bit of a scratch. So i decided to get out the voltmeter. I have btw 3-4 volts in the tank. If I turn off the power bar I go down to 0. If I unplug the devices one at a time it doesn't seem to have much of an impact. If I unplug them all and start adding them back I seem to get a bit hear and a bit there. Is this normal?
I have heard of grounding probes. How do they work. Is it possible to make one, or are they readily available?
Thanks
Scott
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BMW 6 Series

 

[AnotherGoldenTeapot]

The curent only flows, and so there is only voltage to measure, when there is a connection between the tank and ground.

You're earthing the tank when you measure with a voltmeter and so are completeting the circuit.

Possibly similarly with your finger, although it sounds more like you're getting some salt in a cut to me.

 

[naesco]

They are cheap but you can make one yourself.
All you need to do is run a copper wire going from where you suspect the 'buzz' is coming from in the tank to the gound located in your wall receptacle

 

[afss]

I didn't think it was a good idea to put copper in the tank?

Also I thought it might be salt in the cut, but I took a glass of water out of the tank and stuck my finger in that.. don't feel it then.. only if I stik my finger in the tank, or any tank in line with it.

Scott
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how to roll joints

 

[afss]

another question I had was how much energy/ cost am i going to be throwing down the drain into the ground by grounding the tank out? would it be cheaper to try to trace down the leaks? not sure how I could do more checking than i have though

Scott
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Honda CT110

 

[micagreenmachine]

Ground the tank even if you do find the electricity leaks. It could save your life one day. Us reefers have LOTS of high powered electrical stuff sitting in, on, and around saltwater, which by the way is a great conductor. Go by one of them titanium electric grounding probes. It installs in literally seconds.

~t

 

[afss]

Do you also need a GFD... My only concern with one of them is if it trips while I'm not around and I loose power to the system.. how do thoose of you that use GFD's remedy this?
Thanks
Scott
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Honda CL100

 

[Anonymous]

My sockets are not equipted with GFIs,but the whole room is on a GFI in the box,cutting it at the source. I think losing my livestock is much better than losing my life. If it concerns you that much get a backup from a computer store. It could carry a pump or two for a few hours until you are home to fix the problem. Or you could get a battery powered airpump. You should definitely get a ground probe made of titanium,not copper.

Dan

 

[afss]

how much of a drop across a gfi does it take to trip it?
would the 3-4 volts draining of in my tank be enough to trip it?
thanks
Scott
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Honda CB-1

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think it would,but not all are the same. On top of the GFI I would find/fix that stray voltage. Safety first!

 

[afss]

I don't know where to find it. I have already unpluged each device alone and tested. I have unpluged them all and pluged them in one at a time. The voltage just slowley increases, So it would lead me to believe that each one is leaking a bit. Is it normal for them to leak a bit?
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Mercedes Benz 300SEL 6.3

 

[rayjay]

Afss, I run in to the same situation, and although I can detect a few volts, when I test for the amount of current flow, it's not enough to measure. However, I made ground probes out of solid automobile antenna which I cut to appropriate size and connected to ground in a socket via a copper wire. This way the copper doesn't touch the water and is only a "means to an end".

 

[afss]

thanks rayjay. I was thinking on making some of my own too. I seem to remember that when I built a few bike rims a few years back that I used titanium spokes. I just have to find the ones I didn't use. I know I left them in the original package, so i will know if they are titanium or not right of the bat.

Scott
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Mercedes Benz M Class

 

[naesco]

afss
Sorry copper should not be used in the reef tank.
The one I have must be titanium too.

 

[Anonymous]

I bet that the ground probe will get rid o that stray voltage. Is your plug stick grounded into a true ground outlet? The stray voltage should not zap you. I removed my probes and touched the water and felt nada.

Dan

 

[esmithiii]

Scott,

As for the voltage drop tripping the GFI, I doubt it. I think it is essential for a tank. If you want you can fabricate a sort of powerstrip using a GFI plug and run a single pump on the non-GFI circuit so if it trips you still have one pump going.

Strangely enough, I am in the Crown Room in ATL going to the Dominican Republic to visit a client (the same one I was visiting in Toronto when I smuggled the Pickeling Lime for you) that manufactures the GFI circuits, and I will ask them how much current has to go to ground for the thing to trip. They make the circuits here in the plant I am visiting.

As for the probe, they are cheap enough to buy. Under $10, usually.

Ernie

 

[mariner]

Check everything one by one that is submerssed. I had the same problem one time and found that my return pump(mag7)had a crack in it. Although yours might give you a buzz, mine actually hurt. Check your heater/pumps.....etc. Something is releasing electricity in your tank and it should not be doing this.

 

[afss]

mariner.. thats just the problem. no ONE thing seems to be the problem.. it seems to be a bit coming from everything?

Ernie.. I am going to be installing a grounding probe today hopefully.. I have some titanium bike spokes so I am just going to make one. As for the GFI I plan on getting 2 of them and that way I can split my pumps on the 2 seperate ones.

Aneneome buff. As far as I know it is.. Only rentineg. I put this outlet in myself to service the tank, and I attached a ground wire, I can only assume that it goes to ground form where i attached it.
Scott
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Health Injuries & Problems Forum

 

[Anonymous]

DIY grounding Probe

B

 

[esmithiii]

Scott,

I am here in the Dominican Republic and I spoke with the engineer for their GFI product and it turns out that the circuit checks the current flowing in and out and trips the switch if the difference is greater than 5 milliamps. An industrial GFI trips if it is greater than 30 milliamps. You can tell the difference by the color of the test button, yellow is for industrial, white is for personal use.

Ernie