I've got voltage :(

Bifferwine

Bifferwine

I am a girl
Last week I noticed a tingly feeling when I put my hand (which had a cut) in the tank. I checked it with the voltmeter and got nothing -- so I figured it was just the saltwater irritating the cut.

Last night I felt the same thing but stronger. So I had NDB check for voltage. Turns out I was doing it wrong! DOH! We measured ~40 v going through the tank.

Took in and out the grounding probe, and it made no difference. Maybe the probe isn't working??

We started checking the equipment. Unplugging the MaxiJet that runs my fuge dropped it by 3 v. Unplugging my return pump increased it by 10 v! (NDB says maybe when the return pump is plugged in it's acting as a ground?).

Two powerheads are plugged into one extension cord, and the other two powerheads are plugged into a second extension cord. When one cord was unplugged, it dropped by ~20 v, and when the other cord was unplugged it dropped by another ~20 v.

So it looks like all of my equipment may be contributing. My powerheads and pumps are old, I've had them all running 24/7 for the last 5+ years. Maybe it's time to replace them all.

Tonight I'm going to go to the hardware store and buy new cords and power strips. I'm going to clean everything off and re-do all my wiring (which is currently a rats nest that sits right above my sump and is covered in salt spray). Hopefully that will fix it. If not, it's Drs. F&S time :(
 
Get a good surge protector and try to locate it so that you don't have to run cheap extension cords between equipment and surge protector...Again, don't just buy a power strip, buy a surge protector/power strip...There's a difference.

I wouldn't go replacing equipment until I did that...The odds of All or alot of your equipment being bad is slim, the lowest common denominator is the cheap cords and the elctrical outlet itself. I would have NDB make sure the electrical outlet is grounded.
 
I have everything plugged into good surge protectors now. They are shop surge protectors from Home Depot, big honking metal ones.

I will have him check the outlet too. I installed that outlet myself so it could very well be bad :( Good idea. Thanks!
 
It's not salt creep is it? Someone posted an article recently that explains how the salt crystals are conductive and can create a trail from the water to the power source.
 
I think that salt creep may be the culprit. I have all my powerheads plugged into the cords right above the sump. So last night I noticed that the plugs were covered in salt.

Tonight I'm going to switch things around and bring the plugs inside the stand, and only have the extension cord going through the wall and around the sump. I'll see if that fixes it.
 
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I don't think it's the salt creep. You should get higher voltage if it were, though it needs to be taken care of either way. As for the grounding probe, It's purpose is not to remove voltage from the water, but to provide a safe path to ground so that if there is ever a direct short, it will trip the circuit. Without it, you could have a situation where a voltage source becomes exposed to the water but no ground, effectively making the water "hot". Then you come along to feed or do maintenance and the moment you touch the water, you become the ground and you get shocked. With a probe, as soon as the short occurred, it will "ground out" and trip the breaker. The Voltage you are targeting with the probe is 110v. The low voltage reading you are getting indicates that the short is not direct, it's shorted after a transformer. All of the powerheads we use operate on lower voltage than 110v and they have transformers built in. It's most likely one or several of your powerheads that is the culprit.
 
Good idea. I think I'll pick up those GFCI extension cords today while I'm at it. Might as well since I'm re-doing the whole setup anyways.
 
Bifferwine said:
Good idea. I think I'll pick up those GFCI extension cords today while I'm at it. Might as well since I'm re-doing the whole setup anyways.
Click to expand...
Remember that if you get a jobsite cord it will not remain on in the event of a power outage so if there is ever a "brown out", even for a second, your power will remain off until you physically reset it. You can get cords that don't turn off. The difference is whether they are designed to meet OSHA spec or not. It will be cheaper though to just replace the receptacle.
 
+1 Justin

I didnt know that the power heads had transformers in them. I just assumed it was a coil of wire around the magnet like any other 110v motor.
 
mng777777 said:
Remember that if you get a jobsite cord it will not remain on in the event of a power outage so if there is ever a "brown out", even for a second, your power will remain off until you physically reset it. You can get cords that don't turn off. The difference is whether they are designed to meet OSHA spec or not. It will be cheaper though to just replace the receptacle.
Click to expand...

I remember seeing this. I can replace the normal, standard every day receptacle with the GFCI receptacle, correct? I will need to do that for two of them -- I have my equipment on two different circuits in two different rooms.

How many amps? There are two different types of receptacles, right? When I redid the ones in my bathrooms, I had to return the first ones I bought because the amps didn't match.
 
Bifferwine said:
I remember seeing this. I can replace the normal, standard every day receptacle with the GFCI receptacle, correct? I will need to do that for two of them -- I have my equipment on two different circuits in two different rooms.

How many amps? There are two different types of receptacles, right? When I redid the ones in my bathrooms, I had to return the first ones I bought because the amps didn't match.
Click to expand...
It should just be 15amps, or the "standard" GFCI. The only place you'll need anything different is if it's a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor circuit. Then it would take a 20 amp GFCI. If you don't know for sure, you can just go to the breaker panel and see what size breaker is installed. It will say the amperage on the lever you move to turn the breaker on and off. As I said before, I will help you install them. I still need to bring your buckets and your frag to you anyway so we should figure out a time that you and NDB will be there and I'll swing by.
 
Go to your breaker panel and match the amps that are labled on the breaker.

Just so you know, you can put a 20 amp outlet on a 15 amp circuit but not a 15 amp outlet on a 20 amp circuit. Bathrooms are (or should be) 20 amp circuits.

The reasoning behind this is that say you plug something that draws 19 amps into a 15 amp rated outlett that is installed on a 20 amp breaker, the outlet will burn up before the breaker trips.

But say you plug a 19 amp device into a 20 amp outlet that is installed on a 15 amp breaker, the breaker trips and the wires and outlet are protected from burning up.
 
Good explanation. Thanks guys. I believe the ones in my bathroom are 20. I had mistakenly bought 15 at first and then returned them when I took the old ones off and saw they said 20.
 
mng777777 said:
It should just be 15amps, or the "standard" GFCI. The only place you'll need anything different is if it's a kitchen, bathroom, or outdoor circuit. Then it would take a 20 amp GFCI. If you don't know for sure, you can just go to the breaker panel and see what size breaker is installed. It will say the amperage on the lever you move to turn the breaker on and off. As I said before, I will help you install them. I still need to bring your buckets and your frag to you anyway so we should figure out a time that you and NDB will be there and I'll swing by.
Click to expand...

He has Friday off, so we will both be home on Friday evening. I will buy the new cords and GFCI receptacles today. I'll clean everything and re-do all my wiring tonight. If you can come by and help install the receptacles, I would be most appreciative!
 

Similar threads

Mike
  • Sticky
New Member (Owner 😲)
Replies
0
Views
695
Mike
Mike
Mike
We're Back!
Replies
0
Views
617
Mike
Mike
Sashimi
75 gallon LPS 2.0 suggestions
Replies
0
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
Sashimi
75G LPS 2.0
Replies
2
Views
2K
Sashimi
Sashimi
A
Filter jbj 45
Replies
0
Views
5K
Aggrofish
A
Back
Top