I've got voltage :(

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!
I'd be happy to! I was thinking Friday too. I have to be at 22nd and Houghton by 7 so if we could try to meet around 5 it should work perfect. just let me know.
 
But don't you have to reset the regular GFCI outlets when they trip too?

I'll do your test when I get home. I may have to take them back :(
 
Yes you have to reset them if they trip, but not all of them if you lose power. There is a differance.

Say a huge storm goes through and lightning blows out a transformer and you are without power. After the power company gets the power back on, if you dont reset the OSHA GFI, the power stays off. The household ones will turn back on.
 
Yes you have to reset them if they trip, but not all of them if you lose power. There is a differance.

Say a huge storm goes through and lightning blows out a transformer and you are without power. After the power company gets the power back on, if you dont reset the OSHA GFI, the power stays off. The household ones will turn back on.
Exactly, and the trouble with the OSHA ones is that they will turn off with the slightest change in current, so during monsoons, even if the power remains on but you just have a "flicker" from a lightning strike, they turn off and have to be manually reset. Just try my test and make sure they work for what you need. If they fail the test then you'll just have to swap them for something different.
 
Ah okay! I get it. Thanks so much for helping me. I will test them when I get home and take them back if they don't work the way I need them to.
 
This was a good read...you really do learn something new (about salt creep, even if it wasn't the culprit, but the fact that it could contribute)...You're where I was at last weekend!
 
Okay HELP!

I bought the thing that plugs in and tells you if your outlets are connected correctly, i.e. if the ground is open, etc. All of them are fine.

NDB and I were plugging and unplugging everything in 1 by 1. Here are the voltage that each was putting out into the tank:

The 4 K3s: 8 to 10 v each
MagDrive return pump: 5 v
MaxiJet fuge pump: 4 v
Eheim skimmer pump: 2 v
Octopus skimmer pump: 2 v

This is when they are plugged directly into the outlet, no powerstrips, extension cords, etc. in between.

What does this mean? Is every single piece of my equipment bad? Do I need to replace them all?
 
Okay HELP!

I bought the thing that plugs in and tells you if your outlets are connected correctly, i.e. if the ground is open, etc. All of them are fine.

NDB and I were plugging and unplugging everything in 1 by 1. Here are the voltage that each was putting out into the tank:

The 4 K3s: 8 to 10 v each
MagDrive return pump: 5 v
MaxiJet fuge pump: 4 v
Eheim skimmer pump: 2 v
Octopus skimmer pump: 2 v

This is when they are plugged directly into the outlet, no powerstrips, extension cords, etc. in between.

What does this mean? Is every single piece of my equipment bad? Do I need to replace them all?

How much voltage are you getting when everything is plugged in?
 
Your K3s seem to be putting alot of it in there while everything else would be max of around 10 volts. The big number to stay under is 30 volts. I'm thinking you may just want a grounding rod for your tank. That should eliviate any and all voltage. Someone said on another thread that they sold Titanium ones.

Edit: Also do you get higher voltage in your tank than your sump?
 
I have a titanium grounding rod. It is not making a difference whether it's in or out of the tank. And the outlets are correctly grounded :(
 
It's plugged into a 3-pronged outlet in the wall. I checked using several outlets. NDB says "This grounding rod isn't doing dick." He's making one right now out of...something...and speaker wire to see if that makes a difference.
 
Do you have a really old house?

Edit: I'm thinking your grounding rod is fine but that it's just not getting to an actual ground. You can run a wire from it to a metal rod driven into the ground to test that.
 
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