stray current(ouch!)
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Forum Name: General Discussion
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URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8037
Printed Date: July 30 2025 at 11:22am
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Topic: stray current(ouch!)
Posted By: bbeck4x4
Subject: stray current(ouch!)
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 1:00pm
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I am getting a stray current from every device that is in my aquirum. is this normal? each item is leaking about 2 volts and some are leaking upwards of 4 volts for a total of 24.98 volts ac, I am measuring this with a fluke 87 true rms meter. one probe in the water and one on a ground point. what started all of this was with a few scrapes on my right hand I could feel the current this morning when I placed my hand in the tank, my left hand with no cuts could'nt feel anything. so what is a "normal" voltage. My feeling is that there should be none. but with every powerhead leaking a small amount of current, and all of them less than 6 months old. Brian |
Replies:
Posted By: MBX5
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 1:05pm
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ground probe? ------------- http://www.TickerFactory.com/"> 
Joe Barnas Westminster, CO |
Posted By: bbeck4x4
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 1:11pm
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yes, I agree and am looking for one now, but is this a "normal" amount from these devices? it's not like i can stick a copper wire in the tank . also I have a gfci that is still stitting in it's box, (going into the wall before my hands go into the water) but with this much current it's probably going to trip, the gfci will not prevent shocks, it is only measuring for current that is different from ground to neutral. I am measuring a difference between grounds, if I remember correctly. Brian |
Posted By: Dion Richins
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 1:39pm
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I ground probed all my tanks and set them up on gfi's. I dont know whats normal but every motor has some stray current. Your gfi should not trip with a ground probe unless there is a major problem. ------------- http://www.customaquariumfurniture.com" rel="nofollow - Bad "censored" Cabinets Best quality in the valley! He is one sexy bald guy, even with out a finger!(MAC) |
Posted By: Will Spencer
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 1:46pm
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I don't know if this will be helpful or not. I didn't re-read the whole thread, but here is a fairly recent thread on the same subject. Thought it might come in handy anyway. http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4865&KW=stray+current - http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4865& KW=stray+current |
Posted By: Dion Richins
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 1:49pm
Thanks Will, I was going to look that up but you beat me to it. ------------- http://www.customaquariumfurniture.com" rel="nofollow - Bad "censored" Cabinets Best quality in the valley! He is one sexy bald guy, even with out a finger!(MAC) |
Posted By: bbeck4x4
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 1:55pm
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Good article, I also have a electronic balast, and a ungrounded
reflector, so while I have the soldering iron and heatshrink out( had
way to many wirenuts with electrical tape) i'll ground that to. Brian |
Posted By: RTaylor
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 6:01pm
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Isn't stray voltage only present when you have a ground? I've read that having a grounding probe is bad, because electricity goes from hot to ground if there is no ground there is no current.
Also how does the electricity transfer from a light reflector to the tank water? My reflector is attached to a wood hood, and wood isn't a good conductor, then it would have to go through the plastic frame, the glass, and then into the water. ------------- RT |
Posted By: bbeck4x4
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 6:12pm
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what I have read(very little on this subject so far)is that the
magnetic fields from the lights will produce a current? or voltage? in
the water. same with me, as far as the wood hood. but with the reflector grounded the voltage drops on the meter from 25 volts ac to 9 volts ac. this is a voltage not a current. 25 volts ac is somthing that I can only feel with a cut on the hand, less resistance into the body I guess, 9 volts well, who knows, of course these voltages are with the heaters unpluged, and only the lights on, with the mag3 on(return from sump) and a rio 800(which is driving the squid). I have not tested with the other two powerheads on. another question is do I really need those other powerheads. looks like the rio is at 200gph and the mag3 with 4' of head is near 300 gph. Is that enough for a 40 gallon tank? Brian |
Posted By: Will Spencer
Date Posted: September 04 2005 at 8:07pm
My understanding is that with no Grounding Probe the electricity that is stray in the tank goes nowhere since there is no ground. The problem with that is when you stick you hand in the water to move a coral or feed the fish you become the ground and that's no fun. Trust me I've been thrown across the room by it.
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 05 2005 at 1:42am
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20-40 volts is not stray, it is normal ground differential. There is a natural voltage in the earth. All tanks show it. Also, the AC current creates a dynamic induction field around the wires and electical units themselves, which goes nowhere and bothers nothing until it finds a way out. Your finger. The cut was hyper-sensitive to a static voltage that is no problem. If you use a grounding probe (~$10) you must also install that GFCI, other wise a defective powerhead or heater will continue to send electricity through the water to the probe and fry things good. I've seen a feather duster that looked like hair that's been singed with fire and Xenia that looked like it had been burned. The reason for grounding a reflector is not for the tank, it's so you don't get shocked when you touch it. Whether it be the natural static buzz from induction or an actual fault/short. Hope this helps. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: bbeck4x4
Date Posted: September 05 2005 at 7:53am
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good to know, if anything it was the motovation to move the electrical
from under the tank, solder and heat shrink everywhere that I had
placed a wire nut w/ tape. In reading further it looks like there may
be some health benifits for the fish and possibly for the corals for
grounding the tank. If not for my fingers. Brian |
Posted By: Suzy
Date Posted: September 05 2005 at 9:04am
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Hey, guys, remember when Walt Smith was talking about actually adding
current to make the corals grow faster? He had pics of a metal structure that electricty was wired to and then documented how fast the corals grew. I can't see doing that to a tank with fish in it, but maybe a frag tank? Weird? |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: September 05 2005 at 11:35am
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This discussion spoke of the electricity existing in our tanks because of electrical devices. Suzy, I believe this actually does kind of what Walt was showing us. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: September 17 2005 at 12:08pm
How do you ground the reflector? |
Mark Peterson wrote:Posted By: bbeck4x4
Date Posted: September 17 2005 at 12:13pm
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I just ran a wire between the hood(wood) and the screw that went
through the hood, then ran that down to a ground, for me it was the
switchbox that I'm using. Brian |
Posted By: rstruhs
Date Posted: September 17 2005 at 2:25pm
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Marks explaination was excellent! Remember, normally, it is not the voltage that will kill you or your fish, it is the current! The exception being extremely high voltage! (100,000 volts or more) If you consider electricity to be the water in a water hose, voltage is just the pressure that the water has, the size of the hose and the amount of water flowing is the current. You won't drown from the pressure of the water, but you will from the amount! If you have a UPS on your system, be sure to put the GFCI between the UPS and your pumps, etc. For instance, do NOT put a GFCI in the wall, plug a UPS into the GFCI and expect to be protected! You can make your own grounding probes, however, unless you have some titanium just sitting around, it is just about as cheap to just buy one from a LFS. ------------- Rodney, Sandra, Jeffery, and Laura Struhs South Jordan, Utah 98th South & 40th West. (801) 282-2744 75 gallon reef 55 gallon reef 55 gallon FOWLR 20 gallon FOWLR |