Shocking Experience??? How do I ground?

[ylmaya]

Every time I go near the water in my tank I feel like I am getting a slight shock. My husband said I am imagining it but today he felt it too. If I put on gym shoes (rubber soles) then it is OK. If no shoes - then I can't touch the water without a sting!

In the sump I have 2 mag pumps and one powerhead. In my 'extra sump/water reservoir' I have a heater and another maxi-jet powerhead. Sitting next to the sump is a radio shack 4" fan for circulation in the base of the cabinet. I am thinking this might be the source of the problem since the fan had to be hand wired for 110volts and the cabinet is obviously very damp......but I don't know because the fan is running 24/7 and never has 'shorted' out. if the wires were wet I imagine it would short.

All the fish/coral look like they are doing ok.

Any suggestions on what the source of this "electricity" is - and how can I ground my system. I have seen "in sump" grounds advertised through premium aquatics. Is that what I need?

I feel like this is a possible time-bomb if I don't do something about it! Help...

[tdwyatt]

Use one of the titanium grounding probes. Before you do, use a voltmeter and test for current between the tank water and a known good ground. Clamp the meter's leads in place, then disconnect each device until you see a drop in the current on the meter.

Of course, remove and replace the offending item and connect the grounding device. Best to use a titanium rod and a plug that uses the house's grounding system (assuming that the house has good grounding)

HTH

[Junkzoo]

Ditto on Tom's answer,,,also, you want to get a digital read -out meter,(better scale) to read AC volts , and then ,if voltage gets ,or is not that high,,in milli-volts (mv),,set the meter to milli-volts,one lead in the tank water , the other to a known ground(round hole in the outlet) and if the read out says "OL" in mv scale, switch to "volts" scale , and go from there,,unplug one device at a time, and watch meter scale,,the one(or ones) that drop the mv scale to the least ammount , is your culprit,,
pretty much like Tom said,,,just like to repeat in my own "electrician" terms,,,,
Yup on the ground probe,,it will "take out" any stray/induced voltages you might have,,,
make sure (if you have one) the heater is on when testing ,etc.
i've found that 'lectricty will track from a light over the tank, and along electrical cords etc. 'specially with what you've mentioned about dampness/humidity,,,unplug everything,wipe down the cords with a damp cloth w/fresh water,,,let dry completley,,,and plug in all in..
if you find the bad device,and correct/replace it , and see (without a ground probe)you still have a lil bit of reading in mv scale on the meter,,,that'll be voltage induced from the normal operation on the electrical devices/along with water movement (they say)
a ground probe will "eat " that up,,
a good practice to take around/in the tank,('specially til you fix the problem) is one hand in the tank at a time,don't give 'lectricity to go across one arm to the other via your chest(heart) bad news, even with a very small amount of current,,
good luck , let us know,,,,
Tom gave great advice,just wanted to expound on it a bit,,,

now here's my related "famous" line:
"i work with 138,000 volts at work,,,my tanks get my most respect"

[Rick O]

Originally posted by ylmaya
I feel like this is a possible time-bomb if I don't do something about it! Help...

Probably so. I would definately get a grounding probe for the tank and the sump. You still need to find the source of the current leakage and using your body to do so isn't recommended. You may be able to read the current in the water with a meter. If you can then start unplugging things until you identify which component is the culprit.

[ylmaya]

thanks guys - I'll get on this right away.....we have a meter so I'm gonna get started this afternoon!

[Doug1]

Good luck and please be careful

[ylmaya]

What do I attach the grounds to?

[512148048]

i hear that some diseases are caused by stray electricty like laterline dis i dont know if it is rumor or not but finding prob is good idea

[Doug1]

If you are going to use a grounding probe, it should go to the ground screw of the outlet, IF It's Grounded, otherwise ground it to a water pipe or a ground rod. Hopefully Jeff will chime in here, he's the lectrical miester

[Doug1]

If you are going to use a grounding probe, it should go to the ground screw of the outlet, IF It's Grounded, otherwise ground it to a water pipe or a ground rod. Hopefully Jeff will chime in here, he's the lectrical miester

[kali22]

just wondering- i was getting windshield wipers at the autoparts store yesterday and ran across some voltage meters. are these the same ones you guys use for your tanks? i have the same issues with my tank and have narrowed it down to the skimmer pump, as far as shocks that i can "feel". i have also installed a gfci outlet too behind the tank. anyway, thanks for any help you can provide.

[dwall174]

Originally posted by Junkzoo
Ditto on Tom's answer,,,also, you want to get a digital read -out meter,(better scale) to read AC volts , and then ,if voltage gets ,or is not that high,,in milli-volts (mv),,set the meter to milli-volts,one lead in the tank water , the other to a known ground(round hole in the outlet) and if the read out says "OL" in mv scale, switch to "volts" scale , and go from there,,unplug one device at a time, and watch meter scale,,the one(or ones) that drop the mv scale to the least ammount , is your culprit,,

I have heard a lot about getting a multimeter to be able to check a lot of things & I don't know that much about electricity! Resistance Ohm’s law etc.? Do I really need a meter likeTHIS or will a cheap Radio Shack unit do? And what are the key features to look for?

[tdwyatt]

cheapo is fine, it doesn't have to be very accurate, either there is voltage (and the meter will be able to read it down to the lower levels) or not. Don't spend a ton of cash on this unless you have other uses for the meter (like an older car or you like electronics as a hobby...)

[dwall174]

Originally posted by tdwyatt
cheapo is fine, it doesn't have to be very accurate

So something like THIS should be all I need

[tdwyatt]

HEH!!! That is TOO nice!!!

I'm taking like one of the real METERS with a needle indicator... HEH!

check places like auto shack or sears or etc, about $10 US