BEWARE OF FANS... they can bite!

[btacker]

Well, a few weeks ago I noticed that when I put my arm in the tank and brush up against my PFO MH reflector that I got a shock. Well, I didn't know what to think about it so I did a search on reef central and found a few people saying that PFOs just do that... so I didn't think anything of it and I just endured the tingle I got every time I stuck my arm in the tank.

Well, last night it was a lot more than a tingle. I got popped pretty bad.... so I did some more searches and found out that I probably had something going bad somewhere.

So after I eliminated all my pumps and heaters one by one, I was pretty perplexed. Then I thought about my fans. My canopy fans were fine, but I had a fan right over my sump blowing air into it. It turns out that it had a pretty significant amount of salt creep on it. I still don't know why or how it is passing voltage to the tank, but it must be the humidity.

Anyway, I removed it and everything seems fine.... so I just wanted to let ya'll know to be just as careful with fans as you are with heaters and pumps.

I guess I need a ground probe, but there seems to be mixed opinion about that.

How many of ya'll have or don't have a ground probe and what size is the tank?

[RobertG]

Dont have one, 240G .

[::pete::]

I dont have one either 100 growing to a 180.

Water is a great conductor to electricity and electricity can jump. The little tingle should have prompted you .... not the Bite!!! :shock:

[JimD]

Grounding probe and a GFCI, I value my home more than my tank!

[RobertG]

Grounding probe and a GFCI, I value my home more than my tank!

Tell me more. I have GFCI on all my tank circuits. Just no probe.

[::pete::]

Here (http://maast.org/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=5492&high light=grounding+probe) ya go.

[JimD]

Probe will send stray volage to ground, GFCI will interrupt the circuit if a ground fault is detected. Measure your tank water with a volt meter, one probe in the water the other at an AC grounding point, Id be curious to know the reading... If theres any measurable ammount, you may have a problem.

[captexas]

Have individual GFCI outlets for everything tank related, but no grounding probe.

[JimD]

From the above link......
"A grounding probe is worthless without a GFCI" Im keeping my stuff just the way it is! The GFCI has saved my ***** on a few occasions...

[wkopplin]

I also uuse the probe and gfci

[rocketeer]

I use both.

Jack

[RobertG]

Great one, Pete

Thanks

[::pete::]

After re-reading the above link ... one is on order.

[Tim Marvin]

I use both.

[DeletedAccount]

I use both

[scuba_steveo]

I use both.

[NaCl_H2O]

Thanks for the link Pete ... I think I need to get a ground probe, or two!

[btacker]

Well, I guess I need to get one, too. :D

[blueboy]

is a group order in order?

[::pete::]

is a group order in order?

ESV Probe (http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/searchhomekeyresult5.asp) 9.50+sh

Im going to order because I forgot my bulkheads in the last order :?

[NaCl_H2O]

So, (Pete, you have seen my setup) ... do I need one grounding proble, or many? My systems are all interconnected, but is their a max distance or max gallons, or ... per probe?

I know, maybe I just need multiple wives to do the testing :-D :-D

[::pete::]

I know, maybe I just need multiple wives to do the testing

There you go ... one at each tank with their finger in the water.

Im not sure on the multiple probes, but I would assume because its all connected that one would do it and we know you are set on GFCI.