GFCI, what is this? Do I need it?
- Thread starter vpotts28
- Start date
1journeyman
Active Member
Are you prone to enjoying life without being electrocuted?
GFI's are probably installed in your house alreay anywhere plugs are near water (kitchen, bathrooms). I definitely use one at my tank outlet.
Don't ask me to explain specifics... I can't. They function, however, to interupt power at the plug in the case of water and electricity mixing.
GFI's are probably installed in your house alreay anywhere plugs are near water (kitchen, bathrooms). I definitely use one at my tank outlet.
Don't ask me to explain specifics... I can't. They function, however, to interupt power at the plug in the case of water and electricity mixing.
scotts
Active Member
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. In a nut shell it senses if you have a short in your circuit (such as water getting between the blades of your plugs) and shuts off the power. The obvious answer of if you need it is YES. The alternative is, well, not that good. I bought a plug in one from Home Depot that I am pretty pleased with. Of course this onlye leaves two plugs that you can use so I have everything plugged into a power strip. But knock on wood it has worked for me so far.
vpotts28
Active Member
Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Are you prone to enjoying life without being electrocuted?
GFI's are probably installed in your house alreay anywhere plugs are near water (kitchen, bathrooms). I definitely use one at my tank outlet.
Don't ask me to explain specifics... I can't. They function, however, to interupt power at the plug in the case of water and electricity mixing.
Well I have only been electricuted once, and I don't want to go through this again.
Are you prone to enjoying life without being electrocuted?
GFI's are probably installed in your house alreay anywhere plugs are near water (kitchen, bathrooms). I definitely use one at my tank outlet.
Don't ask me to explain specifics... I can't. They function, however, to interupt power at the plug in the case of water and electricity mixing.
Well I have only been electricuted once, and I don't want to go through this again.
halcyon_diver
Member
its mandated to have GFCI outlets by any source of water by electrical codes thru out the country...definatly an imporatant saftey issue.. a grounding probe is also a very good thing to have in your tank!
trainfever
Active Member
Originally Posted by Vpotts28
I've read a little on it. Basically if water enters the plug or circuit it will trip and shut off. A surge protector won't necassarily do that, so its good to have the GFCI, to protect against electricution or fire.
Wrong, you were shocked once. If you were electrocuted, you wouldnt be here telling us about it.
Home Depot also sells a GFCI that plugs into a wall outlet. It plugs into both outlets and so anything plugged into it is protected. It is money well spent because you will eventually spill a drip of water onto something.
I've read a little on it. Basically if water enters the plug or circuit it will trip and shut off. A surge protector won't necassarily do that, so its good to have the GFCI, to protect against electricution or fire.
Wrong, you were shocked once. If you were electrocuted, you wouldnt be here telling us about it.
Home Depot also sells a GFCI that plugs into a wall outlet. It plugs into both outlets and so anything plugged into it is protected. It is money well spent because you will eventually spill a drip of water onto something.
trainfever
Active Member
Originally Posted by Vpotts28
Well I have only been electricuted once, and I don't want to go through this again.
Wrong, you were shocked once. If you were electrocuted, you wouldnt be here telling us about it.
Home Depot also sells a GFCI that plugs into a wall outlet. It plugs into both outlets and so anything plugged into it is protected. It is money well spent because you will eventually spill a drip of water onto something.
Well I have only been electricuted once, and I don't want to go through this again.
Wrong, you were shocked once. If you were electrocuted, you wouldnt be here telling us about it.
Home Depot also sells a GFCI that plugs into a wall outlet. It plugs into both outlets and so anything plugged into it is protected. It is money well spent because you will eventually spill a drip of water onto something.
1journeyman
Active Member
Some hobbyists don't like them because they can trip if a pump or other piece of hardware is malfinctioning. This causes the breaker to trip.
I know from personal exp this is the case. After a water change my GFI kept tripping. I tracked it down to my Mag Pump on my skimmer. Replaced pump and put old one in bucket to clean. In a couple of hours it was completely frozen up and dead.
I've also been severely shocked twice. I will ALWAYS use a GFI now...
I know from personal exp this is the case. After a water change my GFI kept tripping. I tracked it down to my Mag Pump on my skimmer. Replaced pump and put old one in bucket to clean. In a couple of hours it was completely frozen up and dead.
I've also been severely shocked twice. I will ALWAYS use a GFI now...
drewdog82
Member
I don't like using them for the very reason that it would always trip. I would always come home to my tank having nothing working. Maybe I just had too much plugged in to mine, but I got sick of it. I want to try it again, but not sure if it would be OK to plug my lighting and powerheads into a regular power strip incase the GFCI was tripped.
f14peter
Member
Originally Posted by drewdog82
I don't like using them for the very reason that it would always trip. I would always come home to my tank having nothing working. Maybe I just had too much plugged in to mine, but I got sick of it. I want to try it again, but not sure if it would be OK to plug my lighting and powerheads into a regular power strip incase the GFCI was tripped.
As I'm sure you know, one way around a complete equipment shut-down is to divvy up the components over a couple of GFIs. I have the return pump, a powerhead and a heater on one GFI, the skimmer pump, a powerhead, and the other heater on another. In case of one GFI tripping, at least I'll have some heat and water movement.
The lights are on their own GFI as well.
I don't like using them for the very reason that it would always trip. I would always come home to my tank having nothing working. Maybe I just had too much plugged in to mine, but I got sick of it. I want to try it again, but not sure if it would be OK to plug my lighting and powerheads into a regular power strip incase the GFCI was tripped.
As I'm sure you know, one way around a complete equipment shut-down is to divvy up the components over a couple of GFIs. I have the return pump, a powerhead and a heater on one GFI, the skimmer pump, a powerhead, and the other heater on another. In case of one GFI tripping, at least I'll have some heat and water movement.
The lights are on their own GFI as well.
1journeyman
Active Member
Originally Posted by drewdog82
I don't like using them for the very reason that it would always trip. I would always come home to my tank having nothing working. Maybe I just had too much plugged in to mine, but I got sick of it. I want to try it again, but not sure if it would be OK to plug my lighting and powerheads into a regular power strip incase the GFCI was tripped.
But see, if they are tripping there is a reason.... Overloaded plug, bad equipment, moisture, etc. All are bad things and can lead to much worse.
I don't like using them for the very reason that it would always trip. I would always come home to my tank having nothing working. Maybe I just had too much plugged in to mine, but I got sick of it. I want to try it again, but not sure if it would be OK to plug my lighting and powerheads into a regular power strip incase the GFCI was tripped.
But see, if they are tripping there is a reason.... Overloaded plug, bad equipment, moisture, etc. All are bad things and can lead to much worse.
vpotts28
Active Member
Originally Posted by f14peter
As I'm sure you know, one way around a complete equipment shut-down is to divvy up the components over a couple of GFIs. I have the return pump, a powerhead and a heater on one GFI, the skimmer pump, a powerhead, and the other heater on another. In case of one GFI tripping, at least I'll have some heat and water movement.
The lights are on their own GFI as well.
The problem I run into here is that I only have one outlet to choose from. Unfortunately it is the only wall I had to choose from that wouldn't be affected by windows or entrances. It is also between two entrances to the kitchen and dining room, so I can't run a cord around to another outlet.
As I'm sure you know, one way around a complete equipment shut-down is to divvy up the components over a couple of GFIs. I have the return pump, a powerhead and a heater on one GFI, the skimmer pump, a powerhead, and the other heater on another. In case of one GFI tripping, at least I'll have some heat and water movement.
The lights are on their own GFI as well.
The problem I run into here is that I only have one outlet to choose from. Unfortunately it is the only wall I had to choose from that wouldn't be affected by windows or entrances. It is also between two entrances to the kitchen and dining room, so I can't run a cord around to another outlet.
1journeyman
Active Member
Get an electrician to install a new wall plug.
f14peter
Member
Originally Posted by Vpotts28
The problem I run into here is that I only have one outlet to choose from. Unfortunately it is the only wall I had to choose from that wouldn't be affected by windows or entrances. It is also between two entrances to the kitchen and dining room, so I can't run a cord around to another outlet.
But see, if they are tripping there is a reason.... Overloaded plug, bad equipment, moisture, etc. All are bad things and can lead to much worse.
Get an electrician to install a new wall plug.
She'll probably want to kill me at that point.
Faced a similar situation ourselves, the spot for the tank only had a single ungrounded dual outlet. We bit the bullet and had an electrician come in and install a grounded quad on its own breaker ... not exactly cheap (Around 4 c-notes IIRC), but we figured it was good insurance on the money we've invested in the tank, or the unpleasant alternative of standing on the curb watching the firemen spray water on the pile of ashes that used to be our house.
When I got into this hobby, never thought it would entail some home remodeling!
The problem I run into here is that I only have one outlet to choose from. Unfortunately it is the only wall I had to choose from that wouldn't be affected by windows or entrances. It is also between two entrances to the kitchen and dining room, so I can't run a cord around to another outlet.
But see, if they are tripping there is a reason.... Overloaded plug, bad equipment, moisture, etc. All are bad things and can lead to much worse.
Get an electrician to install a new wall plug.
She'll probably want to kill me at that point.
Faced a similar situation ourselves, the spot for the tank only had a single ungrounded dual outlet. We bit the bullet and had an electrician come in and install a grounded quad on its own breaker ... not exactly cheap (Around 4 c-notes IIRC), but we figured it was good insurance on the money we've invested in the tank, or the unpleasant alternative of standing on the curb watching the firemen spray water on the pile of ashes that used to be our house.
When I got into this hobby, never thought it would entail some home remodeling!
vpotts28
Active Member
Originally Posted by f14peter
Faced a similar situation ourselves, the spot for the tank only had a single ungrounded dual outlet. We bit the bullet and had an electrician come in and install a grounded quad on its own breaker ... not exactly cheap (Around 4 c-notes IIRC), but we figured it was good insurance on the money we've invested in the tank, or the unpleasant alternative of standing on the curb watching the firemen spray water on the pile of ashes that used to be our house.
When I got into this hobby, never thought it would entail some home remodeling!
I have a friend that is a licensed electrician. Maybe I will get him over to the house when she is in Vegas next week. When she notices it, I will be like "how did that get there".
Faced a similar situation ourselves, the spot for the tank only had a single ungrounded dual outlet. We bit the bullet and had an electrician come in and install a grounded quad on its own breaker ... not exactly cheap (Around 4 c-notes IIRC), but we figured it was good insurance on the money we've invested in the tank, or the unpleasant alternative of standing on the curb watching the firemen spray water on the pile of ashes that used to be our house.
When I got into this hobby, never thought it would entail some home remodeling!
I have a friend that is a licensed electrician. Maybe I will get him over to the house when she is in Vegas next week. When she notices it, I will be like "how did that get there".
scotts
Active Member
My tank used to be near the kitchen. If we ran the microwave while the compressor on the refrigerator was running it would trip the breaker. Finally I moved the tank and the new location has enough power. I do need to replace the breaker for the kitchen though, it tripped so much it did weaken it. You can make sure to tell this to your wife and just say that you were trying to prevent what happened to me.
Almost all electricians do side work. so your friend should be used to being asked. Make sure it is a dedicated circuit and have him put in a quad box on the ball (this is four plugs instead of two) Give you a little more flexibility.
Almost all electricians do side work. so your friend should be used to being asked. Make sure it is a dedicated circuit and have him put in a quad box on the ball (this is four plugs instead of two) Give you a little more flexibility.