ground fault circuit interrupter.You need one!!

[mikesin]

Hello, we had an interesting day that we thought we would share. Before I left for work today I checked the aquarium (as always) & everything looked good and normal. A few hours later my better half awakens, grabs a cup of coffee and sat down beside the aquarium to enjoy the view only to realize that the pumps in the aquarium were not working. We have an aqua controller III, she checked its status and found it was not working either. While looking around she noticed that the water temperature had fallen. Not understanding why the ACIII was not working and not being able to contact me because I was in meetings all morning she did what she thought was best. She decided to (at least) get the main sump pump running and the heater by by-passing the the ACIII.( the ACIII controls individual electrical outlets which in return allows you to connect and controll every electrical component in the aquarium at one spot plus a whole Lot more) so she ran an extension cord from a NON GFCI protected outlet. Pugged in the pump, GREAT, there was water movement. Then plugged in the heater only to see a flashy/fiery display in the sump! After a few seconds she realized it was the heater and disconnected it.
This incident could of been deadly in so many ways! The entire aquariums electrical system is run thru the ACIII which is plugged into a GFCI. The heater (for an unknown reason) shorted and tripped the GFCI sometime after I left for work and before she woke up. What would of happened if there WASN'T a GFCI? Dead fish/corals? Fire? etc.? Second, and I blame myself, I never took the time to fully explain/educate to my loved one how important a GFCI is and why to always use one, and how dangerous electricity is around the highly conductive saltwater. so please, EXPLAIN/EDUCATE your loved ones. This situation could of been much worse. We were very lucky, no bodily harm, no electrocuted fish or corals. My better half would NOT of been put at risk (that she didnt even realize at the time) if I would of taken the time to explain how to diagnose electrical problems safely.
so learn from this - please use GFCI and talk to the ones that may have contact with your aquarium about electricity/safety.

 

[scsinet]

Good story to hear. It's nice to see a piece of safety equipment do it's job... and even nicer to see an aquarist who outfitted himself properly causing him to save his own butt.

 

[muggiwhplar]

I actually just ordered one after running without it for almost two years. Really wasn't smart in retrospect. If you have a power strip plugged into a GFCI, will it protect you against shorts in everything plugged into the strip, or do you need individual GFCI's for each device?

 

[salty blues]

Originally Posted by muggiwhplar
http:///forum/post/2473563
I actually just ordered one after running without it for almost two years. Really wasn't smart in retrospect. If you have a power strip plugged into a GFCI, will it protect you against shorts in everything plugged into the strip, or do you need individual GFCI's for each device?
One GFCI will protect any and all equipment plugged into it.

 

[alohami]

I had that exact same thing happen to me, and it was a Visi-Therm heater as well! I just checked again, and mine was a Visi-Therm Stealth, so it wasn't even a glass heater! I'm not saying they're all bad, but I will never use a Visi-Therm ever again.
So glad that it wasn't worse and that everyone is safe!

 

[dinki]

Anyone know where I can find a GFCI enabled powerstrip? My power outlet is in a really bad place for me to wire in an actual GFCI receptacle.

 

[scsinet]

I doubt that GFI power strips are very common.
You can get a GFI dongle at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. They are in the same place as the outdoor extension cords. It's usually about a 2-3 foot cord, with a GFI box in the middle. A common brand is Shock-Buster. Just plug it in, then plug your power strip into that.
Actually, the one I just found online (pic attached) has 3 outlets, so you can plug at least a few things in... or even 3 power strips.

 

[metweezer]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2473675
I doubt that GFI power strips are very common.
You can get a GFI dongle at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. They are in the same place as the outdoor extension cords. It's usually about a 2-3 foot cord, with a GFI box in the middle. A common brand is Shock-Buster. Just plug it in, then plug your power strip into that.
Actually, the one I just found online (pic attached) has 3 outlets, so you can plug at least a few things in... or even 3 power strips.
Mine is a two piece unit I purchased at Home Depot. Price between 25 and 30 dollars (I don't remember). The actual GFCI plugs into a wall outlet with the typical red and black buttons. Also included is a 10 outlet powerstrip which plugs into the GFCI. The power strip is yellow with an on/off switch and it has grey rubber flaps protecting unused outlets. Heavy duty yellow cords. Brand name is Belkin.

 

[dinki]

Originally Posted by SCSInet
http:///forum/post/2473675
You can get a GFI dongle at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. They are in the same place as the outdoor extension cords. It's usually about a 2-3 foot cord, with a GFI box in the middle. A common brand is Shock-Buster. Just plug it in, then plug your power strip into that.
Exactly what I was looking for. I looked at Lowes but didn't see them in the electrical section. I'll take a look at the extension cords area. Thanks!

 

[notsonoob]

In regards to Lowes.
I've seen most next to the media center (where they have all the TV/Home Theater accessories.
Probably because they have the same, the custodial engineer figured it was the best place for them.

 

[hunter04106]

You can use gfci breakers in your house hold breaker pannel, fairly inexpensive and easy to install.Also as working in construction trades do not plug gfi cord into gfci outlet.One cancels out the other and you have no protection.Be safe and try to use drip loops.

 

[dinki]

Originally Posted by hunter04106
http:///forum/post/2474128
You can use gfci breakers in your house hold breaker pannel, fairly inexpensive and easy to install.
Really? That seems like the simplest install. They sell these at Lowes/HD too? I'm guessing you just match the amperage, open the panel, shut off the main, pull the old breaker, replace with new gfci, then put everything back together?

 

[metweezer]

 

[txmedic1]

a couple of months ago, i was doing some cleaning around my fuge. i accidently knocked my fuge light into the water when i was sifting my cheato. i heard a "pop" and everything went black. but it wasnt me. to my suprise, the gcfi tripped, turning off everthing from my tank, and everything down the line, including my tv, etc. that little investment was worth a thousand times what i paid. i cant stress enough the importance of using them in the hobby. i've seen many electrocutions, and the electricity usually wins.

 

[nina&noah]

This is a great thread! I had not even heard of a gfci! When my husband gets home, we will be switching out the breakers in our house. Do you just change the breakers related to the aquarium, or do you change all of them. Please excuse the ignorance, I do NOTHING for the home so this is way over my head. Thank you!

 

[metweezer]

Just replace the breaker that powers your aquarium outlet. You could also just replace the duplex outlet with a GFCI outlet. It looks just like a standard electrical outlet but a gfci has a test and reset button.
Steve

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by nina&noah
http:///forum/post/2475603
This is a great thread! I had not even heard of a gfci! When my husband gets home, we will be switching out the breakers in our house. Do you just change the breakers related to the aquarium, or do you change all of them. Please excuse the ignorance, I do NOTHING for the home so this is way over my head. Thank you!
Just change the ones powering the aquarium.
The first thing you need to do is figure out what brand of breaker panel you have. Most home improvement stores carry GE, Square D (Homelite and regular), Siemens, and Cutler Hammer. Many homes have Challenger panels. The Siemens breakers fit these panels. Also, be sure to write down the amperage of the circuit(s) powering your aquarium. You need a matching amperage GFI breaker.
Then you just go to the store, find your brand, and find a GFI breaker. Or just ask... ("I need a Siemens, 20 amp, GFI breaker"). They are a bit larger than the regular counterparts and have a white neutral pigtail coming out of them. They are sometimes in a locked cabinet (they are expensive compared to normal breakers). Expect to pay about $35 for each breaker.
Then you just swap it out, following the instructions that came with the breaker. If your husband is comfortable working in the breaker panel, great. If not, I suggest calling an electrician, or cutting off the main power in the house. Breaker panels are designed to be worked on while the power is turned on, but you should ONLY do so if you are 100% comfortable doing it.
I attached a picture of a GFI breaker to give you an idea of what to look for. The one pictured is a Cutler Hammer.

 

[nina&noah]

Thank you so much! I have printed this thread to show my husband and we will take care of it this week. It seems like common sense now that it has been brought to my attention, but I never thought about the amount of electricity running around all of that water. I have a 9 month old son who will be crawling soon, so you might have saved his life. All of the baby proofing I did and I didn't even think about the aquarium!

 

[scsinet]

Originally Posted by nina&noah
http:///forum/post/2475796
Thank you so much! I have printed this thread to show my husband and we will take care of it this week. It seems like common sense now that it has been brought to my attention, but I never thought about the amount of electricity running around all of that water. I have a 9 month old son who will be crawling soon, so you might have saved his life. All of the baby proofing I did and I didn't even think about the aquarium!
You should also somehow anchor the stand to the wall to prevent it from being toppled.

 

[nina&noah]

The tank is built into the wall, so I don't have to worry about that. I just have to worry about him getting into the filter on the bottom.