grounding rod/prop?
- Thread starter skirrby
- Start date
scottnj
Member
Not sure why you would use it only if you had a tang. Some people use them some don't. Basically its a grounded probe that sits in the water and is attached to a grounded source. The idea is to prevent electrical current in the tank from shorts in power heads, heaters, etc.
My take on it is that your better off without it because if you have a short in the tank and the tank is not grounded, there is no place for the current to go and no electrical flow. With the grounding probe you give the short a place to travel to through the tank to the probe causing an electrical field.
But thats my take, again, some people use them, some don't.
_Scott
My take on it is that your better off without it because if you have a short in the tank and the tank is not grounded, there is no place for the current to go and no electrical flow. With the grounding probe you give the short a place to travel to through the tank to the probe causing an electrical field.
But thats my take, again, some people use them, some don't.
_Scott
skirrby
Active Member
scott i agree with you. without the ground it wont have anything to travel to.. also the circuit cant be completed.. kinda like holding a live hot wire in a house and not getting shocked but as soon as you touch a ground.. bam! im a electrican so that kinda stuff makes sence to me.. just wasnt sure if a ground rod was something else in this hobby.
torrancejones
Member
Skirrby,
I wanted to test my tanks voltage, but I am having problems finding something to ground my multimeter to. Maybe this is a silly question, but how could I get a good ground. I cant exactly move my tank, and there is nothing near the tank that I can ground to.
Would it be silly for me to try and run a speaker wire or something from a good ground up to near my tank. Then use my multimeter to ground to the speaker wire? Im not very good with electrical type things but I do understand the basic physics of electricity (i.e how to keep myself from getting shocked).
Any better suggestions?
--Tor
I wanted to test my tanks voltage, but I am having problems finding something to ground my multimeter to. Maybe this is a silly question, but how could I get a good ground. I cant exactly move my tank, and there is nothing near the tank that I can ground to.
Would it be silly for me to try and run a speaker wire or something from a good ground up to near my tank. Then use my multimeter to ground to the speaker wire? Im not very good with electrical type things but I do understand the basic physics of electricity (i.e how to keep myself from getting shocked).
Any better suggestions?
--Tor
scottnj
Member
Nas,
Makes sense on the HLLE. Again, I could certainly see having a live electrical field in the tank causing HLLE. Someone mentioned once before that they had a probe and when they stuck their hand in the tank they felt a shock similar to that of a 9 volt battery. My guess there is the current is moving from the short to the probe and they are getting a mild shock from that current. (As opposed to them being the ground and the current traveling through their body to ground which would feel a little different.) But if your feeling that 9 volt hair crawl thing on your hand, wow it must have some impact on the fish.
Torrance,
I agree with Skirrby if you wanted to test for voltage you should be able to run a wire to a good ground source. If you have outlets in your house which you know are grounded you could take a 3 prong extension cord and cut off one end. (while unplugged) then cap off the white and black and use the green to your meter.
-Scott
Makes sense on the HLLE. Again, I could certainly see having a live electrical field in the tank causing HLLE. Someone mentioned once before that they had a probe and when they stuck their hand in the tank they felt a shock similar to that of a 9 volt battery. My guess there is the current is moving from the short to the probe and they are getting a mild shock from that current. (As opposed to them being the ground and the current traveling through their body to ground which would feel a little different.) But if your feeling that 9 volt hair crawl thing on your hand, wow it must have some impact on the fish.
Torrance,
I agree with Skirrby if you wanted to test for voltage you should be able to run a wire to a good ground source. If you have outlets in your house which you know are grounded you could take a 3 prong extension cord and cut off one end. (while unplugged) then cap off the white and black and use the green to your meter.
-Scott
lesleybird
Active Member
Hi, I had my husband install a ground fault circut in the outlet that I hook up my aquarium pumps. I wanted to put in one of those grounding probes in the water also but he says I don't need both. Is this true? Anyone know for sure?
Thanks, Lesley
Thanks, Lesley