HOLY COW!!!! A HEATER MALFUNCTION

monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction#post_3338130
LOL....he is making the list.....he knows how to do all that stuff......thank goodness, or I would be calling my contractor buddy HAHA $$$$$$$$ :( BUT GOOD WORK
seriously, i bet my wife could do this work.
turn off circut. it is a simple regular screwdriver to get the cover off. maybe a phillips to get the outlet out. nother regular to losen the wires in the outlet. pull wires out. swap outlets. regular screwdriver to losen the screws in new outlet for wires. push wires in. Screw down screws. Replace outlet. replace cover. turn circut back on.
Heh, ask hubby if you can do one.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
haha, everyone needs to stop asking me if I've installed them yet. Because no, I have not. haha. I've been far too busy so I haven't had the chance. I also can't really grasp the reasoning to have a GFCI if I don'thave any real piece of equipment plugged into it... every piece of equipment is plugged into one of two surge protectors. I have a total of 5 items on the tripp-lite, and 3 on a normal power strip. The tripp-lite only has about 150w total going into it, and the other strip has a total of 260w for 4 hours and 130w for 9 hours. Occasionally (not as of recent because of the heater needing to work non-stop) but the tripp-lite will have 450w... but that's very rare. I just can't justify having a GFCI for an outlet that doesn't have
A. A massive amount of wattage coming into it.
and
B. Not one true piece of equipment plugging into it. It's all plugged into strips that plug into the wall. I've added everything up many times so I know the exact amount this is adding to my electrical bill because coming into this I figured if it would spike my bill significatly I would drop it, but it hasn't done much due to the CF lighting.
By the way Corey, the element was broken and exposed, no doubt. As I was pulling it out of the garbage (this was how I put it in, I was just in such a panic I didn't notice everything right away) this is what I found... as you can see the casing was no longer on it, and was exposing the coils.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Holy crap! You are one lucky girl. I'm also glad you didn't shock the hell out of yourself. All this after you JUST got the tank happy with you again...sheesh....
 
monsinour

monsinour

Active Member
so my whole story of turning off my pumps tripping the GFCI outlet isnt doing it for you? What about the fact that your tripp lite "surge protector" in my opinion is a POS? I will stop pestering you now about it. You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338149
so my whole story of turning off my pumps tripping the GFCI outlet isnt doing it for you? What about the fact that your tripp lite "surge protector" in my opinion is a POS? I will stop pestering you now about it. You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make them drink.
I've read MANY reviews about tripp-lite and read they are very trusting. I guess I don't understand how your pump trips your GFCI outlet when you pull them out. That doesn't make any sense to me...
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338146
haha, everyone needs to stop asking me if I've installed them yet. Because no, I have not. haha. I've been far too busy so I haven't had the chance. I also can't really grasp the reasoning to have a GFCI if I don'thave any real piece of equipment plugged into it... every piece of equipment is plugged into one of two surge protectors. I have a total of 5 items on the tripp-lite, and 3 on a normal power strip. The tripp-lite only has about 150w total going into it, and the other strip has a total of 260w for 4 hours and 130w for 9 hours. Occasionally (not as of recent because of the heater needing to work non-stop) but the tripp-lite will have 450w... but that's very rare. I just can't justify having a GFCI for an outlet that doesn't have
A. A massive amount of wattage coming into it.
and
B. Not one true piece of equipment plugging into it. It's all plugged into strips that plug into the wall. I've added everything up many times so I know the exact amount this is adding to my electrical bill because coming into this I figured if it would spike my bill significatly I would drop it, but it hasn't done much due to the CF lighting.
By the way Corey, the element was broken and exposed, no doubt. As I was pulling it out of the garbage (this was how I put it in, I was just in such a panic I didn't notice everything right away) this is what I found... as you can see the casing was no longer on it, and was exposing the coils.

Sparty the GFCI are for fire safety. And I may be mistaken but I could have sworn I read that using a surge protector is not the same thing (maybe someone else can chime in here). In Meowzers case she had a short which started either in the heater wires or in the outlet itself. GFCI's being much more sensitive than surge protectors would have sensed this and cut the power instantly thus reducing the chance of a fire. As Meowzer told me in her PM, there was almost nothing left of the outlet itself, it was all melted and her breaker never tripped. This probably would not have been near as bad had it been installed on a GFCI.
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338154
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338146
haha, everyone needs to stop asking me if I've installed them yet. Because no, I have not. haha. I've been far too busy so I haven't had the chance. I also can't really grasp the reasoning to have a GFCI if I don'thave any real piece of equipment plugged into it... every piece of equipment is plugged into one of two surge protectors. I have a total of 5 items on the tripp-lite, and 3 on a normal power strip. The tripp-lite only has about 150w total going into it, and the other strip has a total of 260w for 4 hours and 130w for 9 hours. Occasionally (not as of recent because of the heater needing to work non-stop) but the tripp-lite will have 450w... but that's very rare. I just can't justify having a GFCI for an outlet that doesn't have
A. A massive amount of wattage coming into it.
and
B. Not one true piece of equipment plugging into it. It's all plugged into strips that plug into the wall. I've added everything up many times so I know the exact amount this is adding to my electrical bill because coming into this I figured if it would spike my bill significatly I would drop it, but it hasn't done much due to the CF lighting.
By the way Corey, the element was broken and exposed, no doubt. As I was pulling it out of the garbage (this was how I put it in, I was just in such a panic I didn't notice everything right away) this is what I found... as you can see the casing was no longer on it, and was exposing the coils.

Sparty the GFCI are for fire safety. And I may be mistaken but I could have sworn I read that using a surge protector is not the same thing (maybe someone else can chime in here). In Meowzers case she had a short which started either in the heater wires or in the outlet itself. GFCI's being much more sensitive than surge protectors would have sensed this and cut the power instantly thus reducing the chance of a fire. As Meowzer told me in her PM, there was almost nothing left of the outlet itself, it was all melted and her breaker never tripped. This probably would not have been near as bad had it been installed on a GFCI.
But that's what I'm confused about. I don't have my equipment plugged into the wall where the GFCI would be. I would have it in the tripp-lite... how would that help? I will put one in regardless hopefully this weekend, because EVERYONE wants to hit me in the head, but I just don't understand how it's going to justify any fire hazard if I don't have it plugged in...
 
scott t

scott t

Active Member
Sparty, but you have to also understand that you have that stuff plugged into and out let near water thus if your tank ever started to leak or you spilled water on the the plug it would trip instantly. I know that there is 2 plugs over my sink in the kitchen, the switch for the garbage disposal is right next to one of the plugs. I know that I have reached for the switch with wet hands and water has splashed the plug and it has tripped.. So I know that I will have things plugged into a power strip, but I will also have that power strip plugged into a GFCI out let just to err on the side of caution.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338155
Quote: But that's what I'm confused about. I don't have my equipment plugged into the wall where the GFCI would be. I would have it in the tripp-lite... how would that help? I will put one in regardless hopefully this weekend, because EVERYONE wants to hit me in the head, but I just don't understand how it's going to justify any fire hazard if I don't have it plugged in...
I'm not an electrical engineer here Sparty but I'll try. Think of your surge protector as a water pump like in your sump. It has essentiall and intake and an output for current to travel. Surge protecters are design to protect devices from a surge of power coming into them and not going out of them. So your equipment is protected from surges but your outelt on the wall is not. Surges I believe could still travel from a piece of equipment coming out of or back from the surge protector (if that makes sense). And this is where the GFCI comes into play...it's designed to catch that surge of electicity coming back into the wall. And again...if your tank leaks water onto your wall and the outlet gets wet...that's a big fire hazard. This is why GFCI's are code in all new construction and must be installed or any outlet within 6ft of a water source must be installed with a GFCI outlet or be protected on the same circuit as one.
 
scott t

scott t

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338159
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338155
Quote: But that's what I'm confused about. I don't have my equipment plugged into the wall where the GFCI would be. I would have it in the tripp-lite... how would that help? I will put one in regardless hopefully this weekend, because EVERYONE wants to hit me in the head, but I just don't understand how it's going to justify any fire hazard if I don't have it plugged in...
I'm not an electrical engineer here Sparty but I'll try. Think of your surge protector as a water pump like in your sump. It has essentiall and intake and an output for current to travel. Surge protecters are design to protect devices from a surge of power coming into them and not going out of them. So your equipment is protected from surges but your outelt on the wall is not. Surges I believe could still travel from a piece of equipment coming out of or back from the surge protector (if that makes sense). And this is where the GFCI comes into play...it's designed to catch that surge of electicity coming back into the wall. And again...if your tank leaks water onto your wall and the outlet gets wet...that's a big fire hazard. This is why GFCI's are code in all new construction and must be installed or any outlet within 6ft of a water source must be installed with a GFCI outlet or be protected on the same circuit as one.
Very good explanation Corey..
 
sparty059

sparty059

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott T http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338160
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338159
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sparty059 http:///forum/thread/382474/holy-crap-a-heater-malfunction/20#post_3338155
Quote: But that's what I'm confused about. I don't have my equipment plugged into the wall where the GFCI would be. I would have it in the tripp-lite... how would that help? I will put one in regardless hopefully this weekend, because EVERYONE wants to hit me in the head, but I just don't understand how it's going to justify any fire hazard if I don't have it plugged in...
I'm not an electrical engineer here Sparty but I'll try. Think of your surge protector as a water pump like in your sump. It has essentiall and intake and an output for current to travel. Surge protecters are design to protect devices from a surge of power coming into them and not going out of them. So your equipment is protected from surges but your outelt on the wall is not. Surges I believe could still travel from a piece of equipment coming out of or back from the surge protector (if that makes sense). And this is where the GFCI comes into play...it's designed to catch that surge of electicity coming back into the wall. And again...if your tank leaks water onto your wall and the outlet gets wet...that's a big fire hazard. This is why GFCI's are code in all new construction and must be installed or any outlet within 6ft of a water source must be installed with a GFCI outlet or be protected on the same circuit as one.
Very good explanation Corey..

I will have one before the end of the week (assuming I get enough time to work on this). Mark my word!
 
scott t

scott t

Active Member
LOL what is a few more things like new plug ins? LOL
My Christmas Present to myself this year is going to be my 90 gal SW tank yay me woot woot woot.... lol
 
scott t

scott t

Active Member
Lol, yes maybe but its all yours.. WOOT WOOT..
OK maybe take a break until after the first of the year.. LOL
 
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