Originally Posted by
SCSInet
http:///forum/post/3208425
It's important to draw a key distinction here...
Surge protectors and GFIs are two entirely different types of equipment that do two entirely different things. IMO the two terms are too often used interchangeably.
Additionally, not all power strips are surge protectors. LOTS of people assume that every power strip is a surge protector.
Surge protectors really offer no benefit to a saltwater tank. Surge protectors are designed to protect sensitive electronic equipment from power line issues. They do not protect against the common aquarium power issues such as water getting into electrical connections, water coming into contact with hot electrical conductors, or the "I got shocked when I put my hand in the water" situation. In short, it makes no difference whether you have a surge protector or not in your aquarium. Most of us use some sort of multi-outlet arrangement (power strips) on our tanks. As FirefighterEMTP said, your focus here should be a quality power strip. It doesn't matter if it features a surge protector or not. I personally prefer to use tripp-lite power strips that are made of metal, not molded plastic, and are rated for 20 amps. Most power strips feature a circuit breaker - any quality power strip will, and you should be sure yours have them. This will protect against overloads, but again, not from ground faults. Surge protectors might be useful for things like aquarium controllers or electronic ballasts that are sensitive to power surges, but honestly, all but the most expensive surge protectors are crap anyway and offer no real protection. Focus on quality of construction.
Mounting your powerstrips high in the stand, is critical, and ensuring that all power cords that run to some point above them have drip loops is also critical. You always need to think about the "leak scenario" and project where water will accumulate or is likely to splash, and NOT locate your power strip there.
Now, GFIs... As we all learned in high school science, an electrical circuit has to be complete... a path has to exist from the source of electricity to the item being powered, then back to the source. In a proper circuit, the current flows are exactly equal coming from and returning to the power source (the wall outlet in this case). A GFI works by monitoring the current flowing in both directions. Should these currents mismatch, it means that current is flowing through an alternate path, such as through your body. It more-or-less instantly breaks the circuit and cuts off all power. The national electric code mandates GFIs to be used in all areas where water is present - kitchens, bathrooms, basements, garages, outdoors - and when you consider that saltwater is even more conductive than freshwater, it makes the use of a GFI near an aquarium even more important. Although a GFI is designed to protect lives, they will also trip in most scenarios where water gets into a grounded power strip - usually FAR sooner than a circuit breaker will trip.
As for what GFI to use, there are three common varieties... you can get one that installs in your breaker panel, replacing the breaker that feeds the tank. They are fairly easy to install, but it involves working in the breaker panel which I would not recommend to anyone who does not feel 100% comfortable doing it. It's also the most expensive. The second type is a GFI that replaces a wall receptacle. Most of us have these in our bathrooms and kitchens. These are what I use, and are also the least expensive option. The third type is one that plugs into an outlet, and allows you to then plug the equipment into them. They can be in the form of a power strip featuring a GFI (again, this is different from a surge protector), or in the form of a small box with a plug on one side and a outlet on the other. They are the easiest to install but are also one of the more expensive options.
Regardless of what you do, a GFI, self installed, should cost less than $50, or less than $150 to have an electrician do it. As far as I'm concerned, it's an absolute necessity on any saltwater tanks.
Does that clear things up?
Man.. are you looking for a job..? i think we have an opening in fire prevention...
I'm not exactly a scientist lol
