Your regularly scheduled GFCI reminder

[Len]

If you aren't using GFCI protected outlets, get one installed ASAP. Or get one of the inline ones (plugs into the wall outlet, then you plug your equipment into it).

I just had a GFCI save lives (maybe my own too) when it tripped after my Visitherm heater's glass cracked. This is maybe the third time GFCI has kicked in and saved a bunch of stuff. When I wasn't using GFCI, I had a Rio and a heater die, both of which caused pretty catastrophic consequences to my corals. Luckily, I didn't have my hands in the tank during either events.

 

[trido]

A GFCI may also save the lives of your corals and fish. My new LFS that has amazingly colorful frags just had an event that nearly killed two tanks full of corals. They have a 300G display tied to the 200G frag tank. One night after hours one of the 1" sea swirls broke on the intake, the water shorted out the unit electrocuting the tank for who knows how long. It cause a precip event and all of the corals slimed, lost color and some are still STN. The fish seemed uneffected. If they had a GFCI things wouldn't have been nearly as bad.

 

[Eboman]

Great reminder...

In fact, my GFCI tripped the other day when I was tinkering. It took me a bit to figure out what the problem was (I'm messing with some modded MaxiJets and had one of them plugged into an extension cord....extension cord got wet...water got in the socket....<click>...everything shut down).

Much better than having a fire or sizzling my toes.

GFCIs are VERY easy to put in. Just follow the directions and everything will be fine (if you put it in wrong, you'll know right away because it won't work and/or it will shut down -- duh!!). The only trick is to make absolutely-positively that you've turned off the breaker to the outlet before messing with the wires.

If you're clever enough, you can even make all of the outlets on that circuit GFCI protected. As it stands, every outlet in my "tank room" is protected because I put the GFCI outlet on the 1st outlet on the circuit.

In fact, Home Depot had a bunch of GFCI outlets in their "clearance" bin yesterday. I picked up a few to keep around.

Another good recommendation.....get those weatherproof outlet covers!! They're also easy to install and will help keep spilled water out of the outlets.

Great post Len......I'm surprised we don't push more safety related stuff more often.

Thanks,
Eric

 

[Chubosco]

Serious scary stuff. Saltwater makes it even more chancey. Has anyone ever read a study (stat wise) as to how many people die in this hobby a year? That would even be more frightening because I know it has to be happening.

 

[Anonymous]

Good thread indeed.

For you outlets you want 'wet use' covers. Simple waterproof covers aren't waterproof if something is plugged into them.

Personally, I like the GFCI's wall warts from premium aquatics. They come back on after a power outage, and running multiple GFCI's for different pieces of equipment means that if something shorts everything wont necessarily turn off.

 

[bleedingthought]

Personally, I like the GFCI's wall warts from premium aquatics.

Which ones? Got a link?

They come back on after a power outage

Mine have always come back on afterwards. It's just your standard GFCI outlet from homedepot. Do they usually not?

running multiple GFCI's for different pieces of equipment means that if something shorts everything wont necessarily turn off.

Good point! One for every outlet would be best but expensive!

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm my heater cracked a couple weeks ago.. reason I knew? I felt a tingle in my finger where I had a hangnail get yanked (ie path to blood)... stupid yeah.. but I used that finger to test one by one everything I had to see which was the culprit as I unplugged everything.

When I had my tank in my (now) computer room, whenever my magnetic MH ballast would kick off, there'd be about a 50/50 chance that my GFCI would trip, luckily I was home around the time the lights went out so I could hear the loud "click" sound and restart the damn system. Unsure why this occurred. My guess is there was some residual charge not accounted for in the capacitors and it took just long enough to discharge that the GFCI considered it "lost to ground"

One of these days when I move my pool table I'll put some GFCIs down on the tanks downstairs. But as it stands I need to figure out which plugs go to which breakers so I can at least figure out if I'm overloading a circuit.

 

[trido]

Thales wrote:

running multiple GFCI's for different pieces of equipment means that if something shorts everything wont necessarily turn off.

Good point! One for every outlet would be best but expensive!

Yes, Nine 20Amp GFCIs is expensive. But when you come home from work and your CL pump is mysteriously tripped and everything else is working it sure feels like money well spent. Whats another $100 dollars in our little hobby? :lol:

 

[bleedingthought]

You know, I'd like to know what reefers don't have plugged into a GFI outlet...

Are there any pieces of equipment that would be unnecessary to be plugged into a GFCI?

 

[fcmatt]

people who complain about the cost should seek out the right
store with the right coupon. home depot while semi expensive
can really be brought to its knees with the right coupon out of
the paper, mail, etc...

i was shocked by the price so i looked for a bargain myself.
i found a high quality wall mountable strip plug that as a bonus
had a GFCI adapter and i used a 10% off coupon. I figure the
15 amp adapter cost me around 7-10 dollars then.

 

[bleedingthought]

people who complain about the cost should seek out the right
store with the right coupon. home depot while semi expensive
can really be brought to its knees with the right coupon out of
the paper, mail, etc...

i was shocked by the price so i looked for a bargain myself.
i found a high quality wall mountable strip plug that as a bonus
had a GFCI adapter and i used a 10% off coupon. I figure the
15 amp adapter cost me around 7-10 dollars then.

Hey, I want a homedepot/lowes coupon!

 

[Anonymous]

Personally, I like the GFCI's wall warts from premium aquatics.

Which ones? Got a link?

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... gory_Code=

or go to premiumaquatics and do a search!

They come back on after a power outage

Mine have always come back on afterwards. It's just your standard GFCI outlet from homedepot. Do they usually not?

Some of them don't though that may have changed. Some the the cheaper ones didn't, but they may not make them like that anymore. I think its more of a problem for wall wart GFCI's than with in receptacle GFCI's.

running multiple GFCI's for different pieces of equipment means that if something shorts everything wont necessarily turn off.

Good point! One for every outlet would be best but expensive!

Not that expensive, they are only 10 bucks each. I run my lights on one (vho mh and moon), my return on one, my big cl on another, my other circulation on another and my sump equipment split between two. I think every item might be excessive, but you would very quickly know what went bad if something went bad.

 

[melas]

I'd say if there is any possibility of it getting wet or you touching it while you are wet then it should be on a GFCI. This includes virtually all aquarium equipment. Electricity is NOT your friend!

I just built a new house and installed a seperate electric panel for my aquarium. It has (3) 30amp GFCI breakers in it. I have a seperate outlet from all three breakers on the wall my tank is on. Each breaker has at least one pump attached to it. That way if one trips there are still at least 2 other pumps or circulation devices running.

Great thread!

 

[~reefchik~]

I agree. I could have burned down our new house when my HOB Aquaclear filter (which I had modified into a mini-fuge) began leaking around the motor mount gasket and dripped straight down onto a gang-plug behind my 55 reef tank stand. The sparks caught on some filter floss stored in the stand, and apparently began smoking pretty good. Must have been a bit of flame too because much of what I had under there came out scorched.

My DH was there at the time, smelled smoke, heard snapping and popping under the tank--found the problem. He burned his hands pulling out burning melting plastic things and boxes, test kits chemicals, etc.

I was in the doghouse for quite some time, let me just say that! Totally freaked us both out how close we came to disaster.

 

[Hetfield6j]

Do they make surge protectors or strips with GFCI built in? I'm pretty un-familier with electrical work, but this thread has scared me enough to want to act on that

 

[bleedingthought]

Do they make surge protectors or strips with GFCI built in? I'm pretty un-familier with electrical work, but this thread has scared me enough to want to act on that

They sure do! Check homedepot and they'll have it!