Cant figure out how electrical current is gettting into my tank.

tkimmons85 · 10/02/2009, 08:12 AM

Long story short I have 29volts of stray current in my tank. I figure I have a piece of electrical equipment that has sprung a leak. So I put my volt meter in place and start unplugging one piece at a time and then plugging everything back up one piece at a time. This is my problem I have 11 plugs total and 28 volts of stray current. Evertime I unplugged 1 item the volt meter would drop about 3-4 volts. Likewise when I plugged them all back up the voltage went up for every item 3-4 volts. Not one piece of equip in particular was responsible for the stray voltage. I find this highly unlikely that all my equipment is bad. All of my equip is new except for my skimmer pump. For the meantime though I do have a grounding rod in the tank. Which works great when I put it in the voltage drops to zero. I just dont know whats causing my current issue. What could be doing this ?

asonitez · 10/02/2009, 09:52 AM

I used to have stray volts in my tank. I started by examining every single powerhead and wire going into the tank and sump. I found 3 devices with nicked wires. After siliconing them up and stuff everything was fine. I still use a grounding probe though.

mcoomer · 10/02/2009, 10:51 AM

What are you plugging your equipment into? If you're using some type of gang type receptacle (power strip or similar) try swapping that out.

rhinonm · 10/02/2009, 12:49 PM

Every time I have had stray voltage it has been the heater. Something to check-

lougotzz · 10/02/2009, 01:34 PM

Yeah my stray voltage was do you my heater cracking as well. Most heaters are made of glass too, so that is something to check.

Lightsluvr · 10/02/2009, 04:13 PM

Since each time you unplug something causes the voltage to drop 3-4 volts, I would guess a "floating ground" in your house electrical system. It might be worth having an electrician check the earth ground on your main panel.

Good luck.

LL

Zimster · 10/02/2009, 04:50 PM

by chance do the items that you unplugged that caused the system to drop 3-4V have magnets in them??

tkimmons85 · 10/02/2009, 09:30 PM

Okay so my dad the electrical guru cam over tonight with all of his electrical tools and meters. First he put a meter on both of my outlets, they checked out fine.( by the way this meter makes sure that the wiring in the walls is all working properly) Next we checked both powerstrips. They checked out fine. Next we went through every piece of equipment one at a time. They ALL checked out fine. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS REALLY WIERD.

So we plug both power strips into the wall outlets(WITH NO PLUGS PLUGGED INTO THEM). When we did that the voltage in the tank went up 4 volts. How can a tank draw current with nothing even plugged in the power strips to begin with? One by one we plugged up all the pieces and one by one the voltage went up 4 volts at a time. Finally it reached 29 volts. We both sat there scratching our heads.

My dad finally figured it out. My tank is a 55 gallon corner tank with a 15 gallon sump. It has over 95 lbs of live rock and 60 pounds of sand. Its full of rock and full of sea water, so its very conductive to say the least. Well my tank sits in the corner with an outlet behind each rear side of the tank. One power strip is plugged into one and the other strip into the other. Some how some sort of electrical induction is coming from the wires through the dry wall behind to my tank. Because everything we plug in draws amps, the induction effect is greater the more we plug in. Including plugging in an empty powerstrip which draws its own current. This is why nothing has come up bad, but everything we plug in raises the voltage in the tank in small 4 volts increases.

Just the best answer I could come up with that makes sense. Anyway I have a ground probe in the tank to get rid of the voltage. We'll see what happens.

10/02/2009, 08:12 AM	#1
tkimmons85 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Goodlettsville, Tn Posts: 722	Cant figure out how electrical current is gettting into my tank. Long story short I have 29volts of stray current in my tank. I figure I have a piece of electrical equipment that has sprung a leak. So I put my volt meter in place and start unplugging one piece at a time and then plugging everything back up one piece at a time. This is my problem I have 11 plugs total and 28 volts of stray current. Evertime I unplugged 1 item the volt meter would drop about 3-4 volts. Likewise when I plugged them all back up the voltage went up for every item 3-4 volts. Not one piece of equip in particular was responsible for the stray voltage. I find this highly unlikely that all my equipment is bad. All of my equip is new except for my skimmer pump. For the meantime though I do have a grounding rod in the tank. Which works great when I put it in the voltage drops to zero. I just dont know whats causing my current issue. What could be doing this ?

10/02/2009, 10:51 AM	#3
mcoomer Rat Bastard! Join Date: May 2007 Location: Sammamish, WA Posts: 1,487	What are you plugging your equipment into? If you're using some type of gang type receptacle (power strip or similar) try swapping that out. __________________ Spending exorbitant amounts of money on this hobby since 1998! My wife thought the tank would be cheaper and easier to keep than a dog...no seriously! Current Tank Info: 180 gallon mixed reef; Reeflo Barracuda, Tunze 6105 (X3), 250W Radiums with dual HQI Blue Wave 7, Reefkeeper Elite controller, custom sump with ASM G4, carbon and GFO reactors

10/02/2009, 04:13 PM	#6
Lightsluvr Tangaroa to 500 gallons Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,855	Since each time you unplug something causes the voltage to drop 3-4 volts, I would guess a "floating ground" in your house electrical system. It might be worth having an electrician check the earth ground on your main panel. Good luck. LL __________________ Click on my username and select "Lightsluvr's Home Page" for a recap of our build thread - AGE Hybrid Tank in a 500G system with dedicated fish room. (Takes a few minutes for photos to load) Leave a note if you stop by... Current Tank Info: 350G AGE Hybrid reef tank. 500G+ total water volume. Three sumps for filtration. Barracuda Gold return and Hammerhead Gold closed loop pumps. DIY T5 light system on rails. MP40W x3 to supplement closed loop. 130G Water management system.

10/02/2009, 09:52 AM	#2
asonitez Floodicus Maximus Flooris Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,643	I used to have stray volts in my tank. I started by examining every single powerhead and wire going into the tank and sump. I found 3 devices with nicked wires. After siliconing them up and stuff everything was fine. I still use a grounding probe though.

10/02/2009, 12:49 PM	#4
rhinonm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Rio Rancho NM USA Posts: 302	Every time I have had stray voltage it has been the heater. Something to check-

10/02/2009, 01:34 PM	#5
lougotzz Moved On Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,524	Yeah my stray voltage was do you my heater cracking as well. Most heaters are made of glass too, so that is something to check.

10/02/2009, 04:50 PM	#7
Zimster Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Maple Grove, MN Posts: 86	by chance do the items that you unplugged that caused the system to drop 3-4V have magnets in them??

10/02/2009, 09:30 PM	#8
tkimmons85 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Goodlettsville, Tn Posts: 722	Okay so my dad the electrical guru cam over tonight with all of his electrical tools and meters. First he put a meter on both of my outlets, they checked out fine.( by the way this meter makes sure that the wiring in the walls is all working properly) Next we checked both powerstrips. They checked out fine. Next we went through every piece of equipment one at a time. They ALL checked out fine. THIS IS WHERE IT GETS REALLY WIERD. So we plug both power strips into the wall outlets(WITH NO PLUGS PLUGGED INTO THEM). When we did that the voltage in the tank went up 4 volts. How can a tank draw current with nothing even plugged in the power strips to begin with? One by one we plugged up all the pieces and one by one the voltage went up 4 volts at a time. Finally it reached 29 volts. We both sat there scratching our heads. My dad finally figured it out. My tank is a 55 gallon corner tank with a 15 gallon sump. It has over 95 lbs of live rock and 60 pounds of sand. Its full of rock and full of sea water, so its very conductive to say the least. Well my tank sits in the corner with an outlet behind each rear side of the tank. One power strip is plugged into one and the other strip into the other. Some how some sort of electrical induction is coming from the wires through the dry wall behind to my tank. Because everything we plug in draws amps, the induction effect is greater the more we plug in. Including plugging in an empty powerstrip which draws its own current. This is why nothing has come up bad, but everything we plug in raises the voltage in the tank in small 4 volts increases. Just the best answer I could come up with that makes sense. Anyway I have a ground probe in the tank to get rid of the voltage. We'll see what happens.