ground fault interrupt tripping.. grrr!

chrisstie · 12/21/2006, 06:58 PM

So last night I did my usual water change, turned my power strip back on (that is plugged into a shock buster gfci extention box)

and woke up and my husband is like, "uhhh the tank wasn't on this morning".. I nearly thought I was a mailbox head and forgot to turn everything back on. Then after having some caffeine and retracing my steps I realized, hey, I DID turn everything back on what sgoing on.

Darn thing has been tripping all day.

I figure since its an american outlet its 120V (give or take since its ac) and the outlet runs at 15 amps so roughly ~1700 W(give or take again)

I have an aquapod so theres 2x27 W pc lights, an 8.5W mj900, the little LED and 2 fans which dont pull much and a hydor heater that i can't recall is the 50W or 100W model. Either way, i'm not even close to being overloaded.

I am setting up a way to have everything plugged in to a different outlet with only one device plugged into the gfci switch for the next few days to see which one is tripping and hoping it isnt some crazy failure going on. I also have to travel on christmas day and am hoping I can get to the bottom of this before then.

If you have any advice or experience on this- is there more I can do in my situation? Thank you!!

cb617 · 12/21/2006, 07:20 PM

GFCI's don't trip based on overload. They trip based on an imbalance of current between the wires within their circuit, (hot and neutral in common terms) sometimes flourescent lighting causes it but my first guess would be the heater. I personally would remove the GFCI from the circuit while you are away, if you don't get it figured out before then. If you find that it is one peace of equiptment tripping it, that equiptment is not necesssarily faulty. Hope this helps!!!!

Chuck

EdKruzel · 12/21/2006, 07:22 PM

I had a similar problem with a bad power strip; changed the strip and it was fine after that.

bertoni · 12/21/2006, 07:29 PM

You could remove equipment one piece at a time, to try to see what's causing the GFCI to trigger. Some ballast might be causing the trouble, I guess, but it's possible that some device is actually failing.

popimp06 · 12/21/2006, 07:36 PM

have your lighting pluged into a different power strip than your gcfi. have only your submerged equipment into the gcfi. btw most power strips are only rated for 1500 watts but that aint whats trippin your gcfi

eederise · 12/21/2006, 07:46 PM

Something probably got wet during your water change. Every time it rains here, the GFCI I have my christmas lights on trips out until I unplug the lights. Processive elimination is your best bet.

chrisstie · 12/21/2006, 09:07 PM

Well after messing with plugging things in one at a time tonight while watching tv we have determined it was the maxijet tripping the thing.

I put the old stock pump back in temporarily to still have flow, but I am not sure if I want to contact the manufacturer since it has a warranty or maybe look into a better product, if there is one made that will fit into the aquapod (mj900 = more flow than the stock pump)..

At least we seem to have identified the thing doing it.. the pump is only about 8 months old or so? now. About a month or two ago I had taken it out and cleaned it very well with vinegar so I am not sure why it would have problems so young in its lifespan.

Knowing this, what would you do if you were me? And thank you very much for all of your helpful replies, when dealing with electricity and water its something everyone should take very seriously.

bertoni · 12/21/2006, 09:09 PM

I'd return the pump, if possible, and pitch it, if not.

I use multiple GFCIs on my tanks so that most pieces of equipment are on their own circuit, which makes debugging easier and prevents one bad piece of equipment from shutting down the tank. I made some GFCI boxes with Home Depot parts.

chrisstie · 12/21/2006, 09:23 PM

That's really cool but possibly a little hard for me. I got one of those shockbuster boxes with 5 outlets. I have some uh, power surge things where you can plug a few things in maybe i'll see what i can come up with soon.

One of my problems is the little tank this is happening on is only near 1 outlet, and with an extension cord and some dent in aesthetics I could stretch it to another

bertoni · 12/21/2006, 09:27 PM

Well, it might be expensive, but you might be able to get an electrician to set up a box for you. The parts are fairly cheap. I get the 4-unit boxes, so I get 4 GFCIs in one small unit, and plug those into power strips.

sarduci · 12/21/2006, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by popimp06
have your lighting pluged into a different power strip than your gcfi. have only your submerged equipment into the gcfi. btw most power strips are only rated for 1500 watts but that aint whats trippin your gcfi

Until your light falls in your tank while you have your hands in it. Then a trip to the hospital is the least of your worries.

Most circuits are only rate for 80% load, so a 15 amp unit should only be loaded to 12 amps. A 10 amp unit should only be loaded to 8 amps.

sarduci · 12/21/2006, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chrisstie
That's really cool but possibly a little hard for me.

I learned the hard way about electricity with help from the phone company. When I was a kid I stuck the bare ends of a phone wire in my mouth while I was helping by hammering a nail to string it over. Someone decided to call, and it hurt like all heck.

Moral of the story: Know what you are doing or find someone who does or you run the risk of getting hurt really bad.

chrisstie · 12/21/2006, 09:48 PM

The wall outlet where my tank is is rated for 15 amps which ~ 120V is around 1800 watts or so. I have less than 200W or so loaded onto this outlet.

My dad could hook up a GFCI the way you say bertoni maybe i'll give hima christmas project

I like the idea of having everything safe, and yet separate so you can tell just what the heck is going on. My biggest concern now is to find a good pump to fit in my aquapod. So many like the maxis though maybe i'll just contact the manufacturer and see what happens

chrisstie · 12/22/2006, 09:43 AM

Argh okay so we thought we found out our pump was tripping the gfci by process of elimination last night.

Okay, so we took the original pump and stuck that back ni the tank. Turns out the darn thing tripped overnight while we slept.

I don't believe this aquapod's stock pump is bad because it runs fine in the kitchen on a GFCI switch when I use it to mix salt.

I'm not sure what to think now

bertoni · 12/22/2006, 01:56 PM

The GFCI itself might be overly sensitive or otherwise faulty. Worth checking.

rreddick · 12/22/2006, 03:12 PM

I would bet a bad power strip. Replace the breaker in the panel that feeds the outlet you use with a GFCI breaker, they last forever, and you get the benefit of enything you plug into the circuit path will be covered.

will take someone about 3 minutes to swap out the breaker.

Ron

12/21/2006, 06:58 PM	#1
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	ground fault interrupt tripping.. grrr! So last night I did my usual water change, turned my power strip back on (that is plugged into a shock buster gfci extention box) and woke up and my husband is like, "uhhh the tank wasn't on this morning".. I nearly thought I was a mailbox head and forgot to turn everything back on. Then after having some caffeine and retracing my steps I realized, hey, I DID turn everything back on what sgoing on. Darn thing has been tripping all day. I figure since its an american outlet its 120V (give or take since its ac) and the outlet runs at 15 amps so roughly ~1700 W(give or take again) I have an aquapod so theres 2x27 W pc lights, an 8.5W mj900, the little LED and 2 fans which dont pull much and a hydor heater that i can't recall is the 50W or 100W model. Either way, i'm not even close to being overloaded. I am setting up a way to have everything plugged in to a different outlet with only one device plugged into the gfci switch for the next few days to see which one is tripping and hoping it isnt some crazy failure going on. I also have to travel on christmas day and am hoping I can get to the bottom of this before then. If you have any advice or experience on this- is there more I can do in my situation? Thank you!!

12/21/2006, 07:22 PM	#3
EdKruzel Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 7,384	I had a similar problem with a bad power strip; changed the strip and it was fine after that. __________________ When you find yourself in "Deep Water" it's best to keep your mouth shut! Current Tank Info: 65RR Cube Mixed Reef

12/21/2006, 07:29 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	You could remove equipment one piece at a time, to try to see what's causing the GFCI to trigger. Some ballast might be causing the trouble, I guess, but it's possible that some device is actually failing. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/21/2006, 07:36 PM	#5
popimp06 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: the hood Posts: 386	have your lighting pluged into a different power strip than your gcfi. have only your submerged equipment into the gcfi. btw most power strips are only rated for 1500 watts but that aint whats trippin your gcfi __________________ what it do Current Tank Info: 75 aga. 80lbs fiji live rock 45lbs live sand 3 t5s.

12/21/2006, 09:07 PM	#7
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	Well after messing with plugging things in one at a time tonight while watching tv we have determined it was the maxijet tripping the thing. I put the old stock pump back in temporarily to still have flow, but I am not sure if I want to contact the manufacturer since it has a warranty or maybe look into a better product, if there is one made that will fit into the aquapod (mj900 = more flow than the stock pump).. At least we seem to have identified the thing doing it.. the pump is only about 8 months old or so? now. About a month or two ago I had taken it out and cleaned it very well with vinegar so I am not sure why it would have problems so young in its lifespan. Knowing this, what would you do if you were me? And thank you very much for all of your helpful replies, when dealing with electricity and water its something everyone should take very seriously. __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

12/21/2006, 07:20 PM	#2
cb617 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: portland, OR Posts: 33	GFCI's don't trip based on overload. They trip based on an imbalance of current between the wires within their circuit, (hot and neutral in common terms) sometimes flourescent lighting causes it but my first guess would be the heater. I personally would remove the GFCI from the circuit while you are away, if you don't get it figured out before then. If you find that it is one peace of equiptment tripping it, that equiptment is not necesssarily faulty. Hope this helps!!!! Chuck

12/21/2006, 07:46 PM	#6
eederise Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lafayette, LA Posts: 155	Something probably got wet during your water change. Every time it rains here, the GFCI I have my christmas lights on trips out until I unplug the lights. Processive elimination is your best bet.

12/21/2006, 09:09 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'd return the pump, if possible, and pitch it, if not. I use multiple GFCIs on my tanks so that most pieces of equipment are on their own circuit, which makes debugging easier and prevents one bad piece of equipment from shutting down the tank. I made some GFCI boxes with Home Depot parts. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/21/2006, 09:23 PM	#9
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	That's really cool but possibly a little hard for me. I got one of those shockbuster boxes with 5 outlets. I have some uh, power surge things where you can plug a few things in maybe i'll see what i can come up with soon. One of my problems is the little tank this is happening on is only near 1 outlet, and with an extension cord and some dent in aesthetics I could stretch it to another __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

12/21/2006, 09:27 PM	#10
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Well, it might be expensive, but you might be able to get an electrician to set up a box for you. The parts are fairly cheap. I get the 4-unit boxes, so I get 4 GFCIs in one small unit, and plug those into power strips. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/21/2006, 09:48 PM	#13
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	The wall outlet where my tank is is rated for 15 amps which ~ 120V is around 1800 watts or so. I have less than 200W or so loaded onto this outlet. My dad could hook up a GFCI the way you say bertoni maybe i'll give hima christmas project I like the idea of having everything safe, and yet separate so you can tell just what the heck is going on. My biggest concern now is to find a good pump to fit in my aquapod. So many like the maxis though maybe i'll just contact the manufacturer and see what happens __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

12/22/2006, 09:43 AM	#14
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	Argh okay so we thought we found out our pump was tripping the gfci by process of elimination last night. Okay, so we took the original pump and stuck that back ni the tank. Turns out the darn thing tripped overnight while we slept. I don't believe this aquapod's stock pump is bad because it runs fine in the kitchen on a GFCI switch when I use it to mix salt. I'm not sure what to think now __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

12/22/2006, 01:56 PM	#15
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The GFCI itself might be overly sensitive or otherwise faulty. Worth checking. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

12/22/2006, 03:12 PM	#16
rreddick Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brewster, MA Posts: 224	I would bet a bad power strip. Replace the breaker in the panel that feeds the outlet you use with a GFCI breaker, they last forever, and you get the benefit of enything you plug into the circuit path will be covered. will take someone about 3 minutes to swap out the breaker. Ron