How do I detect stray electricity in my water

djmuzzi · 10/11/2006, 12:23 AM

Today while reaching in my tank I notice that right where I had a small paper cut, I could feel a steady, small shock. I have since unpluged most of the pumps but now I am "sensing a shock" in every tank I reach into. Is there a method of detecting if there is truly a stray electric current?

I have a multi-tester but no clue how to use it....

lakee911 · 10/11/2006, 11:31 AM

Your tank for whatever reason might be at a higher potential to ground than you do. You complete a circuit when you touch it. It could even be a miniscule amount of voltage. You may just be extra sensitive to it or could it be that you feel the sting from the salt on the cut?

Does the other hand get 'shocked'?

Because you have an ionic solution in the tank (your water), your tank will produce a slightly small electric current on its own from lights and pumps inducing a current on the ions.

Try putting your multimeter on its lowest AC voltage setting and touching one probe to the thid round hole on a plug, or middle screw on an outlet cover and the other in your tank. See what you get. That'll measure the potential difference. Unplug everything in your tank and see what you get. If it's the same, nothing is leaking current. If it's gone, try individual equipment to isolate.

Full arm length gloves are always a good idea in an aquarium, and especially if you have open wounds. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycobacterium_marinum for more info. No, I don't use them either

Good luck,
Jason

gigiba · 10/11/2006, 12:13 PM

always use glove when you reach in your tank.
just my .02

reef_doug · 10/11/2006, 12:38 PM

Has anyone used a grounding probe?

Grounding Probe

Seems like a cheap fix, but is it effective?

Irony... it's made by TAAM, the same people who make Rio pumps.

Best
Doug

djmuzzi · 10/11/2006, 12:53 PM

Thanks for the info.

The main reason I asked is that I had completely re-designed the liverock in my tank and when I began placing the corals back into it, Some of them seemed realy unhappy. That's when I noticed the shock. It definately wasn't salt sting

lakee911 · 10/11/2006, 12:53 PM

No, they're bad! At your current state, your the equivilent to a bird on a wire....add a ground and you'll complete the circuit potentially killing your livestock. Do some searches here on RC.

It's not a fix. Fix is removing faulty equipment

djmuzzi · 10/11/2006, 01:13 PM

How do I determine the faulty equiptment

wastememphis · 10/11/2006, 02:47 PM

Same problem here, I turned everything off one by one until I didn't feel a shock anymore... it ended up being a VsiTherm Steath heater. I put the heater in a 5gallon bucket of water, turned it on and it read 16volts... after beign on for a half hour it read 27volts. When I turn the heater off the water reads zero.

I checked my main tank and it read 10volts... I turned my skimmer pump off and it went to zero... so I'm guessing I need a new pump and heater. They're both only one year old though.

oldsaltman · 10/11/2006, 02:50 PM

How are you reading voltage in a bucket of water? How do you measure it?

wastememphis · 10/11/2006, 02:53 PM

I put one lead into the water and the other in my hand, or you can do it to something grounded like a pipe.

Same thing lakee911 said except he mentioned to directly put the lead into the ground on an outlet, my multimeter doesn't have that long of cords so I didn't do it that way.

wastememphis · 10/11/2006, 03:16 PM

Heres a link to the thread I started last night....

Upstate Reef Society

Aquarium Obsessed · 10/11/2006, 03:16 PM

FYI-

We will be releasing a new product very soon for just such a dilema.

This system does not need a battery or power supply. It has a probe permanently in the water (fresh or salt). If you have a current leak a light will start to flash warning you.

I will let you know when we have them in hand.

thanks,
AO

wastememphis · 10/11/2006, 03:25 PM

Thats a good idea, as long as its benifits outweighs what you can do with a $8 voltmeter. I would like to know when something is in my tank without pulling the meter out.

djmuzzi · 10/11/2006, 03:42 PM

any links on how to use a voltmeter? Is that the same as a multitester?

wastememphis · 10/11/2006, 07:29 PM

yeah, same thing, I meant used the voltmeter setting on a mutlimeter.

UCanDoIt · 10/11/2006, 07:46 PM

After I installed a grounding probe, no more shocking. Mine felt like a static shock, but was a real surprise.

stugray · 10/12/2006, 01:31 PM

DONT INSTALL a grounding probe unless you first have a GFCI outlet.

If you have stray voltage in the tank it is only really bad for someone that puts their arms in & gets a shock. If you put in a grounding probe without actually finding the problem, then you are putting a continuous current through the tank which is bad for the inhabitants.

With a GFCI AND a probe, the GFCI will trip when an electrical appliance fails.

Stu

10/11/2006, 12:23 AM	#1
djmuzzi Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 790	How do I detect stray electricity in my water Today while reaching in my tank I notice that right where I had a small paper cut, I could feel a steady, small shock. I have since unpluged most of the pumps but now I am "sensing a shock" in every tank I reach into. Is there a method of detecting if there is truly a stray electric current? I have a multi-tester but no clue how to use it....

10/11/2006, 12:38 PM	#4
reef_doug Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Hesperia/Apple Valley Posts: 3,814	Has anyone used a grounding probe? Grounding Probe Seems like a cheap fix, but is it effective? Irony... it's made by TAAM, the same people who make Rio pumps. Best Doug __________________ "If you have more than one tank in your livingroom, you might be a reefneck" Current Tank Info: 180r SoCal Creations, 75g SCC1M Sump, WM EcoBAK, NextReef SMR1, TropicMarin Salt, ACIII, 3x250w HQI Phoenix 14k, 2x140w Super Actinics, ATi BM250, Eheim 1262, Tunze 2x6100+7095, Tunze Osmolator, 6 stage RODI w/ Spectrapure MaxCap

10/11/2006, 02:47 PM	#8
wastememphis Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 1,164	Same problem here, I turned everything off one by one until I didn't feel a shock anymore... it ended up being a VsiTherm Steath heater. I put the heater in a 5gallon bucket of water, turned it on and it read 16volts... after beign on for a half hour it read 27volts. When I turn the heater off the water reads zero. I checked my main tank and it read 10volts... I turned my skimmer pump off and it went to zero... so I'm guessing I need a new pump and heater. They're both only one year old though. __________________ Neil Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon Solana, Deltec MCE300, Aqua Illumination Super Sol Blue (LED), Vortech MP10, Tunze ATO, Aqua Controller Jr.

10/11/2006, 02:50 PM	#9
oldsaltman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ga Posts: 1,333	How are you reading voltage in a bucket of water? How do you measure it? __________________ "No honey I can't just send it back. It's all wet and they won't take it back now!" Current Tank Info: 90g inwall with a 30g sump

10/11/2006, 02:53 PM	#10
wastememphis Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 1,164	I put one lead into the water and the other in my hand, or you can do it to something grounded like a pipe. Same thing lakee911 said except he mentioned to directly put the lead into the ground on an outlet, my multimeter doesn't have that long of cords so I didn't do it that way. __________________ Neil Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon Solana, Deltec MCE300, Aqua Illumination Super Sol Blue (LED), Vortech MP10, Tunze ATO, Aqua Controller Jr.

10/11/2006, 11:31 AM	#2
lakee911 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 1,988	Your tank for whatever reason might be at a higher potential to ground than you do. You complete a circuit when you touch it. It could even be a miniscule amount of voltage. You may just be extra sensitive to it or could it be that you feel the sting from the salt on the cut? Does the other hand get 'shocked'? Because you have an ionic solution in the tank (your water), your tank will produce a slightly small electric current on its own from lights and pumps inducing a current on the ions. Try putting your multimeter on its lowest AC voltage setting and touching one probe to the thid round hole on a plug, or middle screw on an outlet cover and the other in your tank. See what you get. That'll measure the potential difference. Unplug everything in your tank and see what you get. If it's the same, nothing is leaking current. If it's gone, try individual equipment to isolate. Full arm length gloves are always a good idea in an aquarium, and especially if you have open wounds. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycobacterium_marinum for more info. No, I don't use them either Good luck, Jason

10/11/2006, 12:13 PM	#3
gigiba Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: SoCal Posts: 265	always use glove when you reach in your tank. just my .02

10/11/2006, 12:53 PM	#5
djmuzzi Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 790	Thanks for the info. The main reason I asked is that I had completely re-designed the liverock in my tank and when I began placing the corals back into it, Some of them seemed realy unhappy. That's when I noticed the shock. It definately wasn't salt sting

10/11/2006, 01:13 PM	#7
djmuzzi Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 790	How do I determine the faulty equiptment

10/11/2006, 03:16 PM	#11
wastememphis Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 1,164	Heres a link to the thread I started last night.... Upstate Reef Society __________________ Neil Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon Solana, Deltec MCE300, Aqua Illumination Super Sol Blue (LED), Vortech MP10, Tunze ATO, Aqua Controller Jr.

10/11/2006, 03:16 PM	#12
Aquarium Obsessed Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Barrie Posts: 75	FYI- We will be releasing a new product very soon for just such a dilema. This system does not need a battery or power supply. It has a probe permanently in the water (fresh or salt). If you have a current leak a light will start to flash warning you. I will let you know when we have them in hand. thanks, AO

10/11/2006, 03:25 PM	#13
wastememphis Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 1,164	Thats a good idea, as long as its benifits outweighs what you can do with a $8 voltmeter. I would like to know when something is in my tank without pulling the meter out. __________________ Neil Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon Solana, Deltec MCE300, Aqua Illumination Super Sol Blue (LED), Vortech MP10, Tunze ATO, Aqua Controller Jr.

10/11/2006, 03:42 PM	#14
djmuzzi Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 790	any links on how to use a voltmeter? Is that the same as a multitester?

10/11/2006, 07:29 PM	#15
wastememphis Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Buffalo, New York Posts: 1,164	yeah, same thing, I meant used the voltmeter setting on a mutlimeter. __________________ Neil Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon Solana, Deltec MCE300, Aqua Illumination Super Sol Blue (LED), Vortech MP10, Tunze ATO, Aqua Controller Jr.

10/11/2006, 07:46 PM	#16
UCanDoIt Moved On Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bay Area CA Posts: 1,684	After I installed a grounding probe, no more shocking. Mine felt like a static shock, but was a real surprise.

10/12/2006, 01:31 PM	#17
stugray Premium Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Longmont, Co Posts: 4,566	DONT INSTALL a grounding probe unless you first have a GFCI outlet. If you have stray voltage in the tank it is only really bad for someone that puts their arms in & gets a shock. If you put in a grounding probe without actually finding the problem, then you are putting a continuous current through the tank which is bad for the inhabitants. With a GFCI AND a probe, the GFCI will trip when an electrical appliance fails. Stu __________________ Some people think that I have Attention Deficit Disorder. They just dont understand that........ Hey! Look a chicken! Well, We KNOW GOD exists, but for US to exist without a GOD is preposterous….Umm wait a minute…. Sounds a bit circular to me… Current Tank Info: 125 Gal. display w/80 gal mud/caulerpa sump. Basement sump w/ LED Grow Light,Gravity fed Reeflo200 skimmer w/ ORCA Recirc, DIY calc reactor & kalk stirrer. Inline plumbed 75 Gal frag/settling tank.