GFCI Adaptor - anyone use this one

[xxxbadfishxxx]

Hey all,

i want to order two of these, just wanted to see if anyone else is using them, i think they should do the job, and at a fraction of the cost. GFCI Adaptor (http://cgi.ebay.com/Ground-Fault-Circuit-interrupter-GFCI-Adaptor_W0QQitemZ7619175652QQcategoryZ104232QQssPageNameZWD1VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

[xtrstangx]

Theres no brand listed, which leads me to believe that its some no name brand manufactured in China.

These would be a much better choice:
http://www.northernsafety.com/cart/cart.cfm?PROD_NUM=186%2D8347&ACTION=01

[oct2274]

just go to home depot, they have a good assortment of plugin gfci's

[Paul79936]

I would give them a shot. Most plug in GFCIs do not have the auto reset feature, and the few that do are expensive.

The ones at Home Depot are going to be OSHA compliant, which means that they will trip if the power is cut and not restore power until the reset button is pressed.

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7540106#post7540106 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xtrstangx
Theres no brand listed, which leads me to believe that its some no name brand manufactured in China.

These would be a much better choice:
http://www.northernsafety.com/cart/cart.cfm?PROD_NUM=186%2D8347&ACTION=01

His auto reset if you lose power, yours dont.

If they dont reset, a brief power flash, and you lose your tank. Thats not cool.

[xxxbadfishxxx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7544810#post7544810 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by oct2274
just go to home depot, they have a good assortment of plugin gfci's

I went to home depot, and i couldnt find any, i found one that was in a package with a powerstrip, but thats the only one i found.

[fsn77]

I bought a GFCI at Lowe's that auto resets -- cost almost $30. It's essentially a short extension cord with an inline GFCI that has an adapter for 3 plugs on the end of it. Same aisle as the heavy duty extension cords.

[xxxbadfishxxx]

so the ones being sold on ebay are Junk? How can they sell them if they dont work? I need to get a two of them, one for each tank, and would rather not spend 35 bucks a pop.

[bureau13]

I think I saw something like that at my Home Depot...but I passed it up because I got the replacement wall outlet...but I don't think that auto-resets either. Damn...so how does that work, is it able to sense the removal of the problem without constantly trying to turn stuff on until it fails? I would think that might not be so great...

jds

[xxxbadfishxxx]

Yeah, i live in an apartment and dont want to mess eith any electrical work. Basically i just want to save my life if theyre is a problem, and i dont want it to trip all the time, im not running two much power, one will be for a nano tank, and the other will be for my 50 gallon reef, with Power Compacts and couple powerheads and heaters, im not running multiple Halides or anything. It says 1875 watts maximum, and im def. not running that much.

[fsn77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7548526#post7548526 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bureau13
I think I saw something like that at my Home Depot...but I passed it up because I got the replacement wall outlet...but I don't think that auto-resets either. Damn...so how does that work, is it able to sense the removal of the problem without constantly trying to turn stuff on until it fails? I would think that might not be so great...

jds

The one I'm talking about does auto reset. I HAD to make sure it would, as we lose power in our neighborhood quite often. We have many times during the last 2 months, and it has automatically reset like it's suppose to so far. Let me go find the box real quick...

Shock Buster Inline GFCI Model No. 30338062
Automatic Reset Feature -- "This device automactically energizes for use upon being plugged in and after loss of primary power."

That's all it says, unfortunately... no further explanation. I don't know how it works, but it does.

The GFCI wall outlets my parents have in their home auto reset when they lose power, but I certainly have no explanation for those either.

[xxxbadfishxxx]

FSN, is this this like the one you have? (http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_miscellaneous_tower_shock_buster_gfci_adapter_cord_set_inline.asp?CartId=) Did you get it at Home Depot/Lowes? Do you remember how much you paid?

Thanks,

Jeff

[fsn77]

Looks (and sounds) just like the second one on the page (even made by Tower Manufacturing). EDIT: But, the Marine Depot page doesn't say anything about an auto reset. If you plan on ordering one, I'd double check with them first.

The one I bought was $30.21 including tax at Lowe's.

[HippieSmell]

I have the one you listed from Ebay, but I bought it from Menards for $16. It works like a charm.

[xxxbadfishxxx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7548881#post7548881 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by HippieSmell
I have the one you listed from Ebay, but I bought it from Menards for $16. It works like a charm.

Thanks Hippie, do they restart after a power outage? has you tank ever tripped them because of too much power?

[xtrstangx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7544931#post7544931 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
His auto reset if you lose power, yours dont.

If they dont reset, a brief power flash, and you lose your tank. Thats not cool.

The GFCI trip for a reason. Loosing your tank is much cooler than loosing your life (or atleast it should be if you have your priorities straight)

[Nabber86]

I dont think any of the GFCIs that are being discussed in this thread have true auto-reset capability. It's probably more like, "This unit is designed for automatic reset after tripping when you push this little black button...."

The one on e-bay might say: "Automatic Power Reset after Circuit Restoration", but I dont beleive for a minute that the thing is going to trip, rest for a while, and then automatically return power to your faulty circuit. Not for $6 anyway.

If there is even such thing as a completely automatic re-setting GFCI (and I seriously doubt it), the item would cost hundreds of dollars.

[xxxbadfishxxx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7553863#post7553863 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xtrstangx
The GFCI trip for a reason. Loosing your tank is much cooler than loosing your life (or atleast it should be if you have your priorities straight)

Like Xtrstangx said, the main thing is that it trips when it needs to trip, I like my life better then my tank. Do you think the one i mentioned would trip if need be, i assume it would since it is a GFCI, right?

[Nabber86]

I was thinking along the lines of a GFCI that would auto-reset after a ground fault - I dont think ther is such a thing. (Asking for a product liability lawsuit).

I guess there are some GFCIs, that return power after a power loss:

Auto Reset - GFCI that powers-up automatically upon plug-in and after power loss. User must press the reset button in the event of a ground fault to restore power

Two different things. I would still pay the money for a brand-name UL-Listed device.

[xxxbadfishxxx]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7554210#post7554210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nabber86
I was thinking along the lines of a GFCI that would auto-reset after a ground fault - I dont think ther is such a thing. (Asking for a product liability lawsuit).

I guess there are some GFCIs, that return power after a power loss:

Auto Reset - GFCI that powers-up automatically upon plug-in and after power loss. User must press the reset button in the event of a ground fault to restore power

Two different things. I would still pay the money for a brand-name UL-Listed device.

It says "UL Listed"

[HippieSmell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7553840#post7553840 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xxxbadfishxxx
Thanks Hippie, do they restart after a power outage? has you tank ever tripped them because of too much power?
It restarts after a power outage, but not after a fault trip.

[bureau13]

Seriously though, don't they all "restart" after a power outtage? I have a couple GFCI outlets around the house already and I never have to go around and reset them if the power goes out. They do occasionally trip when my wife is using the hair dryer though, so hopefully they don't do that when the chiller comes on or something similar.

jds

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7553863#post7553863 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xtrstangx
The GFCI trip for a reason. Loosing your tank is much cooler than loosing your life (or atleast it should be if you have your priorities straight)

You missed the point. It doesnt reset after a fault.

It resets after power loss. IE if someone throws a breaker in your house, and then turns it back on. (Or you have a brownout/blackout).

With his, the tank equipment comes back on. With yours, it doesnt. The ones made for powertools wont come back on after they lose power. Its a safety mechanism so that people dont get cut/ground up. It is bad in our case.

[Nabber86]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7557720#post7557720 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bureau13
Seriously though, don't they all "restart" after a power outtage? I have a couple GFCI outlets around the house already and I never have to go around and reset them if the power goes out. They do occasionally trip when my wife is using the hair dryer though, so hopefully they don't do that when the chiller comes on or something similar.

jds

Come to think of it you are right. We had a power outage just last week (kansas hail storm). The lights flickered for quit a while and then the power was out for a good three hours. I threw all the cuircut breakers including the main. I then proceeded to throw the generator transfer switch (dont anyone give me any crap about backfeeding.....) and hook up the generator. When the power was restored, I cut the generator and threw all of the circuit breakers back on.

Even after all of that, not one of my GFCIs were tripped. And I have at least 6 installed in bathrooms and in outside locations. Plus a couple at the tank plug-in area and one on an extension cord that was plugged into ther generator.

Guess all of my GFCIs are "Auto Re-start" (Hehe).

[RichConley]

Nabber, are yours wall outlet GFCIs?


The issue is that most of the ones built into cords are for powertools, and as such, if you cut power to them, they trip, so that the tool doesnt just randomly come on when someone plugs the cord back into the wall.

[Paul79936]

All GFCIs need to be reset after a ground fault. OSHA requires that portable GFCIs require resetting after loosing power to prevent injuries caused by power tools unexpectedly starting when a cord is plugged in.

[Nabber86]

OK so ground faults excluded, normal GFCIs have built in "auto re-set" for power failure by default.

You have to get a special GFCI that will not "auto re-set" if it is portable (on the end of a extension cord).

[Paul79936]

Except that almost all of the portable ones (on an extension cord or not) are the "special" sort.

Typically, you only see the auto reset sort at places that sell to aquarists and they charge top dollar for them. Other than aquariums, power tools are just about the only application for plug in units.

[dougc]

There was a patent issued for a true auto-reset GFCI. After tripping because of an apparent fault, it would periodically retest the circuit and reset if there was no fault. This idea does not appear to have ever been commercialized, though.

This sure would have helped last night. Last night about 2:30 AM, my cell phone chirped to indicate that I had a text message. It turned out to be my AquaController paging me to warn me that there was a power failure. It was raining and there may have been a distant thunderstorm. When I went downstairs to check on the tank, I saw that the clock on the stove was flashing, confirming that there had been a power failure, but that the power was back on. When I went out to the garage, a deathly silence greeted me. The GFCIs on both dedicated circuits were tripped. I reset them and both fired up and are running now. I have seen one or the other trip after a power failure, but never both. I am now in search of a more reliable way to protect both me and the tank. I just don't trust these suckers any more.

[Nitroq2]

I just had this same thing happen to me while I was out of town. It was without power for 8 hours before the person checking the tank realized there was no lights and called me to say "hey the lights still haven't came on so I haven't fed the fish" I had told her to feed them after the lights came on. luckily all was well. First it became an issue of explaining to my mom that the breaker must have tripped she checked the breaker box it was fine. I was almost to the point of racing back from my trip when I remembered GCFI and sure enough it was the Plug she reset it and everything came back on. But I know that in other power failures it started with issue. So I am thinking that they must have lost a transformer or ground or something that caused a condition it didn't like.