Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters...tell the truth.

[amike5]

Originally posted by Indermark
My father installed one for my tank I just started in February. I check it with a plug in "thing" (GB GRT500A) that shows the correct lights if its installed correctly, It shows that it is correct. Can this "thing" be trusted?

Yes. Does it also have a button you can push to trip the GFIC to make sure it is functioning properly? GFIC's can go bad, it's always a good idea to have a plug in tester.

[Indermark]

yeah it does, I got it from lowes or home depot it was over 20 dollars.

[allengy]

Don't forget to put one on your UPS too.

[NanoGurl]

I just have the ShockBuster you buy at Lowes or HD. It works good enough until I can get a more perm one installed.

You may never need one, but if you ever do why risk it when it could save your life? Or someone you love.

[TomRep]

Just remember, when using a GFCI, DO NOT USE A GROUND PROBE IN YOUR TANK!!!
Tom

[ACBlinky]

My husband insists on GFCIs, I think we'll eventually have one on every single outlet in the house. Right now we have one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom and one for the 90g, all of which he installed before we even unpacked (we just moved into a new apartment on Sept 1st). We ran out, because we assumed the apt would already have them in the kitchen and bathroom (forgot to check when we viewed the apt), so we still need to get another for the QT and 30g, which are on the same outlet in the bedroom. We're rather far from all the shopping areas in town and have no car and a horrible bus system, so it's been tough to get all the things we need in a new city, but it's no excuse - we need to pick a GFCI up next time we're out.

All our tanks also have power bars that are supposed to trip like a GFCI in the event of emergencies, and we have drip loops and tidy wiring. Electricity and water are a dangerous combo, so we don't want to mess around.

A GFCI can cost as little as $9.99 and it can save your life - if your tank isn't on a GFCI now, get one as soon as you can! They're not hard to install, and places like Home Depot or Rona usually have people who can walk you through it. They also come with instructions and if I can follow them, anyone can

[aquarius77]

A true story.

I have a 55g sump and i use a dual bulb t-5 coralife strip light on it because i keep a lion in the sump and i like to see him. One evening i was feeding him and i somehow knocked a 4 foot strip light into a 4 foot tank with a brace in the middle? Strange thing is, it was still lit up while half of it was underwater! So i reach right in to grab the light, not even thinking... I got nailed as soon as my fingers touched the water and it nearly knocked me down, when i realized what was going on at that point i went and yanked the cords out of the wall and killed power to the whole tank.

Originally posted by amike5
Because it's pumping water. Water and electricity don't get along too well.

SALTwater carries electricity like copper wire!

I think im still typin because it was a grounded outlet, but i dont know much about electricity. The light was still on when i yanked the plug. I rinsed it in the shower and dried it out and have been using it ever since, its on right now. LOL

Originally posted by Indermark
My father installed one for my tank I just started in February. I check it with a plug in "thing" (GB GRT500A) that shows the correct lights if its installed correctly, It shows that it is correct. Can this "thing" be trusted?

I would trust the "thing" for sure. I use a three pronged "thing" with about 4 lights on it to check my outlets and i find it to be accurate.

[dga]

if its a hardwired recepticle into the box, be sure that its wired correctly based on the instructions. polarity is important also when wiring, if its wired as a standalone unit. if you wire it correctly the other way, all of the downstream recepticles will also be protected by that unit. if its at the tail end of the circuit, it will not matter...

[dga]

Originally posted by aquarius77
A true story.



I would trust the "thing" for sure. I use a three pronged "thing" with about 4 lights on it to check my outlets and i find it to be accurate.

"dummy circuit checkers" (thats what tradesmen call them) only check polarity of the circuit from an individual recepticle. whereas the hot wire (black) should go to the brass screw or corresponding push fit on back and neutral be hooked up to the silver screw. this is for a single recepticle feed. a more accurate check would be to use a dmm...

as mentioned, where concerns of a gfci may trip leaving the entire tank without power, a second gcfi plumbed in line for at least part of the circulation system is a must. my particular true sine wave backup "ups" has a built in gfci, where i have a single powerhead hooked to it. one system backs up the other. and in complete failure mode the ups is resetting and a battery backup air pump will be automatic...

[DaveJ]

Have them on just about every plug circuit I use.

[RicGio]

I've got 8 GFCI outlets installed in parallel, so that if 1 trips it doesn't take out my whole tank. Lighting is off one set, Return pump off another, Skimmer has it's own, heater and chiller share one, closed loop and OM share another.


Never heard not to use a grounding probe with GFCI. Must have something to do with the grounding path and Neutral? Anyone have any info on this?

[LobsterOfJustice]

Originally posted by TomRep
Just remember, when using a GFCI, DO NOT USE A GROUND PROBE IN YOUR TANK!!!
Tom

Care to elaborate? Ground probes say on the package that they can only be used with a GFCI if I remember correctly.

[SSalty]

This is a great thread. I have been thinking about getting one, and after reading this I will definatly pick one up today.

Is this a good one to use? Do I just plug my power strip/surge protector into it?
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewIt...roduct=TW39013

[barjam]

Just remember, when using a GFCI, DO NOT USE A GROUND PROBE IN YOUR TANK!!!

You have this backwards, if you chose to use a ground probe you absolutely must have a GFCI. But really a ground probe is only a bandage, fix your fault equipment.

[Gdevine]

Originally posted by TomRep
Just remember, when using a GFCI, DO NOT USE A GROUND PROBE IN YOUR TANK!!!
Tom

You got this backwards. If you ground your tank you must have a GFCI.

For example, if you ground your tank and don't have a GFCI the ground in the tank can cause a big problem. Let's say you have stray current running through a metal stand, and then let's say you stick your hand into the fuge while holding on to the stand. That stray electricity will run from the stand through your body and then looking for a ground will run from your body to the ground in the tank. If that electricity runs through the upper part of your body and through your heart...you will mostly die. Remember, eclectricity is always looking for a ground.

Now, if that same tank has a GFCI it will recognize the unequal flow of the AC current and once this happens, and within fractions of a second, it shut down the AC current preventing serious shock.

If there is no GFCI on a grounded tank...well you know the outcome.

The simple rule here is if you ground your tank you MUST HAVE a GFCI.

[Sullivmw]

Any opnions on using a GFCI breaker instead of using the outlet type? I have an extra GFCI breaker and was wondering if they offer the same advantages, and will they trip if a power outage?

[Gdevine]

Originally posted by Sullivmw
Any opnions on using a GFCI breaker instead of using the outlet type? I have an extra GFCI breaker and was wondering if they offer the same advantages, and will they trip if a power outage?

Same advantage.

[trmiv]

Originally posted by Sullivmw
Any opnions on using a GFCI breaker instead of using the outlet type? I have an extra GFCI breaker and was wondering if they offer the same advantages, and will they trip if a power outage?

I prefer GFCI outlets. The problem with a GFCI breaker if you have your entire tank on that one circuit is if some pump or heater trips it, the entire tank goes down. If you use the outlets it's easy to do multiple GFCIs and keep a circulation pump on each GFCI. That way if one trips while you are gone the tank still has circulation. But if you have your tank on multiple circuits, each with a GFCI breaker that would be the same thing.

[Pmolan]

Originally posted by Gdevine
If that electricity runs through the upper part of your body and through your heart...you will mostly die.

You can visit Miracle Max if you are only mostly dead. ---Princess Bride.

[Pmolan]

Originally posted by Sullivmw
Any opnions on using a GFCI breaker instead of using the outlet type? I have an extra GFCI breaker and was wondering if they offer the same advantages, and will they trip if a power outage?

I have 2 of these. One for the tank, and one for the sump. Its easier than figuring out whats on the circuit and where to install it. Mine stay un tripped after a power outage.

[HDAlien]

Originally posted by Gdevine
Same advantage.

The GFCI circuit breakers are more expensive than the outlet version, same advantage as someone already mentioned.

[samtheman]

Originally posted by Gdevine
You got this backwards. If you ground your tank you must have a GFCI.

For example, if you ground your tank and don't have a GFCI the ground in the tank can cause a big problem. Let's say you have stray current running through a metal stand, and then let's say you stick your hand into the fuge while holding on to the stand. That stray electricity will run from the stand through your body and then looking for a ground will run from your body to the ground in the tank. If that electricity runs through the upper part of your body and through your heart...you will mostly die. Remember, eclectricity is always looking for a ground.

Now, if that same tank has a GFCI it will recognize the unequal flow of the AC current and once this happens, and within fractions of a second, it shut down the AC current preventing serious shock.

If there is no GFCI on a grounded tank...well you know the outcome.

The simple rule here is if you ground your tank you MUST HAVE a GFCI.

I agree with most of whats written here about ground probes. But why have one at all? What happens the day you GFCI fails. They do from time to time. Grounding your tank makes no sense.

[Pmolan]

I've also read that having a ground probe will reduce lateral line disease and hole in the head syndrome in angels. I guess it eliminates stray current from power heads/heaters, that would normally affect them.

[DrBegalke]

I use them.

I did have a situation once with them, not sure if it was good/bad...

Ocassionally on my 55 g I would have to reset the GFCI that my lights and tank heater was on. (this happened maybe a few times in a year)...

well, I was on vacation and at some point the GFCI tripped. I came home to a 62 deg reef tank... amazingly most of the fish lived. All the sps and a few of the lps/zoas died.

i say i'm not sure if this is good or bad b/c maybe the GFCI saved me from a fire?

i don't think that's the case though as i was so ****ed off i stopped using the gfci on the lights/heater for about a couple of months and never had a problem.

[DrBegalke]

PS
after that, i i started using gfci's for each individual thing, although maybe that's overkill.