So I'm sitting here looking at my fancy schmancy new tank and decided that it would really suck if it
exploded. Thus I decided to install a GFCI. I know I should have done this at the start, and I intended to but for some reason it fell off my radar. Okay, so there are a lot of options. Buy a GFCI outlet and replace the main one in the wall with the GFCI. Or do I buy one of those GFCI powerbars ?? Lucky for me my dad had a GFCI outlet kicking around that he wasn't using. I was going to replace the wall receptacle with it but then decide that it would be nice to maybe leave the wall the way it is, and run a line under my tank and maybe use a GFCI powerbar instead.. Well, then it hit me. Why not make my own!
I ran out and picked up some supplies. A cable and a 3 prong plug, outdoor electrical box and weather proof cover.
It was quite easy actually, and everything came with instructions.
First I stripped one end of my waterproof wire for the plug.
Then openned up the plug and inserted the appropriate wires into their respective slots.
So now we have a plug.
I siliconed the base of the plug (where the wire inserts into it) for good measure.
Next I ran the other end of my cable into the electrical box where my receptacle will go.
Insert said receptacle and attach the wires as per the instructions from the receptacle.
Screw in the receptacle.
Now we put on the weatherproof box.
Attach the cover to said weatherproof box.
Voila! one GFCI power outlet. Not quite a powerbar but anything I plug into it, including a power bar or two will be GFCI'ed. Incidentally I have two powerbars that I will be plugging into it.
I plugged it in to make sure it worked of course. Orange light means it has tripped. It comes this way. Press the reset button to reset/untrip it.
Plugged my 'fuge light into it and we have power!
The whole process was actually quite simple and didn't take very long at all, except for having to pause after each step to take those darn pictures.