Rid-Volt Grounding Pole

DJ88 · #5 02-02-2002, 02:10 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr>Imagine 1
A squirrel is running on a power line fine and dandy
Imagine 2
A squirrel has its hands touching the top wire (live) and its feet touching the middle wire (neutral)
Get where I'm getting at?

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Nope. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] The squirrel will be fine. He hasn't grounded himself to allow current flow. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] Unless he touched multiple HOT lines at once. But that is my take on hydro stuff.

Now if that same squirrel was to touch a power line then touch say a trolley cable line(which have different voltages) at the same time you will see a puff of fur. Potential difference is created and Mr. Squirrel becomes charcoal. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

To me a ground probe is a good thing. In a system with a GFCI(no system should be without one BTW) a ground probe will allow another path for any possible potential difference to be sensed by the GFCI and trip. That is ensuring you have the ground probe hooked into your tank.

<blockquote>quote:<hr>However, at the instant just right before the circuit is tripped, there's a large amount of current flowing through that saltwater body and anything in its path.
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GFCI's trip with such a tiny amount of potential difference you would be fine. It happens so fast that even if your hands were in the H2O you may feel a little tiny zap. But not enough to hurt.

GORD! Where are you? you can explain this one.

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Quote:

also there is the chance that another voltage leak in your house could be introduces into your tank throught a ground probe but this is probably a very small chance.

If you have a voltage leak from your house circuitry you have some serious f*kin problems other than your tank having current leaked in. I have only seen ONE post about something like this. I don't know why this was brought up other than to mythinform. Sorry Steve, but if your house is leaking current INTO your tank you have some messed up wiring. Someone has screwed up royally. You would be more likely to die from plugging your microwave in than in your tank in a house with those problems.

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after seeing all the problems laitly with people getting zaped (and they are using ground probes) I am not sure if they are a good thing.

If those people are getting zapped it is NOT due to a grounding probe. Period. It is due to bad equipment and no GFCI IMO.

BOTTOM LINE....
GET A GFCI & PLUG EVERYTHING INTO IT!

Also make sure you use quality equipment and ensure everything is plugged in AFTER the GFCI. plugging something into a circuit not protected by a GFCI into your tank with GFCI supplying power to the rest of the equipment will cause problems. The smallest of which will be the GFCI tripping constantly. If it doesn't trip for some reason you then are NOT protected and can be shocked(this means possibly killed).

Don't take electricity lightly. It doesn't care what it goes through. .5 of an amp will KILL you. Take a peek at most equipment you are running. You have the ability in your hands to kill yourself multiple times over.

[ 02 February 2002: Message edited by: DJ88 ]

[ 02 February 2002: Message edited by: DJ88 ]