WarDog's Tank Thread : Episodic Trial And Error

[mike31154]

Before the 'electrical' part of this thread gets buried any further, I'll weigh in with a couple of things if I may! A dedicated outlet for the tank is never a bad idea, actually two would be better and most importantly, GFI protected as you're dealing with H2O. That nice titanium grounding probe you picked up at J&L is no substitute for the safety of GFI protection. Open a wall if that's what you need to do, or have the tank closer to the 'nook' location if that's feasible. I'd advise against running an extension cord if at all possible. Chances are you'll be using a power bar or two in order to have enough outlets for all the stuff typically required to keep the tank going. Power bars already have an extension on them & daisy chaining that with another extension cord is against code I believe. In any case, it's a potential hazard.

Fine looking build so far! Now's the time to get the electrical right, not after it's full of water & livestock.

[WarDog]

Originally Posted by mike31154

Before the 'electrical' part of this thread gets buried any further, I'll weigh in with a couple of things if I may! A dedicated outlet for the tank is never a bad idea, actually two would be better and most importantly, GFI protected as you're dealing with H2O. That nice titanium grounding probe you picked up at J&L is no substitute for the safety of GFI protection. Open a wall if that's what you need to do, or have the tank closer to the 'nook' location if that's feasible. I'd advise against running an extension cord if at all possible. Chances are you'll be using a power bar or two in order to have enough outlets for all the stuff typically required to keep the tank going. Power bars already have an extension on them & daisy chaining that with another extension cord is against code I believe. In any case, it's a potential hazard.

Fine looking build so far! Now's the time to get the electrical right, not after it's full of water & livestock.

I totally hear you mike31154, thanks for the honest input. Other than my wife's fury the only thing that scares me is electrical. As a gasfitter I am certified to work on low voltage circuits, but that's not the same as 110V. I work next to Electricians all the time and pick their brains constantly for info. This however is not the same as being a qualified journeyman. I am planning to replace the plug behind the tank with a GFI one. I am also planning on testing all the appliances on the living room circuit for their amp draw. If all else fails, I think I can tap into the nook circuit and run some BX shielded line behind the baseboard without having to open up the wall. I also have a dedicated circuit outside the house (going to the detached garage) just below the tank. This line exits the house, goes into a exterior junction box and carries on to the garage in underground PVC. It's 20 amps. We don't use the garage (rented out as storage) and the line is disconnected because of yard reno's. Thankfully I have a few option to make the tank all safe!

[mike31154]

Although the garage circuit seems to be an alternative, if you look into the code requirements, outdoor circuits are dedicated outdoor circuits! If I remember correctly, there are even restrictions on keeping a carport or garage lighting circuit separate from the outlet circuit. Could be wrong there, I need to check the little cheat book I have from PC Knight, the Electrical Code Simplified, BC edition. Available at most hardware stores for about $20. A pretty good investment to keep you out of trouble. Of course there's no substitute for hiring a qualified tradesman! Your electrician pals should be able to steer you in the right direction.

[WarDog]

Today was a busy day! Finally moved the old 20 gal and cleaned the wall and floor. It was in better shape than I thought.



Fixed the levelling mount I broke and put the stand and tank into place. Still fine tuning the final location and still need to level.

[WarDog]

Did a little bit of mod work on the sump.

[WarDog]

The wife is at a nursing seminar so I am free to do some work on my painfully slow build! Only really get weekends to work on the tank and the wife/dogs/house keep me pretty busy. I'm sure you all know what I am talking about.
So I am using 1/4" laminated MDF for the bottom shelf, tank shelf and back of the stand. Now I know what you are going to say about MDF but I have used it for years around tanks and never really had a problem.
If it starts to swell I don't mind replacing it (hopefully during an upgrade)!



Now here is a good example of why I needed adjustable feet. This is front to back and the second photo is the horizontal/left to right.
Going to work on that now.





All comments/suggestions welcome. Thanks for looking!

P.S. I am still waiting for a popcorn emote from kien. *sigh*

[gregzz4]

No big deal on the out-of-level issue
I used composite shims that don't compress over time or have problems with moisture
I bought mine at Home Depot. And 'cause they're brown you may not see them with your floors
I can't find a Canadian link for you, but these are what I bought in the door department in Burnaby
They're just as easy to score and snap as the cedar ones too

Just to touch on your electrical ...
If you run BX, are you planning on it being in-wall just to the receptacle ?
If not, I'd suggest you go with something more water-compatible rather than a metal jacket that can corrode around your tank