HELP!!

zion-aquatics · #1 10-19-2011, 04:38 AM

hi , i have recently discovered i have stray voltage in my aquarium , i know this because i can feel a sting in my paper cuts , i only feel this sting when im bare foot though , Now i went out and purchased a multimeter , and inserted the ground end into the ground plug on a outlet and then the red end in my tank , the reading is zero , but when i touch the ground end to some metal , then the red end in my tank , i get a reading , i have tried disconnecting all my equipment to see what was the problem and no matter what i disconnect it still has the shock , what i am thinking is that the shock is coming from the actual outlet. everything is hooked up to one outlet andi have one powerbar hooked to one of the plugs and that power bar runs my lighting , the other powerbar connected to the second plug runs my pumps etc , i can unplug all the lighting and feel the shock , and then unplug all the pumps and plug the lighting back in and still feel the shock , so im guessing its not the equipment but the actual plug i live in an apartment , can anyone shed some light on why this is happening to me? any help or suggestions will be very much appreciated

marks69 · #2 10-19-2011, 04:42 AM

take the plug off the wall and check the wires. sounds like the black it touching the box. make sure you turn it off first. and get a gfci plug in there fast.

zion-aquatics · #3 10-19-2011, 04:55 AM

sorry im slow when it comes to this stuff , take the outlet cover off the wall? what should i check for?

marks69 · #4 10-19-2011, 04:57 AM

check and make sure the black and white wires are connected and not able to touch the metal box. also get a gfci from home depot and install it. you should also get a ground probe to put in your tank or sump. it will drain any charge and could save your life.

HaZRaTTy · #5 10-19-2011, 05:29 AM

I am no Electrician but I know that if you stick your finger in an 120 Household outlet wearing shoes/socks thus not creating the circuit you will survive and is more of an annoyance.

If you connect that circuit with something along the lines of water, pipes there is a very high chance you might not wake up from that one, or end up with albert einstein hair. If the circuit travels through your say Right ---> Left hand/arm The electrical pathway goes through your heart causing problems. Irregular heartbeat, possibly stopping your heart LUCKY for you these types of electrocutions have VERY high chances of survival via CPR / Defibrillation if you're in a Ventricular Fib, Tach. Astoyle is a no go on the defib pads unless you're in Hollywood.

Go outfit with a GFCI or consult a electrician. If you're in an apartment building it should be taken care of by your landlord. If you attempt to do it yourself maybe shut your breaker off.. or wear RUBBER BOOTS

Raf · #6 10-19-2011, 04:39 PM

yes, get an electrician. !!!

parkinsn · #7 10-19-2011, 07:19 PM

For one, its amp's not volts that will kill you. If there is no load on the circuit you'll be fine.

How old is your power bar? What kind of shape is it in?

Start with a grounding probe in your sump that will fix the problem of you getting shocked, but not the root problem. I would also be sure to plug the probe in a different socket if you can. If the wire's are touching the box you should be getting a short which will trip your breaker so I doubt thats the problem. Adding a GFI is not going to solve your problem, its going to create nusence tripping. Thats going to be a problem when your not home and your tank shuts down. I would consult an electrician.