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#1
06-18-2007, 12:05 AM
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That might be an idea, was hoping for reassurance and a warm fuzzy response that all is fine and it's normal
 Don't know when I'll be able to actually get a gfic or install it, I know they're easy... But it's just a matter of getting out and getting Ugh, frustrating. How dangerous is a small shock like this? 
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#2
06-18-2007, 12:33 AM
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A few articles I've read lately http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/sp/index.php as an example suggest that grounding probes cause more current flow in the tank, even if the voltage reading seems lower.
If you put a voltmeter on either terminal on a battery that's not hooked up you will read voltage, if you connect the two terminals, ie short circuit them you will read less or no voltage on your voltmeter. What is suggested instead is to find the peice of faulty equiptement and replace it rather than providing a rout for the "stray voltage" to escape.
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#3
06-18-2007, 01:31 AM
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It doesn't take much current to kill (fractions of an amp) and getting a tingle isn't normal.
Should get a GFI and a ground probe as you found all can basically look normal but still have the potential to cause harm. That way in the future when something does start to fail the indicator will be the GFI tripping rather than you flopping on the floor. To find the device causing the problem, suggest with a GFI and ground probe, unplug everything, then start plugging back in one at a time. What trips will be the device that's leaking the current. As for the argument that what if I'm away and the GFI trips and the tank crashes. Well, in my case believe (at least pretty sure) the wife would rather the tank crash than me dead. I've got multi GFI circuits with the idea if I get something like a little salt creep on the lights, it won't take out all the pumps, if the sump return fails, the CL is on another etc.
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#4
06-18-2007, 03:46 AM
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I had this problem a long time ago too. . Trying to find what was causing the short was very painfull. And it just so happened that it was the last one i checked. It was my CL skimmer. My suggestion to you is to find what is causing it.
__________________
Time wasted is existence; used is life.
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#6
06-18-2007, 04:58 AM
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Having ANYTHING plugged in will cause the voltage to go up, even an incremental amount. I found a few good articles on that here:
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquariu...996/996_5.html however - the biggest factor is that the ONLY time I feel it is when I stand on the "wet spot" on the floor. I move off of that, and nothing. I had the + wire of the voltmeter in the tank, I took the ground and stood on the spot, the needle moved to a VERY small amount, but it moved. I took my foot off that spot, and all was hunky dory. How does this make sense?
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#7
06-18-2007, 05:17 AM
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It makes sense because the dry spots on your floor are better insulators than the wet spots. Voltage is the difference of electrons between 2 parts of a circuit. In this case you are making yourself and the wet spot on the floor part of the circuit. When you move off the wet spot you are opening the circuit, like flipping a switch. In other words, when you are standing on dry ground you are no longer grounded, and the voltage is not attracted to you. Is it a wood floor under the carpet or concrete?
Did you check the voltage between the tank water and the ground on your electrical outlet? You should just be able to touch the voltmeter probe to the screw that holds the faceplate onto your outlet.
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