A Shocking Discovery

[JohnS_323]

I was digging around in my sump earlier and had a little nick on my finger. As soon as I stuck my hand in the water I could feel the familiar tingle of stray voltage. I figured now was the time to find the culprit. I took everything out of the sump, all of the heaters (which were off), pumps, probes, you name it, and I was still getting zapped. The only thing I left in were the two ground probes I had put in a while ago because of an earlier issue I was having. Sure enough, I took them out and the problem went away. I would never have thought that the ground probes would be leaking voltage back into my system.

I was a big advocate of them before . . . now, not so much!

 

[mikem]

If thats the case, the fault would be in the house electric. The ground probes only make contact with the ground side of your receptical. In your receptical, there must be a voltage leaking to the ground .

 

[redfishbluefish]

I agree with mike, you have a house voltage leakage problem.

Never a proponent of the grounding probe. It only protects the tank owner, not the inhabitants. If you have the probe, it typically hides the voltage leakage problem....unless, like John, you're running the voltage out of the probe.

I love it when "the impossible" happens to someone else ;D, because it happens too frequently in our house.

 

[ynotme4886]

Dumb question but I am assuming everything goes into a power strip or power center or some such before it goes into the wall outlet.

So try a different angle to humor me if you would. Put something back in that sump and plug it in and then stick that finger with the little nick on it in the water and see if you still feel the voltage.

My bet would be that whatever you plug your appliances into and then plug that into the wall is the culprit.

Have seen these power strips/centers leach current before through pumps etc and its the only thing I can think of that would possible put current through the ground plug.

Or you could have a house electrical issue.....hope its my idea and not a bigger problem.

Hope this helps.

 

[JohnS_323]

Well now I'm thoroughly confused. I took the ground probes out and there is nothing in the sump but I'm still feeling the tingle. I only feel it in the sump, though. I'm not feeling anything in the display or frag tank so I guess I'm OK with it, it's just very strange.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Could the tingle just be the salt in the wound. If you have a VOM multimeter, see if there is actual voltage. Stick one probe in the water while the other is grounded...set for AC volts.

 

[ynotme4886]

wow that is strange.... I would volt meter it to be on the safe side

 

[ds4x4]

john i had the same thing happen and after unplugging everything i had still had the tingle but only in the DT and once in a while in the old sump. i attribute it to the wound and maybe a slight PH difference? i dunno what else to say.

 

[JohnS_323]

It's definitely a voltage tingle. I stick my hand in the sump and it's there. I stick it in my top off water and nothing so it's not a salt sting. I'm glad that it's not in the display but I still need to ID the source and get rid of it.

Thanks for all of the input so far.

 

[billyr98]

that is weird! you still felt it with everything out of the sump.. if you want I can bring a voltmeter over on tuesday and we can check out a few things.

 

[JohnS_323]

that is weird! you still felt it with everything out of the sump.. if you want I can bring a voltmeter over on tuesday and we can check out a few things.

That would be great! Thanks a lot Billy.

 

[billyr98]

not a problem.

 

[CONSTANTNE]

This actually happens to me sometimes too. I will have a scrape or little nick and when I stick my hand in the water I get a tingling sensation.

 

[ds4x4]

I stick it in my top off water and nothing so it's not a salt sting.

this would make sense if your top off water is not salt water but RODI..

 

[JohnS_323]

I stick it in my top off water and nothing so it's not a salt sting.

this would make sense if your top off water is not salt water but RODI..

D'oh! Good point. I mean when I stick my hand in my water change bucket.

 

[ds4x4]

I stick it in my top off water and nothing so it's not a salt sting.

lmao, that sounds a little more like it
this would make sense if your top off water is not salt water but RODI..

D'oh! Good point. I mean when I stick my hand in my water change bucket.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Maybe you had a hitchhiker.