Grounding probe ?

[MadReefer]

Well, was sucking up some cyano with a turkey baster today. I had my hand in the tank, no shoes on just socks and my arm touched the outside of the light fixture and I got a small shock. At first thought nothing of it and did it again but this time hit my elbow. My was arm numb from the elbow to my finger tips for a few minutes. Of course this happened in front of the wife who in turn flipped out.
Would a grounding probe help prevent this from happening?

 

[downbeach]

Yes, but it might be prudent to check your fixture for salt creep. If the fixture is insulated from the DT by plastic legs, wooden canopy, etc., you are completing the circuit with your arm, and feeling the effects. Electricity will take the path of least resistance, and a direct path to ground is less resistance than you are. But, I wouldn't rely on a probe that is just in a sump, although if the returns are running you should have a circuit for it to follow, it would be better to have one in the sump and DT.

 

[MadReefer]

It sits on top of the wood canopy and no salt creep. Thanks for the info.

 

[Hawkeye]

maybe dance a few times in front of the wife and next time you are shocked she'll think you are dancing for no reason again...

i think redfishbluefish mentioned something about NOT using ground probes. i could lend you mine if you want to try it and see if it helps.

 

[shipwrecked]

Lol Phil, I agree with Jim.Or Just dont touch the fixture while yr doing stuff in the tank.OR maybe wrap yrself in protective rubber from head to toe and cont on

 

[redfishbluefish]

Here are the questions I have:


Were you shocked by a shorted light fixture?

Or were you shocked by a voltage leak in the tank?

Don’t answer too quickly!

The feeling of the shock was at the light fixture, but the voltage could have come from something leaking in the tank. You were just the conductor.

You need to identify what is causing the shock.

This is painless if you have a VOM (voltage ohm meter). Just use the meter to determine where the voltage leak is coming from.

If you don’t have a meter, use your body. Put your finger on the light unit and touch a good ground….the little screw in the middle of an outlet. If no shock, now do the same thing with your hand in the tank.

Once you’ve narrowed it down, now it can be fix.


And as Hawkeye pointed out, not with a grounding probe!

 

[MadReefer]

Phil, Thanks for the offer.

Paul, I will have to pick up a volt meter. I do not plan on using my body again for testing.

I can say I am only shocked when the same arm is in the water and touches the light. I can stick my hand in the tank and use my other to move the light with no problems.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I can say I am only shocked when the same arm is in the water and touches the light. I can stick my hand in the tank and use my other to move the light with no problems.

That just doesn't make sense! Maybe that's what it means when they say you're bipolar.

 

[MadReefer]

Paul, yes it makes no sense at all. Except my wife reminded that the part of my arm that touched the light was wet. Not sure if that matters.

I have one more question. There is a opening where the legs would go on the light. Can I tie/wrap some type of wire on there and attach the other end to the screw of the outlet cover plat in the hopes of grounding it?

 

[redfishbluefish]

The light should already be grounded (assuming it has the third grounding plug.)

 

[MadReefer]

It does have that plug. Just trying to prevent future issues. Unles the power strip is the problem.

 

[Fish Brain]

I had the same problem a few years back, I would get shocked when I touched my light fixture. It turned out one of my maxi-jet powerheads was leaking voltage into the tank. After I replaced the powerhead I no longer had the shock problem. At that point, I also installed a GFCI outlet.

You don't want to put a bandaid on it, you want to find the problem and fix it. Use the volt meter and check for voltage. If you find voltage in the tank, start unplug things until you find what is causing it.

 

[shipwrecked]

I agree with Brian.And not only fix the problem for yourself,but if the stray voltage is running thru the tank it could stress out the fish and thats why you may have had issues with them getting sick or suddenly dying in the past.

 

[MadReefer]

I wonder if its that ebay powerhead I got causing the problem.

 

[panmanmatt]

I wonder if its that ebay powerhead I got causing the problem.

Unplug the powerhead, put your hand in the tank and touch the light fixture. If no shock then that's your problem.

 

[MadReefer]

It was a good shock so not sure I want to do that.

 

[MadReefer]

Will this be good enough to test with?
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

 

[redfishbluefish]

Will this be good enough to test with?

NO. That will not work, unless you are putting out at least 80 volts.

You can pick up an inexpensive VOM at Harbor Freight. HERE's an example.

 

[bmoney]

as far as only getting shocked with one arm and not the other goes. I had a hydor power head short out in my tank. When I put my one thumb in the tank I would feel a tickle (wasn't my wife) I could stick the other part of my hand in or my other entire hand in and I would not feel anything. I though maybe I had a cut on it after about 4 weeks of this, I decided to start uplugging things in the tank thats when I found the hydor power head was the issue. I think that the electrical conductivity probably various over the human body depending on the thickness of the skin and if its wet or not. it possible your other arm has thicker skin or was dryer. More then likely it is not the light they are normally grounded. Which is why you get shocked. When you have current in the water it has no place to go, and until you touch the case of the light you become the wire. Don't know high the light is but if you use a thumb and fore finger the electricty will pass through there and it won't feel as bad.

 

[PaulM]

This is a good example of why a tank should be on a GFCI and have a ground probe. The first sign of any current in the tank the GFCI will trip and your fish / inverts will be happy. This will also let you know you have a problem without getting shocked.