Don't have a GFCI outlet? Get one! Almost died!

[Yellowjacket]

Man I am glad you are ok with only minor injuries. I have one tank in the basement sitting on concrete and I installed two 15 amp CBs with GFCIs. I am also installing a new 150 gal tank in the family room and also have two GFCIs plugs each on a separate curcuit so I don't overload the CB. What do you have to do to install a grounding probe?

 

[jgvergo]

Great advice that everyone should follow. Our hobby, by necessity, combines electricity and water. It is a potentially deadly combination. It is easy to get lulled into a false sense of security. A ground fault breaker is a must.

Glad you are here to share your experience and hopefully prevent someone from the same (or worse!).

One correction...wet socks on a wet floor increases the flow through your body. Insulated (e.g. rubber) shoes on a dry floor will protect you.

 

[sundog101]

Is a grounding probe alone enough to at least stop you from dying haha? I've always been unsure about using gfci because I don't want it tripping while I'm away.
Glad your ok too!

 

[Joey waid]

Is a grounding probe alone enough to at least stop you from dying haha? I've always been unsure about using gfci because I don't want it tripping while I'm away.
Glad your ok too!

I have seen gfci's trip while not even been used. I hate them. A breaker is way better.

 

[Anthony Wood]

Grounding probe makes it say the current path goes to it and not you. But needs a GFCI to cut the power or your just completing the current and frieing the tank. And if the GFCI is working properly it's not just gonna shut off unless something provides current to the ground. If your away for long periods of time just unplug the ground just let the care taker know.

 

[Anthony Wood]

Is a grounding probe alone enough to at least stop you from dying haha? I've always been unsure about using gfci because I don't want it tripping while I'm away.
Glad your ok too!

I have seen gfci's trip while not even been used. I hate them. A breaker is way better.

The GFCi's you've seen do that must of been old and past their duty cycle. But a GFCI breaker will also work.

 

[Joey waid]

The GFCi's you've seen do that must of been old and past their duty cycle. But a GFCI breaker will also work.

Yea, maybe. I have taken them out of the box and they did not work. This as been many years ago. I have not done hard core residential wiring in 20 years. The ones they make now may be better. If you have a dedicated circuit, I believe a breaker is worth the truble. The thing with adding a gfci in an excising circuit you still have the load behind it too. Like tvs and such. With all the tank related stuff and what in the room, it could be putting the gfci to it max.

 

[Joey waid]

The GFCi's you've seen do that must of been old and past their duty cycle. But a GFCI breaker will also work.

Yea, maybe. I have taken them out of the box and they did not work. This as been many years ago. I have not done hard core residential wiring in 20 years. The ones they make now may be better. If you have a dedicated circuit, I believe a breaker is worth the truble. The thing with adding a gfci in an excising circuit you still have the load behind it too. Like tvs and such. With all the tank related stuff and what in the room, it could be putting the gfci to it max.

 

[Anthony Wood]

If your that worried about it tripping while your gone then you should already have a controller that's linked to the Internet. Simply log on to the controller if the controller gets shut off you obviously can't log onto it which would mean the power is off and you need to send someone to the house to see what the heck is going on. Their is also wifi enabled live feed cameras now a days that are fairly cheap that you can log onto via your phone or computer and periodically check your tank with. What will be the next excuse I'm out of the country and can't use the Internet on my phone. Don't wanna hear it 90% plus of the hotel now a days have free wifi if your hotel is in that 10% or less that don't have free wifi go find a free Internet cafe.

 

[sundog101]

So there's a gfci breaker and a gfci outlet?

 

[Anthony Wood]

Yea, maybe. I have taken them out of the box and they did not work. This as been many years ago. I have not done hard core residential wiring in 20 years. The ones they make now may be better. If you have a dedicated circuit, I believe a breaker is worth the truble. The thing with adding a gfci in an excising circuit you still have the load behind it too. Like tvs and such. With all the tank related stuff and what in the room, it could be putting the gfci to it max.

What max? The GFCI unless it's faulty which needs to be replaced will only trip if positive touches ground or neutral touches ground unless something in the line is doing that it won't trip. Plus you can get 20amp GFCI's which are much better then 20 years ago. your breaker unless it's running a washer or something similar won't be more then 20 amps. So if your worried about the appliances that are on the same breaker of the tank all going over 20amps then the breaker is gonna pop having a GFCI or not. Or put the GFCI father down the line close to the tank away from other high drawing appliances.

 

[Joey waid]

So there's a gfci breaker and a gfci outlet?

Yes

 

[Anthony Wood]

So there's a gfci breaker and a gfci outlet?

Outlet goes for $15 or less. Breaker is gonna cost you $80+ easily plus the cost of the electrician.

 

[RamsReef]

Lol this thread.

Put it on a normal breaker when your gone, unless you got really long arms hahaha.

 

[Anthony Wood]

Lol this thread.

Put it on a normal breaker when your gone, unless you got really long arms hahaha.

Ya this is getting Rediculous. Got people on here scraping the bottom of the barrel for excuses just so they can play Russian roulette with their tanks.

 

[sundog101]

The reason I ask is because I have a tank at my office that I don't want tripping. But I think this convinced me to get one

 

[Anthony Wood]

You don't want a GFCI because their the devil then go ahead don't use one that's your choice not mine. Stop spamming the thread with your excuses and nonsense. The purpose of a GFCI is not to save the tank it's to save your life. Idk about you but I'm not gonna be in the paper under the headline "$80 fish tank heater kills a man in home because he was too dumb to install the proper equipment" I'll take the chance of losing thousands of dollars in my tank to be able to have another day on this planet. But I won't lose that money because I have various other fail safes in place. Stop spamming point blank. Serious questions about GFCI's are more then welcome.

 

[Joey waid]

What max? The GFCI unless it's faulty which needs to be replaced will only trip if positive touches ground or neutral touches ground unless something in the line is doing that it won't trip. Plus you can get 20amp GFCI's which are much better then 20 years ago. your breaker unless it's running a washer or something similar won't be more then 20 amps. So if your worried about the appliances that are on the same breaker of the tank all going over 20amps then the breaker is gonna pop having a GFCI or not. Or put the GFCI father down the line close to the tank away from other high drawing appliances.

Right, but is the wire in your room 14/2 rated at 15 amps or 12/2 rated at 20. What is load of the tank what's in the room? Yes, gfci measures the in current and compares it to the out, it also measures everything in the room behind it too. I can go for 8 hours or more without being able even be near my phone. I really feel strongly about a deadicated circuit for your tank stuff.

 

[Anthony Wood]

The reason I ask is because I have a tank at my office that I don't want tripping. But I think this convinced me to get one

You hit the test button on the GFCI outlet once a week even once a month to be sure it's working properly and you'll have no issues. If it's working properly and you verified that and it still keeps tripping then you know something is leaking electricity into the tank that needs to come out. If it's already up and running and doesn't trip the breaker then by getting a 20 amp GFCI outlet the current draw of the tank won't trip the outlet it'll be something else again most likely something that has gone bad in the tank.

 

[Joey waid]

You don't want a GFCI because their the devil then go ahead don't use one that's your choice not mine. Stop spamming the thread with your excuses and nonsense. The purpose of a GFCI is not to save the tank it's to save your life. Idk about you but I'm not gonna be in the paper under the headline "$80 fish tank heater kills a man in home because he was too dumb to install the proper equipment" I'll take the chance of losing thousands of dollars in my tank to be able to have another day on this planet. But I won't lose that money because I have various other fail safes in place. Stop spamming point blank. Serious questions about GFCI's are more then welcome.

Sorry.