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

BRS
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Anthony Wood said:
Hey I may be way off on the actual amps number. So their may not have been enough current to instantly kill me. But no one can disagree or argue over the fact that I got lucky I fell away from the tank because I had ZERO control of my body. If a person has to lean forward like my 125g sump right to the left of the tank that got me, that person falls forward into the tank and dies because there's enough current to keep you from moving. If I fell foward instead of away no one was coming for me to shut off the power before I suffocated or drowned. But the message was to get a GFCI outlet.
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Yes hopefully my posts are not taking away from this fact. It is not the intention. Part of my job is investigations.
 
Deltec
Ramasule said:
Yes hopefully my posts are not taking away from this fact. It is not the intention. Part of my job is investigations.
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Hey if I'm wrong on the numbers lol admit it lol thank you for clearing it all up! I got it now not enough to instantly kill, path of the current saved me because if it went across my chest I wouldn't be here and I'm lucky I had momentum away from the tank because if I was over it and fell in I also wouldn't be here. That sound about correct? Lol I've said it many times before and I'll say it again the message is to get a GFCI because one may not be as lucky as me and with one in my case we all wouldn't have something to argue about hahaha
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
FishLover01 said:
Hey Man!!! Glad you're ok. By you sharing this, it has me really thinking about the safety of my family and myself. I have four tanks and the last thing I want is to encounter a situation such as yourself. I've always thought about safety to a certain degree but not to the point that I should be thinking about it. It should be our number 1 priority in this hobby. I don't have a GFCI, so in the meantime, I will now always unplug a heater before my hands go in a tank. Glad you're alive to tell all about it. You're probably going to.end up saving someone's life. Thanks.
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FYI, pumps fail all the time too. So it's not just heaters that you have to worry about.
 
Thank God you are ok! I am heading to Lowe's tomorrow to get a GFCI outlet.
 
Anthony Wood said:
Hey if I'm wrong on the numbers lol admit it lol thank you for clearing it all up! I got it now not enough to instantly kill, path of the current saved me because if it went across my chest I wouldn't be here and I'm lucky I had momentum away from the tank because if I was over it and fell in I also wouldn't be here. That sound about correct? Lol I've said it many times before and I'll say it again the message is to get a GFCI because one may not be as lucky as me and with one in my case we all wouldn't have something to argue about hahaha
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Yes I was trying to show that you can die very easy by putting one hand in tank getting a shock then grabbing something, like the tank stand to free yourself. Since we deal with salt water.
 
WWC
I'm so glad you're ok. 3rd person I've read/heard/seen this happen to. This among other reasons is why I never put my hands in my tank without these on.
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Ramasule said:
Yes I was trying to show that you can die very easy by putting one hand in tank getting a shock then grabbing something, like the tank stand to free yourself. Since we deal with salt water.
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Gotcha! Not sure if I would of been able to grab anything my hands clenched right into closed fists. That's how they were after I landed on the ground and came to. But I get what your saying! If you say I could have grabbed something then I could have, I'm a chemistry guy, have a BS im chemistry and sucked at physics lol
 
NanaReefer said:
I'm so glad you're ok. 3rd person I've read/heard/seen this happen to. This among other reasons is why I never put my hands in my tank without these on.
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Ok idea. But as stated gfci and ground probe should be first line of defence. How often do test those gloves? What voltage do you test to? Make sure no other parts of your body touch water / tank. Guests come over touch tank?

Its another line of defence, but should be second to gfci. As stated above recepticles within 1.5m horizontal reach of basins/tubs/etc must be gfci.
 
BRS
Anthony Wood said:
Gotcha! Not sure if I would of been able to grab anything my hands clenched right into closed fists. That's how they were after I landed on the ground and came to. But I get what your saying! If you say I could have grabbed something then I could have, I'm a chemistry guy, have a BS im chemistry and sucked at physics lol
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Yes, picture this. Put hand in water get 15 mA flowing from hand to arm/waist/leg, unable to let go. One would probably 99 percent of the time reach out with the other hand to free themselves. That reach for freedome then puts 120mA across your heart.

I'm glad you are ok.
 
Ramasule said:
Yes, picture this. Put hand in water get 15 mA flowing from hand to arm/waist/leg, unable to let go. One would probably 99 percent of the time reach out with the other hand to free themselves. That reach for freedome then puts 120mA across your heart.

I'm glad you are ok.
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Ahhh now I see, thank you for clearing it up for me appreciate it!
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Ramasule said:
Yes, picture this. Put hand in water get 15 mA flowing from hand to arm/waist/leg, unable to let go. One would probably 99 percent of the time reach out with the other hand to free themselves. That reach for freedome then puts 120mA across your heart.

I'm glad you are ok.
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If it were all about ma, why not just get a fuse rated at .o15 amps at 120 volts and put it in line.
 
Is it possible to install some sort of meter that we can look at before putting hand in tank that would display stray voltage?
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Ramasule said:
Are you ok?
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It's a very good idea. You fuse everything in an encloser and fuse everything to their operating current. If it goes above said current it blows. If something rated at 1 amp goes to ground it not going to trip a breaker rated at 20 amps ( it might, but it will take a while and most likely burn up something first). Plus each devices is protected and will not take out the whole system.
 
jimk60 said:
Is it possible to install some sort of meter that we can look at before putting hand in tank that would display stray voltage?
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I guess a simple voltmeter, the ones that have the light bulb in them but that'll rust out real quick and not work. That's why they make titanium ground probes for the purpose your talking about.
 
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