Getting zapped by my aquarium

[Hilltopreef90]

I had the worst time with my tanks this weekend I was able to resolve all but one issue.
I have something that’s causing me to get a small zap when I touch my aquarium, it’s enough to where I’m afraid to touch the tank now and shut off the power before touching anything.
I had a ground probe but it broke and I tossed it the replacement is due today, but I still have to find the equipment that’s causing the issue.
If I use a voltage meter will I use it with the grounding probe out of the water and while using it am I safe from getting zapped again?
It was a small zap but it happened enough that I’m afraid to touch the tank again and I need to find the problem.
I’m assuming the way to use the voltage meter is to measure the voltage in the tank and remove the plug to each piece of equipment to see which causes a significant drop in the voltage?
Could the ato be causing it, I know the heater is usually the culprit but it’s brand new and titanium as well as the powerhead is new.
Once I fix the problem and I have the new grounding probe connected will that keeps me from getting zapped in the future if something happens again?

 

[Freakmachine01]

Yes, the grounding probe will keep you from getting zapped and ground any stray voltage. When you are checking your tank with the multimeter do it without the grounding probe. As long as you don't physically touch the water you will not get zapped just put the two probes from your electrical meter in the water and yes watch for the voltage drop. You still may not be able to find the exact culprit unless there's a major drop it may be accumulative effect of all of your equipment

 

[Yodeling]

I had a similar problem years ago - turned out to be an improperly wired outlet. I would check your outlets with one of those little outlet testers.

 

[Cygnus]

Yes, the grounding probe will keep you from getting zapped and ground any stray voltage. When you are checking your tank with the multimeter do it without the grounding probe. As long as you don't physically touch the water you will not get zapped just put the two probes from your electrical meter in the water and yes watch for the voltage drop. You still may not be able to find the exact culprit unless there's a major drop it may be accumulative effect of all of your equipment

While my jury is still out on the effectiveness of grounding probes I can speak to the meter use in this regard.
If you put both meter leads in the tank you will get nothing but phantom voltage. The water is all at the same potential and you will read zero if you are using an analog meter.
Since most everyone today uses digital meters, you may see a value in free air. This would be why you saw a reading when there was nothing to read.
The correct way to test stray voltage is in three parts.
One: set meter to the lowest range possible (millivolts) to start. Some digital meters are self adjusting and no scale selection is required.
Two: attach one meter lead (either one as there is no polarity in AC systems) to the neutral of the system. This will be the wider slot in the receptacle if wired correctly.
Using the neutral is the best way to test. Should you not have a good grounded electrical system, you may not read any voltage to ground when there is voltage.
Three: Submerge the meter lead tip into the water. Read value.

 

[gbroadbridge]

You measure with one probe in the water and the other connected to neutral.

Havind said that, I make a habit of not putting my hands in the water unless all submerged mains voltage equipment has been isolated. Heaters and return pumps are all I have running from mains in my tank.

You can ignore ELV equipment that operates from 12V

 

[vpierce3]

Hi there. I’m an electrician and have a couple of suggestions.
The first thing I would do is buy a cheap plug-in receptacle (plug) tester from Home Depot or similar store. Unplug your aquarium system from the wall receptacle and plug in the tester. The three lights on the tester will tell you if the receptacle is wired correctly. Super easy.
If that checks out ok, plug your return pump in to get water circulating. Then stick two of your fingers tips (on same hand….important) into the water and see if you get a tickle like before.
If you don’t get a little shock in your hand, plug one more piece of equipment in and recheck. Do this until you identify the faulty equipment to replace.

Ground probes are not a protection against minor stray voltage. They only provide a path to ground in case of a direct electrical short in a piece of equipment so that the circuit breaker in your panel will trip.

Circuit breakers are NOT there to protect people. They are there to protect the wiring in your walls and your house from burning down. It only takes around 5-6 milliamperes to kill a person…..far below the tripping point of a breaker.
To protect people and your fish; install a GFCI receptacle in the wall and plug your aquarium into that.

Alternatively: Install a GFCI receptacle in the wall straight away and then plug in each piece of equipment in, one at a time, and see which one trips the GFCI.

 

[Cygnus]

Hi there. I’m an electrician and have a couple of suggestions.
The first thing I would do is buy a cheap plug-in receptacle (plug) tester from Home Depot or similar store. Unplug your aquarium system from the wall receptacle and plug in the tester. The three lights on the tester will tell you if the receptacle is wired correctly. Super easy.
If that checks out ok, plug your return pump in to get water circulating. Then stick two of your fingers tips (on same hand….important) into the water and see if you get a tickle like before.
If you don’t get a little shock in your hand, plug one more piece of equipment in and recheck. Do this until you identify the faulty equipment to replace.

IMPORTANT: Using two finger tips on the same hand will isolate the stray current to your hand. So make sure you‘re wearing shoes and aren’t grounded anywhere else on your body.….ESPECIALLY your other hand.
Using a multimeter won’t work very well because the stray voltage is probably very very low. If the voltage is large enough to be measured, it would have nailed you good the last time and you would be a lot more than uncomfortable to put your hand in again.

Ground probes are not a protection against minor stray voltage. They only provide a path to ground in case of a direct electrical short in a piece of equipment so that the circuit breaker in your panel will trip.

Circuit breakers are NOT there to protect people. They are there to protect the wiring in your walls and your house from burning down. It only takes around 5-6 milliamperes to kill a person…..far below the tripping point of a breaker.
To protect people and your fish; install a GFCI receptacle in the wall and plug your aquarium into that.

Alternatively: Install a GFCI receptacle in the wall straight away and then plug in each piece of equipment in, one at a time, and see which one trips the GFCI.

Good to see another electrician on the forum. But I do question using one hand and two fingers. Putting two fingers in the water with one hand is the exact same as putting one finger in. Same potential so there is no current flow.

 

[Freenow54]

I had the worst time with my tanks this weekend I was able to resolve all but one issue.
I have something that’s causing me to get a small zap when I touch my aquarium, it’s enough to where I’m afraid to touch the tank now and shut off the power before touching anything.
I had a ground probe but it broke and I tossed it the replacement is due today, but I still have to find the equipment that’s causing the issue.
If I use a voltage meter will I use it with the grounding probe out of the water and while using it am I safe from getting zapped again?
It was a small zap but it happened enough that I’m afraid to touch the tank again and I need to find the problem.
I’m assuming the way to use the voltage meter is to measure the voltage in the tank and remove the plug to each piece of equipment to see which causes a significant drop in the voltage?
Could the ato be causing it, I know the heater is usually the culprit but it’s brand new and titanium as well as the powerhead is new.
Once I fix the problem and I have the new grounding probe connected will that keeps me from getting zapped in the future if something happens again?

Had the same problem. You can put one probe in the wall socket ground, and the other in the water. As you said unplug one piece at a time until you find the culprit. Mine was a powerhead 67V not a small zap

 

[Freenow54]

Hi there. I’m an electrician and have a couple of suggestions.
The first thing I would do is buy a cheap plug-in receptacle (plug) tester from Home Depot or similar store. Unplug your aquarium system from the wall receptacle and plug in the tester. The three lights on the tester will tell you if the receptacle is wired correctly. Super easy.
If that checks out ok, plug your return pump in to get water circulating. Then stick two of your fingers tips (on same hand….important) into the water and see if you get a tickle like before.
If you don’t get a little shock in your hand, plug one more piece of equipment in and recheck. Do this until you identify the faulty equipment to replace.

IMPORTANT: Using two finger tips on the same hand will isolate the stray current to your hand. So make sure you‘re wearing shoes and aren’t grounded anywhere else on your body.….ESPECIALLY your other hand.
Using a multimeter won’t work very well because the stray voltage is probably very very low. If the voltage is large enough to be measured, it would have nailed you good the last time and you would be a lot more than uncomfortable to put your hand in again.

Ground probes are not a protection against minor stray voltage. They only provide a path to ground in case of a direct electrical short in a piece of equipment so that the circuit breaker in your panel will trip.

Circuit breakers are NOT there to protect people. They are there to protect the wiring in your walls and your house from burning down. It only takes around 5-6 milliamperes to kill a person…..far below the tripping point of a breaker.
To protect people and your fish; install a GFCI receptacle in the wall and plug your aquarium into that.

Alternatively: Install a GFCI receptacle in the wall straight away and then plug in each piece of equipment in, one at a time, and see which one trips the GFCI.

Although I am not an Electrician, I worked with it for years. I learned a lesson about a year ago. I arrived home, and smelt Ozone. Looked all through the house. At my Aquarium my skimmer overflowed went down the cord, and was melting my power bar, until the wire finally burnt through. I asked a master Electrician friend of mine, he told me that only a Arc protector would help here. You can do Receptacles, or your own house

 

[DE FISH]

I can remember when my ato got stuck on it overflowed all over the floor and plugs in the panic of the moment being woken at 3am I pulled a plug out and the shock I got was chronic! salt water and electric is a bad combination

 

[Freenow54]

By the way. My original statement was incorrect. As stated by Cygnus it should be Neutral not Ground. Glad no one I know read this.

 

[Cygnus]

Although I am not an Electrician, I worked with it for years. I learned a lesson about a year ago. I arrived home, and smelt Ozone. Looked all through the house. At my Aquarium my skimmer overflowed went down the cord, and was melting my power bar, until the wire finally burnt through. I asked a master Electrician friend of mine, he told me that only a Arc protector would help here. You can do Receptacles, or your own house

A GFCI would have tripped had the water been the source of the issue. But your friend is correct. AFCI is now being required in all new homes on circuits under 20 amps.
Unlike the GFCI, the AFCI can trip on whats called a high resistance connection or arcing as you mention. This happens when the problem is not a direct short, but a pathway to a short.
They do make AFCI/GFCI breakers. Would not be a bad addition to any tank equipment supply.

 

[Freenow54]

A GFCI would have tripped had the water been the source of the issue. But your friend is correct. AFCI is now being required in all new homes on circuits under 20 amps.
Unlike the GFCI, the AFCI can trip on whats called a high resistance connection or arcing as you mention. This happens when the problem is not a direct short, but a pathway to a short.
They do make AFCI/GFCI breakers. Would not be a bad addition to any tank equipment supply.

Thanks for your confirmation. I hope that in the future everyone is aware of this. After 67 years I was not. Could save thousands of lives

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

A GFCI would have tripped had the water been the source of the issue. But your friend is correct. AFCI is now being required in all new homes on circuits under 20 amps.
Unlike the GFCI, the AFCI can trip on whats called a high resistance connection or arcing as you mention. This happens when the problem is not a direct short, but a pathway to a short.
They do make AFCI/GFCI breakers. Would not be a bad addition to any tank equipment supply.

Afci receptacles are only required in a living space, but are not required everywhere in a house and they are 20a or 15a thats it...

 

[boatguy]

Great advice from all...Please do not use your fingers to test for stray voltage in the water. Use the meter for that.

 

[FurrierTransform]

You may have some accumulated salt buildup on an outlet, due to the inevitable spray. You would then get a sneak path for the electrical current.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

You may have some accumulated salt buildup on an outlet, due to the inevitable spray. You would then get a sneak path for the electrical current.

I have lights up in my yard once a year and don't shut off the sprinklers, I plug them into a regular duplex receptacle and watch the sprinklers spray them down twice a week for atleast a month and some rain lights on, plenty of sneak paths for electrical current but it never takes the path? Idk

 

[gbroadbridge]

I have lights up in my yard once a year and don't shut off the sprinklers, I plug them into a regular duplex receptacle and watch the sprinklers spray them down twice a week for atleast a month and some rain lights on, plenty of sneak paths for electrical current but it never takes the path? Idk

You have salt water sprinklers?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

You have salt water sprinklers?

Yes isn't it more conductive that way?

 

[reefGoat]

AFCI is now being required in all new homes on circuits under 20 amps

This is not universal. Building codes differ between nation, state, county, ect..