Getting zapped by my aquarium

[olonmv]

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.

+1
You can verify correct wiring by going from neutral to ground in outlet. Reading should be zero or close to zero when voltage is selected and should beep if meter has a continuity and continuity is selected. If wired incorrectly, you will get a voltage between ground and neutral terminal.

 

[olonmv]

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

According to NEC…..theyre required with some exceptions. Most all, if not, all jurisdictions adhere to NEC standards.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

According to NEC…..theyre required with some exceptions. Most all, if not, all jurisdictions adhere to NEC standards.

True that its all about the AHJ*

 

[boatguy]

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.

I don't normally chime in over some one's post. This is some of the most dangerous advice I have ever come across from an electrician. You should not ever use the human body as a test involving alternating current. Some one might read your response and get hurt or worse. Please delete your post.

 

[olonmv]

True that its all about the AHJ*

AHJ’s who do multiple trade inspections are the strictest.
We have some municipalities in the surrounding Houston area that make you jump through hoops.

 

[reefGoat]

According to NEC…..theyre required with some exceptions. Most all, if not, all jurisdictions adhere to NEC standards.

Only in the 2020 NEC. Ask your local jurisdiction which version they have ratified

 

[olonmv]

Only in the 2020 NEC. Ask your local jurisdiction which version they have ratified

See 210.12 in 2017 NEC.

My bread n butter is commercial but recently had to bring a clients home up to par……houston has definitely adopted the code for arc-fault.

 

[reefGoat]

See 210.12 in 2017 NEC.

My bread n butter is commercial but recently had to bring a clients home up to par……houston has definitely adopted the code for arc-fault.

If we want to get technical, AFCI was added to the NEC in 1999 but there are still many states that have adopted NO AFCI requirements.

 

[olonmv]

If we want to get technical, AFCI was added to the NEC in 1999 but there are still many states that have adopted NO AFCI requirements.

True, not all states require AFCI. And yes, first mention of AFCI requirements did start in ‘99 not 2020 .

cool pdf BTW . Surprising to see states with no NEC standards. ………scary.

 

[reefGoat]

True, not all states require AFCI. And yes, first mention of AFCI requirements did start in ‘99 not 2020 .

cool pdf BTW . Surprising to see states with no NEC standards. ………scary.

Yeah, You would be surprised how far certain jusidictions can lag behind safety standards. I happen to be a EE that works with safety certification (not related to NEC).

 

[olonmv]

Yeah, You would be surprised how far certain jusidictions can lag behind safety standards. I happen to be a EE that works with safety certification (not related to NEC).

20+ year commercial sparky here, currently studying for my master electrical license, otherwise I would know jack about residential code lol. EE?! Smart fella! Lagging in safety stds is one thing. Flat out not adopting them is another level lol. 4 states in the US don’t adopt any NEC….like….what the heck!

 

[EricR]

I'm not an electrician by trade but have wired a bunch of outlets and equipment for other projects. Personally:

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

***cheap receptacle tester would be the first thing I'd suggest.

Also, didn't see anyone mention the next obvious step (to me) -- if tester shows outlet wired properly:
Start unplugging equipment one at time to see if you can pinpoint one thing causing the "zap". *I'll refrain from suggesting how to go about testing the "zap" you mentioned as others have covered thoughts there.

Lastly, as mentioned in the post I quoted before I tried to trim it down -- install a GFCI receptacle for long-term (not for troubleshooting in this case).

 

[reefGoat]

20+ year commercial sparky here, currently studying for my master electrical license, otherwise I would know jack about residential code lol. EE?! Smart fella! Lagging in safety stds is one thing. Flat out not adopting them is another level lol. 4 states in the US don’t adopt any NEC….like….what the heck!

Ha. Not sure if it's smart or lazy. I helped pull wire on a few commercial jobs while working my way through school. That was enough for me

 

[Freenow54]

I am aware of them not being required by by code. However was ( since my basement flooded ) If I should do the basement. The expense is huge. but am defiantly going to do my Aquarium receptacle. My statement was information I was not aware of.

 

[olonmv]

Tip for upgrading to GFCI or AFCI: Ground (bare) and neutral (white) absolutely cannot make contact. If you upgrade breaker to either and it’s tripping at reset…..Odds are that somewhere within the circuit a ground and neutral wire are making copper to copper contact……assuming that breaker is installed and wired correctly. To correct, you have to go through the circuit and find the fault and clear it.

 

[Cygnus]

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...

I said 20 amps or below. That would include all spaces that do not require GFCI. You have to define living space and where you get that definition is the key. Can you cite where they are not required?
When It comes to electrical safety, the NEC rules the land.

NEC Section 210.12 requires that for dwelling units, all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices installed in dwelling unit kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, ...

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

Outdoor rated receptacle boxes with in use weatherproof covers? The receptacles are not rated, it is the enclosure you put them that is rated for the application.
Since you do not have any GFCI protection its predictable there will be no tripping. The reason why these receptacles must be on GFCI.

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

That is true and the NEC is the minimum standard in most all aspects of compliance.
But its clear what the NEC states. Its up to the AHJ to make the calls on what is compliant. The AHJ always trumps NEC standards.

 

[Cygnus]

20+ year commercial sparky here, currently studying for my master electrical license, otherwise I would know jack about residential code lol. EE?! Smart fella! Lagging in safety stds is one thing. Flat out not adopting them is another level lol. 4 states in the US don’t adopt any NEC….like….what the heck!

Great. I got my masters in 1996. Are you using a study course or guide? I used Tom Henry and took a 12 week night class to help me pass.

I am aware of them not being required by by code. However was ( since my basement flooded ) If I should do the basement. The expense is huge. but am defiantly going to do my Aquarium receptacle. My statement was information I was not aware of.

If your basement is not finished, all receptacles are supposed to be on GFCI. If you finish it, the rule goes away. Of course most everyone has non GFCI receptacles in basement and garages. That includes me.

Tip for upgrading to GFCI or AFCI: Ground (bare) and neutral (white) absolutely cannot make contact. If you upgrade breaker to either and it’s tripping at reset…..Odds are that somewhere within the circuit a ground and neutral wire are making copper to copper contact……assuming that breaker is installed and wired correctly. To correct, you have to go through the circuit and find the fault and clear it.

That is correct. But I have found in several instances the neutral for one circuit is sharing or is the neutral for another circuit. This happens on upgrades where walls were not opened up.
In a perfect world three wires originating from the service panel will feed all receptacle groups and will not share neutrals. This can also have negative effects on GFCI circuits as well. Besides the NEC considers neutrals sharing the same circuit with other circuits to be a violation.

 

[olonmv]

Great. I got my masters in 1996. Are you using a study course or guide? I used Tom Henry and took a 12 week night class to help me pass.

If your basement is not finished, all receptacles are supposed to be on GFCI. If you finish it, the rule goes away. Of course most everyone has non GFCI receptacles in basement and garages. That includes me.

That is correct. But I have found in several instances the neutral for one circuit is sharing or is the neutral for another circuit. This happens on upgrades where walls were not opened up.
In a perfect world three wires originating from the service panel will feed all receptacle groups and will not share neutrals. This can also have negative effects on GFCI circuits as well. Besides the NEC considers neutrals sharing the same circuit with other circuits to be a violation.

I’m using a prep course. I tried a local electrical school which I won’t mention only to find it was a waste of my time. 4 hrs weekly for 12 weeks to skim over calculations isn’t my style of learning. So far I’ve got everything pretty much stamped down, it’s the range calculations and their rule application that gets me. Very little range calculations in my field of work.

I’m glad you mentioned that. Electrical doesn’t know the difference between residential and commercial. Had a circuit years ago that nobody could get working goin to an indoor fountain. Turns out a j box in their machine room had a light tied to the same neutral. Changed light to its correct nuetral and gfci back at fountain was back to functional. You’re absolutely correct. Branch circuit must be dedicated to device(s).

 

[CanuckReefer]

Great. I got my masters in 1996. Are you using a study course or guide? I used Tom Henry and took a 12 week night class to help me pass.

If your basement is not finished, all receptacles are supposed to be on GFCI. If you finish it, the rule goes away. Of course most everyone has non GFCI receptacles in basement and garages. That includes me.

That is correct. But I have found in several instances the neutral for one circuit is sharing or is the neutral for another circuit. This happens on upgrades where walls were not opened up.
In a perfect world three wires originating from the service panel will feed all receptacle groups and will not share neutrals. This can also have negative effects on GFCI circuits as well. Besides the NEC considers neutrals sharing the same circuit with other circuits to be a violation.

I’m using a prep course. I tried a local electrical school which I won’t mention only to find it was a waste of my time. 4 hrs weekly for 12 weeks to skim over calculations isn’t my style of learning. So far I’ve got everything pretty much stamped down, it’s the range calculations and their rule application that gets me. Very little range calculations in my field of work.

I’m glad you mentioned that. Electrical doesn’t know the difference between residential and commercial. Had a circuit years ago that nobody could get working goin to an indoor fountain. Turns out a j box in their machine room had a light tied to the same neutral. Changed light to its correct nuetral and gfci back at fountain was back to functional. You’re absolutely correct. Branch circuit must be dedicated to device(s).

Hello both.... not sure if Masters in US is same premise as here ( Canada), but.... I found when I took mine last year (passed ), that the code stuff was a breeze, if in the trade long enough, and familiar with the book, like both of you seem to be, it was the Occupational Health and Safety and even more so the Contractor Law aspect ( geez that's a big book lol), that was the most tricky? I took the Ontario inspectors test about 5 years ago and found that slightly easier. Masters here is divided up about 40% code, 30% Occupational Safety, and 30% Contractor Licencing and Law. I did not take the pre course , but can definitely see it being worthwhile for familiarizing the non Code stuff especially. Best of luck on your upcoming test @olonmv !

As for that inspector job, 4 interviews later one of my fellow foreman actually got the position ahead of me....darn, but he's a good fella. Decided to stick with current position but might open up my own shop in near future. Depends how much my employer of 25 years ticks me off lol.

 

[Cygnus]

Branch circuit must be dedicated to device(s).

Not dedicated to individual devices but dedicated to the rest of the receptacles on that particular circuit. Meaning you can install as many receptacles as you want on one circuit in the US. But that circuit cannot share a neutral with another circuit.
What happens is someone comes in to add a receptacle for something and they just grab the first neutral they can find. Should that neutral be on/from another circuit, that would be the violation. It would also cause issues with GFCI and AFCI.