Please help with stray voltage in tank..

[ThePapa]

Hey guys, i came to know that it was my float switch and i guess i had left the wire connecters open. So i changed the float switches, reconnected the wires, and also taped the connected part. Though iv not yet bought the voltage meter, i did touch the water and i could not feel anything at all. Its been 24hrs and no shocks yet. Had touched in the morning before keaving for work, and now after coming back from work. Keeping my fingers crossed. Continuing with diy for a few days, lets see. Or will buy hydor smart level, as thats the only ato available with 2yrs warantee. I have purchased relay too, but not working. Dont know why... here are some pics of my sump, wires, etc.

HERE IS HOW I CONNECTED THE FLOATSWITCH AND TAPED IT.

Sorry but using your hand as a volt meter is not recommended.

 

[Lninwa]

I dont know how to measure, but it was alot before, now its a lot less, but it keeps coming going... i dont understand.. sometimes there is no current, sometimes there is..

Ok I'll ask the dumb question. How do you tell the stray voltage is present? Do you get shocked when you put your hand in the water?

 

[TinyChocobo]

Ok I'll ask the dumb question. How do you tell the stray voltage is present? Do you get shocked when you put your hand in the water?

Yes. Doesn't have to be a strong shock and doesn't have to be real strong to feel it.

 

[nanomania]

Attach a wire to a spoon, fork, knife or a piece of stainless steel wire. Bend it over the side of the tank so you can connect the wire outside the tank. No need for silicone. Connect the other end of the wire to a ground, like the center screw of an outlet, water pipe, metal sewer pipe or a stack in the ground. That's it.

Don't put the wire in the tank even with silicone.
I don't have a picture, it's in my book but I don't expect you to read it just for that picture. If you can't figure it out I will draw a picture.

Ground you mean floor tiles? I dint understand... yes plz draw..

 

[nanomania]

Why not just buy a grounding probe at your local fish store or online? They cost about $6.

Bro.. im from india, we dont get them here.. so ill have to call for it from uk or usa.. my sis already came, or would have told her to get it..

 

[nanomania]

from what i've read..... i have a couple of points disguised as questions seeing that you use 240v and in india I'm assuming your supply is ac? i'm also assuming due to the relationship between uk and india that if you are using 240v ac the you would probably be using a similar type of earthing arrangement ...tt (terra terra old style)....or tncs (terra neutral combined separated) for your mains supply safety system? if so i wouldn't fit an earth (grounding) rod as you could then be mixing two different types of earthing system and probably going to create a problem with the (potential fault path) of your system. if you had an electrical fault with your system then you would want the designed fault path to do the work of protecting the system.

if you are going to do anything then i would look to earth your tank back to the board and use the intended bonding path in there. do you have RCD protection at the board?

That all went above my head.. im totally dumb when it comes to electronics..

Here are the plugs we use

The big hole on the top is for earthing..

 

[nanomania]

What helped me was I put a ground probe on my aquarium and one in my sump best thing ever

Means u use 2 probes?

 

[Ontheway]

I am yet to see "after this much milivolt is dangerous for livestock". General consensus is, if it shocks you, then its too much

 

[TinyChocobo]

That all went above my head.. im totally dumb when it comes to electronics..

Here are the plugs we use

The big hole on the top is for earthing..

Uhhhh... What does the part you plug in look like?

 

[DrayB]

what does you main electrical board look like?

 

[nanomania]

Uhhhh... What does the part you plug in look like?

Well u can attach a 3pin plug and a 2pin plug (the middle 1 is for 2pin..

 

[nanomania]

what does you main electrical board look like?

 

[Paul B]

Ground you mean floor tiles? I dint understand... yes plz draw..

No, not the floor tiles. It goes to what you are calling the "Earthling" hole. Or a metal water pipe or a metal stake banged into the ground outside your house.

 

[nanomania]

No, not the floor tiles. It goes to what you are calling the "Earthling" hole. Or a metal water pipe or a metal stake banged into the ground outside your house.

Means earthing hole wud be best for me right?

 

[Paul B]

Yes if that means it connects to the Earth someplace which I think it does.

 

[DrayB]

ok so from that i can see you have RCD protection on the board. the bit that has the "test button" i would not try to earth you tank in any other way than to connect it to an existing earth in your system.
you could...at a push.....earth you tank to an earthing point within a socket near the tank. that way, should a fault occur then it will use the path created for it and therefore keep the system safe (as its designed) if you create an alternate fault path then you render the safety devices in your board useless and create a potential hazard. what a lot of people don't understand is that when a fault is created, the current runs all the way back through your cables...through your board.....all the way back to the origin point ....... then travels all the way back into your fuse board to trip either the breaker or RCD on the incoming side of your board. this is just a rough explanation.

 

[nanomania]

ok so from that i can see you have RCD protection on the board. the bit that has the "test button" i would not try to earth you tank in any other way than to connect it to an existing earth in your system.
you could...at a push.....earth you tank to an earthing point within a socket near the tank. that way, should a fault occur then it will use the path created for it and therefore keep the system safe (as its designed) if you create an alternate fault path then you render the safety devices in your board useless and create a potential hazard. what a lot of people don't understand is that when a fault is created, the current runs all the way back through your cables...through your board.....all the way back to the origin point ....... then travels all the way back into your fuse board to trip either the breaker or RCD on the incoming side of your board. this is just a rough explanation.

Huh.. that was tough.. ill click closeup pics of the main board and share them... i wish nikola tesla was alive and had a reef tank..[emoji12]

 

[nanomania]

Here are the closeups:

 

[Averill]

Anybody doing open air splices is definitely not an electrician. You cut the cord anyway, put a male and female cord end on. And the only true way to ground your tank is to cut out a section of pvc pipe, just assuming there is a sump, and replace that piece with a piece of rigid metal pipe, or trade name IMC, put a jclamp on that and run a piece of #8 awg copper wire to the ground bar of the electrical panel. That's the best way to ground the water, almost exactly how swimming pools are done

 

[nanomania]

Anybody doing open air splices is definitely not an electrician. You cut the cord anyway, put a male and female cord end on. And the only true way to ground your tank is to cut out a section of pvc pipe, just assuming there is a sump, and replace that piece with a piece of rigid metal pipe, or trade name IMC, put a jclamp on that and run a piece of #8 awg copper wire to the ground bar of the electrical panel. That's the best way to ground the water, almost exactly how swimming pools are done

Huh.. im sorry but please can u make a small diagram or click photo if ur doing the same? I really dont understand that.. i guess we get something called earthing wire here.