Poll: Do You Use Ground Probes

[Brew12]

People who know me know that ground probes are near and dear to my heart. I want an idea of how many people run them in their system. So, time for a poll!

Just to keep this clean, I've decided not to address GFCI with this.

 

[Brew12]

I should add that one of the main reasons for asking is because of a very misleading video. The video shows a guy putting a cord in a bucket with a ground probe with the breaker not tripping and voltage not dropping.

I'm not sure if this video is intentionally misleading or if the guy just didn't have a clue but I have been asked to make a video debunking the video in question and showing how it really works. I'm not big on social media (this is about the only forum I ever use) but I'll consider it if there is a strong need.

 

[alton]

Was the breaker a GFCI or standard breaker? A non GFCI breaker will not trip until the amperage gets to 20 amps at 30 degrees C. Many times water becomes a resistor and without a GFCI breaker or receptacle, equipment can catch fire. I have seen heaters go bad and it wasn't until the plug/cord attachment caught fire did it create a direct short and trip the breaker. Many times electrical fires happen in the winter because some panels are outside and depending on the temperature it can take 40 amps to trip a 20 amp breaker. By then the equipment which is rated for 15 amps has melted and caught fire. Grounding probes (testing to make sure you have a grounding means) and GFCI are the only safe methods when using 120v. GFCI without grounding probe means you are needed to provide the grounding path. A 3 milli-amp shock hurts.

 

[Brew12]

Was the breaker a GFCI or standard breaker? A non GFCI breaker will not trip until the amperage gets to 20 amps at 30 degrees C. Many times water becomes a resistor and without a GFCI breaker or receptacle, equipment can catch fire. I have seen heaters go bad and it wasn't until the plug/cord attachment caught fire did it create a direct short and trip the breaker. Many times electrical fires happen in the winter because some panels are outside and depending on the temperature it can take 40 amps to trip a 20 amp breaker. By then the equipment which is rated for 15 amps has melted and caught fire. Grounding probes (testing to make sure you have a grounding means) and GFCI are the only safe methods when using 120v. GFCI without grounding probe means you are needed to provide the grounding path. A 3 milli-amp shock hurts.

It was a standard breaker. The real problem with the video is that he used tap water, not salt water, to conduct his test and make the video.

 

[alton]

I am going to get off track a little but back in 1989 I was doing a school and a particular brand had just come out with a new series of breakers. And like most electricians back then there was no safety practices in our area. So when we needed to find out where a circuit went we would just take a hot wire and hit it to a metal stud/box creating a a arc flash and tripping the breaker. The problem with these breakers you had to hit them against the metal stud several times to get them to trip. I guess what I am trying to get at is sometimes it may take an act of God to trip a standard breaker and why GFCI and a grounding means is so important.

 

[mta_morrow]

US Navy electrician and industrial / marine electrician for 20+ years.

not using a ground probe is kinda like driving a racecar without a helmet or harness. Sooner or later the odds will catch up with you.

 

[Brew12]

US Navy electrician

That is where I got my start. Umm... a few years ago. Still don't miss submarines.

 

[mta_morrow]

That is where I got my start. Umm... a few years ago. Still don't miss submarines.

I read your profile Brew12. I started out a nuke but went conventional

4 1/2 years on the Saratoga (target)

 

[Brew12]

I read your profile Brew12. I started out a nuke but went conventional

4 1/2 years on the Saratoga (target)

Ouch. I'm not sure serving on a Forestfire class carrier would be very fun.

 

[Don Lidtke]

I have grounding probes on my fish qt and will be running probes on the Coral qt and display tanks. GFCI is covering all the circuits since the area the tanks are in is a new remodel.

 

[dansreef]

Yes. I now use grounding probes after I got a bit of a "tingle" working on my brand new system three years ago. I started to investigate and found a couple of new pieces of equipment / devices giving off stray voltage. I also tested an older system and most of the equipment in it was giving off stray voltage. Even though you may have new equipment, doesn't mean that it is free of stray voltage. Do grounding probes really work? I think they do. Regardless, they aren't that expensive and if they can prevent someone from getting hurt, why not? That doesn't mean you shouldn't still be careful. Over time, equipment degrades....things can corrode.

 

[don_chuwish]

As I understand it, my two (naked) titanium Finnex heaters do the job - correct?
Circuit for the tank is a Siemens CAFCI at the panel.

 

[Brew12]

As I understand it, my two (naked) titanium Finnex heaters do the job - correct?
Circuit for the tank is a Siemens CAFCI at the panel.

Correct. Odds are that if your heater uses a 3 prong plug it is also acting like a ground probe.

 

[Z3speed4me]

Didn't initially as I was not educated in the matter; but after reading, I checked stray voltage and saw 41+ so I bought a probe... immediately upon retesting it went down to like 0.2

 

[mckinleyw]

I don't use a grounding probe but I have gfci plugs and a finnex heater. So all should be good. I have only had one issue a while back when I first got into this hobby with a coralife skimmer pump releasing voltage into the aquarium. I got a few good buzzes before I realized what was going on. replaced pump and no issues since then. maybe ill add one but I think the heater does this for me.

 

[DancingShark]

I wanted to asked this for a long time just never created a thread for it so I guess this would be a good place.

I don't put my hand in my aquarium any more without shutting all power off. Reason being I have a basement sump with cement floors and one day I went down without shoes on and put my hand in the sump and got a little shock. But only when barefoot.
What gives? Was I creating a ground probe out of myself?

 

[Livinlocal]

I can’t sPeak for all titanium heaters but if you have a finnex, then you are good. They are designed to act as grounding probes.

 

[Livinlocal]

I was actually just talking with a friend about this very situation. I have a finnex titanium heater in my sump and my voltage is only at .31-.40 with all my equipment running (heater not on, but plugged in). 1.1 without the heater plugged in and when the heater actually kicks on, all volts read 0.00. I may actually get a dedicated ground probe on top of my finnex.

 

[Brew12]

I wanted to asked this for a long time just never created a thread for it so I guess this would be a good place.

I don't put my hand in my aquarium any more without shutting all power off. Reason being I have a basement sump with cement floors and one day I went down without shoes on and put my hand in the sump and got a little shock. But only when barefoot.
What gives? Was I creating a ground probe out of myself?

That is exactly what happened. Most tile and wood floors are pretty good insulators, along with rubber soled shoes. Concrete is a relatively good conductor which is why you are likely to feel a shock when barefoot on it.

 

[Brew12]

I was actually just talking with a friend about this very situation. I have a finnex titanium heater in my sump and my voltage is only at .31-.40 with all my equipment running (heater not on, but plugged in). 1.1 without the heater plugged in and when the heater actually kicks on, all volts read 0.00. I may actually get a dedicated ground probe on top of my finnex.

You may have something else going on if you are only getting 1.1V with no ground probe and the heater unplugged. You may have some salt creep or something else in your tank acting like a ground probe. I would expect to see at least 15V and likely 25V+.