Shocked myself good, wow!!!!!

Aquaph8 · Jan 24, 2015

So I was cleaning my sump and I always use my little wet/dry bucket head vacuum from Home Depot. Well this time I had one hand in the water and one on the switch to the vacuum and wow did I get a jolt. Anyway, be careful where you put your hand on those things when using them.

jdl513 · Jan 24, 2015

I got zinged bad enough to loose sensation in hand for a few seconds when I accidentally came into contact with my refugium light housing.
Turned out a little salt spray had accumulated into creep inside the fixture.

Been zapped on rare occasion before but nothing like that!
Unplugged that fixture and threw it out immediately.

Reefing Madness · Jan 24, 2015

Rob Top1 · Jan 24, 2015

I've gotten tinggled a few times but there have been two knock Me on my back events and both were duh moments.
First time I was extending the power cord on a MH ballast. Turned it off and cut the cord. Note to self turning off doesnt work, needs to be unplugged. Pretty sparks.
Second time I had flooded my fish room with a good 30gallons. Wife came to help clean up and as we were working the timer went off and all the tank lights went off. Wife asks for more light...sure dear, with wet hand standing on a wet concrete floor I plug a halagen work light in. I think gif saved my life in that moment.
Glad your shop vac didn't get you badly. I love my bucket head! Cheap and useful

tonymission · Jan 24, 2015

Aquaph8 said:
So I was cleaning my sump and I always use my little wet/dry bucket head vacuum from Home Depot. Well this time I had one hand in the water and one on the switch to the vacuum and wow did I get a jolt. Anyway, be careful where you put your hand on those things when using them.

Did you touch the screw next to the switch? My bucket head shocked the crap out of me when I had a wet hand and touched that screw. Startled me pretty good. I usually wear gloves now when I use it lol

aslmx · Jan 24, 2015

Ive been an electrician for over twenty years and work around voltages up to 7800 volts. The two people that I've known personally to get electrocuted and die were both killed by a t8 light fixture. Use a gfci and don't take this stuff for granted.

Aquaph8 · Jan 24, 2015

tonymission said:
Did you touch the screw next to the switch? My bucket head shocked the crap out of me when I had a wet hand and touched that screw. Startled me pretty good. I usually wear gloves now when I use it lol

No it was on switch, I had reached over to turn it off.

aslmx said:
Ive been an electrician for over twenty years and work around voltages up to 7800 volts. The two people that I've known personally to get electrocuted and die were both killed by a t8 light fixture. Use a gfci and don't take this stuff for granted.

I thought I did die, that was the worst shock I've ever had. The tanks on a Gfci but unfortunately the shop vac wasn't. It will be for now on though.

mike007 · Jan 24, 2015

Ah cry baby Its good to get a jolt every once In awhile It keeps the heart pumping.

Aquaph8 · Jan 24, 2015

That one almost did the opposite.

RalphsReef · Jan 25, 2015

Glad you are OK. Has anyone found that the plug-in GFCI's will protect as good as the ones that are built in to an outlet?

Aquaph8 · Jan 25, 2015

Thanks Ralph, I haven't ever used a plug in one

mike007 · Jan 25, 2015

I had a gfi that plugged Into the outlet kind of a power strip. I had some water leak onto another power strip and It Instantly shut everything down instantly. Every tank needs this protection for the hobbyist and the equipment.

SeahorseKeeper · Jan 25, 2015

mike007 said:
I had a gfi that plugged Into the outlet kind of a power strip. I had some water leak onto another power strip and It Instantly shut everything down instantly. Every tank needs this protection for the hobbyist and the equipment.

Good advice!

KorD · Jan 25, 2015

I have been there before!!

The best shock story I have was when I was younger.. The snowmobile would not start and my father and I figured it was the plugs giving us problems.. after he shock himself on the faulty wire, he decided not to tell me and had me hold the wire in place while he started it.. I actually got one good jolt from it, so bad that I almost cried.. Granted I was about 9 when it happened.
Needless to say I went running inside to get my mom and have her hold the wire for my dad. I told her I could't do what dad needed and she had to come and help. I watched and laughed when she called us a bunch of meanies :xd:

reef life · Jan 25, 2015

When ever i use a hand held pump to aid in cleaning or draining (sump or DT) i plug power cord into my apex power bar and control the off and on by using my iphone app. And you don't need anyone to help. Lol. Just keep your phone in your pocket.

reef life · Jan 25, 2015

Make sure your iphone has a life proof case to prevent corrosion from salt water.

maroun.c · Jan 25, 2015

All my tanks are on GFCI and that prevented a couple of jolts I admit. There was only once where I was testing a new skimmer pump in the kitchen on a non GFCI plug and I got a really really bad one. Took a few seconds before I could take my hand out of the water!!!
Make sure to use GFCI or just turn off all power from a tank before you reach in!!!