stray voltage?

[coralbeauties]

My system is a 210 main display tank and a 100 gallon frag tank. When I put my hand into the frag tank I will get a little tingle on any scratch or hangnail. I dont get a tingle at all with the main display. I have unplugged all the circulation pumps in the frag tank and the only thing in the tank is a pvc pipe with return water from my sump which is common to both systems. Any ideas how I could be getting any voltage or what might be causing the tingle? Tonight I installed a grounding plug into the tank which didnt make any difference.
thanks
Jeff

 

[Idoc]

#1 cause of stay voltage is a bad heater... then comes the powerheads. You have to turn off one thing at a time by unplugging it and then test the water current.

Use a multimeter to see how much voltage you have going through the water system. The grounding probe should have removed the voltage... either the outlet you plugged it into isn't working or maybe installed incorrectly?

 

[Paul Sands]

Had similar experience in my tank. Used a multimeter to check for stray voltage. I found very little. Voltage was well under the limit that everyone recommended and pretty consistent, even when everything was unplugged completely.

I think it could be just salt.

 

[coralbeauties]

Can stray voltage come from the sump below the frag tank? There are NO electrical components in the frag tank to be causing it. That’s what has me confused.
Thanks
Jeff

 

[alton]

Yes water is a conductor of electricity. Even though you may turn the circulation pump off, until the water drys out or salt creep is gone, your plumbing may still conduct electricity. Also if you are getting shocked it is because you have current in your tank. Voltage without current is worthless. Voltage is the electromotive force that pushes current. As Code Guru Tom Henry once said as a comparison; voltage is a water pump, with current being the water, and the size of the water pipe being the resistance. Without the water the pump is worthless.

 

[theMeat]

Stray voltage can come from something not in the water via salt creep as well.
Tank should be on gfci outlet and tank should have ground probe. Those two paired together are a must imo. If you have any stray voltage, you will know, and it keeps you safe

 

[Bwiezy]

My system is a 210 main display tank and a 100 gallon frag tank. When I put my hand into the frag tank I will get a little tingle on any scratch or hangnail. I dont get a tingle at all with the main display. I have unplugged all the circulation pumps in the frag tank and the only thing in the tank is a pvc pipe with return water from my sump which is common to both systems. Any ideas how I could be getting any voltage or what might be causing the tingle? Tonight I installed a grounding plug into the tank which didnt make any difference.
thanks
Jeff

Have you unplugged all equipment one at a time? My guess is you have a short circuit in a piece of equipment. It's happened to me a couple of times. I just start by unplugging one at a time and testing.

 

[ZipAdeeZoa]

From what your describing I think your just feeling salt in your wounds, When I've felt the effects of stray current it didn't discriminate to only my cuts and scrapes, more of a full extremity experience...

No harm in checking for stray voltage though.

 

[coralbeauties]

From what your describing I think your just feeling salt in your wounds, When I've felt the effects of stray current it didn't discriminate to only my cuts and scrapes, more of a full extremity experience...

No harm in checking for stray voltage though.

I only get the tingle from the frag tank and not the display tank so I wouldn’t think it would be a salt sting.

Yes water is a conductor of electricity. Even though you may turn the circulation pump off, until the water drys out or salt creep is gone, your plumbing may still conduct electricity. Also if you are getting shocked it is because you have current in your tank. Voltage without current is worthless. Voltage is the electromotive force that pushes current. As Code Guru Tom Henry once said as a comparison; voltage is a water pump, with current being the water, and the size of the water pipe being the resistance. Without the water the pump is worthless.

If the electricity is in the water would it not also be in the display tank along with the frag system? I am assuming the voltage could be coming from my sump that houses two heaters and two pumps. Both tanks are run through this sump.
Thanks
Jeff

 

[ScottB]

I only get the tingle from the frag tank and not the display tank so I wouldn’t think it would be a salt sting.

If the electricity is in the water would it not also be in the display tank along with the frag system? I am assuming the voltage could be coming from my sump that houses two heaters and two pumps. Both tanks are run through this sump.
Thanks
Jeff

Ever get this sorted out?