Stray voltage???!!

[ilawis]

My system is a 240V however I have 4 plugs that run 110V one is my skimmer and the other 3 are wave makers (all my wave makers in my system) as such when I plug in any one of the 110v devices it puts voltage into my tank. The worst culprit is 40v
So I have one at 40v one at 20V and 2 at 9 volts
Any idea on what could be happening and how to fix it?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Start with unplugging return pump and see if voltage drops
If not, then check heater. If not, check power heads until you see the drop then you found your culprit

 

[ilawis]

Yip done that I've taken it all the way to only having the return pumps plugged in then one item at a time and if I get a voltage arrive I unplug it then carry on with the best item. That's why I know I have the 4 devices putting voltage in. When all 4 are plugged in I can feel the voltage in the water with my hand like a bee sting

 

[A;exr54]

Try using a grounding probe until you can find the culprit.
It can even be a temperature sensor. Happened to me.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Did you unplug everything then try lets say heater? Then read the voltage, unplugged heater , then plugs in powerheads and so forth ?
While a grounding probe will lower the effect, its an alternative and not solution.

@Brew12

 

[Garf]

All spinny magnety things cause a voltage, are you getting zapped?

 

[Kazumi]

Since you are in Australia, and the standard is 240v there, I would look at whatever converter you are using to create 110v.

 

[ilawis]

Try using a grounding probe until you can find the culprit.
It can even be a temperature sensor. Happened to me.

Don't have a temp sensor in my system other than the one inside the pumps (syncra SDC 7.0)

 

[ilawis]

Did you unplug everything then try lets say heater? Then read the voltage, unplugged heater , then plugs in powerheads and so forth ?
While a grounding probe will lower the effect, its an alternative and not solution.

@Brew12

Yip plug in and unplug so the only constant thing I have plugged in over every test is the pumps that's how I've identified it's all 4 devices and all 4 are running 110v

 

[ilawis]

All spinny magnety things cause a voltage, are you getting zapped?

Yip zap zap zap like a bee trying to burrow under my cuticles

 

[ilawis]

Since you are in Australia, and the standard is 240v there, I would look at whatever converter you are using to create 110v.

So my tunze skimmer has its own converter plug and that only raises it 9V all the wave makers are on 3 plug in circuits that provides 120v to each wave maker and will not work if one is disconnected (The wave makers are in series to the 240v to create the 120V)

 

[Greg P]

Yip zap zap zap like a bee trying to burrow under my cuticles

A grounding probe was mentioned ... PLEASE don't do any testing using a ground probe without using a GFCI of some kind.

 

[Greg P]

So you have 240 to 120 converters on the devices. Do they have ground probes on the plugs - 3 contacts to the wall?

 

[Greg P]

Try using a grounding probe until you can find the culprit.
It can even be a temperature sensor. Happened to me.

Good way to get electrocuted without a GFCI
Power running in our tanks can sit 'ungrounded' and not affect things, until you give it a path to ground, then you get the full power of the circuit and it can stop your heart

 

[A;exr54]

Good way to get electrocuted without a GFCI
Power running in our tanks can sit 'ungrounded' and not affect things, until you give it a path to ground, then you get the full power of the circuit and it can stop your heart

I’m not going to argue with you or anyone else about what ground probes do.
I put the idea out there for the OP. He can research it and do what he feels best.

 

[ilawis]

So to update the results on how I've dealt with this is:
I've added in a grounding probe so i can run the skimmer (as i worked out it was adding 9v and 0amps (not really 0 amps as that would be impossible but close enough to be nothing) and I've ordered the Maxspect Gyre XF350 Twin Pack Set to replace the wavemakers i have in my display,
I've also disconnected the wavemakers i have in my sump so ill have to come up with a new plan for them as they keep a lot of my detritus in the water column so my filtration can work better.
until my gyre arrives I've got the wave makers running in the display only and since i have the grounding probe in I'm getting 0 volts in my tank

 

[jda]

I don't have much to add on stray current, other than some is OK, but you should not be feeling it. You will always have some.

Just let the detritus settle in the sump and vaccum it out every once in a while - it is inert and needs to come out, but it won't hurt to sit there for a while. If it had any viable building blocks or sugars in it, it has long since been depleted. ...better in your sump than in your rocks and sand.

 

[ilawis]

I don't have much to add on stray current, other than some is OK, but you should not be feeling it. You will always have some.

Just let the detritus settle in the sump and vaccum it out every once in a while - it is inert and needs to come out, but it won't hurt to sit there for a while. If it had any viable building blocks or sugars in it, it has long since been depleted. ...better in your sump than in your rocks and sand.

Yea I'm very cautious about detritus in my system as my rockwork had come from a preditor tank as such the guy who use to have it overfed and didn't clean his system (i pulled over a solid bucket of detritus from his sump when i bought his entire setup) so i now have leaching from the rockwork with my phosphates sitting around +4ppm (cant test higher) my corals don't seem to mind to much and all is growing well enough but i am trying to get it back down to reasonable levels.