Tanks and Fire!

[rygh]

Hmm, I would be tempted to say any electrician recommending against a GFCI should lose their license.

First: Which is more important, chance of death versus chance of losing fish tank???

Second: There is an easy solution.
Put different equipment on different GFCIs.
Put in several GFCI outlets. (Wired in parallel, not series)
Controller on one, by itself.
Return pump(s) on one.
Everything else on a different one.
So if one thing goes down, it does not impact critical equipment.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

@PedroYoung How heartbreaking.

 

[PedroYoung]

@PedroYoung How heartbreaking.

@Lionfish Lair , thanks. It's been 17 months now and we are just a few weeks from getting back in to the rebuild. It did give me an opportunity to design basement sump/ fish area etc, but don't recommend fire as a remodeling technique.....just thankful only casualties were in the 15 yr old reef....

 

[Lionfish Lair]

My equipment is on controllers, so I can't plug everything into different outlets. I also use a DJ American switch bank, which has 8 switches per unit.

 

[rygh]

My equipment is on controllers, so I can't plug everything into different outlets. I also use a DJ American switch bank, which has 8 switches per unit.

Well, you could put the higher risk items (powerheads, heaters) on a different bank of relays.
For example, get a second Apex EB4, and plug that into a different GFCI.
But yes, that is a big limitation, and workarounds would not be so cheap or simple.

 

[jgvergo]

I built a "DIY LED light. It was sweet...until the power supply fried and almost took my house with it. I was lucky to be home and have working smoke detectors.

Before:

After:

 

[Lninwa]

Wow I'm glad you caught it in time I think it's time to cleanup my power cords under my tank.

Did your smoke alarm go off?

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Bump for safety!

 

[Jimbo662]

I was at one of our LFSs one afternoon, it was just me and two employees. Suddenly we smelled that electrical burning smell... They had one of the orange extension hanging down from the ceiling and had a power strip plugged into it. The cord just happened to drop down next to and went under a HOB skimmer. The skimmer had started overflowing. Water was dripping onto the extension cord and ran down to the power strip. You just have be so aware of every little thing / detail around a tank.

 

[sundog101]

I just finished moving all of my electrical outlets outside my stand. Having the plugs away from the sump adds some peace of mind.

I didn't have room for a separate equipment cabinet, so I made a slim box that slides out from behind the stand.

 

[vlangel]

This is such a good reminder to all of us how important safety features like gfci and smoke detectors are.

 

[4FordFamily]

This happened to me too. Glad you were lucky as well!

 

[Ebbi Flow]

I just finished moving all of my electrical outlets outside my stand. Having the plugs away from the sump adds some peace of mind.

I didn't have room for a separate equipment cabinet, so I made a slim box that slides out from behind the stand.

Very Smart, I got A board. I take it out during Maintence, and/or building plumbing....now got better idea, Thanks!