Tingling when touching water & light fixture

[ktn87]

I felt an unbearable tingling when I touch water with one hand and light fixture with the other. Is this normal? I measured my water at ~.7 volt. I'm not getting a reading when measuring my light fixture.

Thanks,

 

[Miami Reef]

Turn off one plug in your system and check the water. Keep doing this until you unplug something and find that the water isn’t tingling you anymore. That’s how you will find the culprit.

I had the same thing happen to me and I found out my UV sterilizer PUMP (not unit) was the culprit. I changed it and all is well now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Stray voltage. First look at :
Power heads IF NO . . . . .
Heater.. . . . If No,
Return Pump.

I had unplugged EVERYTHING then plugged back in one by one until I felt the tingling.
I recommend a ground probe always.

 

[Idoc]

You probably have more than 0.7 volts if you are feeling it tingle. Just in case you are checking it differently...With the multimeter, insert the negative probe into the ground of an extension cord and the positive probe touching the water... this will give you the reading in the water.

I head this occur as well... biggest offender are heaters. Mine was actually a Koralia powerhead...a month later and the other one did it as well.

After solving where the voltage is coming from, definitely install a grounding probe.

 

[NatD]

With the grounding probe, should I have one in the tank and one in the basement sump?

 

[lapin]

Yes. If your return pump is off you might not have a water bridge between them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

With the grounding probe, should I have one in the tank and one in the basement sump?

tank for sure and basement optional but would not hurt. On each of my tanks, I have a probe in the tank and in the sump

 

[ktn87]

I have one hand in the water (I don't feel anything). When I touch my t5 fixture with the other hand (one hand still in the water) I feel a tingle. Is the stray voltage traveling from the water to the light fixture through my body?

 

[GK3]

I have one hand in the water (I don't feel anything). When I touch my t5 fixture with the other hand (one hand still in the water) I feel a tingle. Is the stray voltage traveling from the water to the light fixture through my body?

Yes. My guess is the housing of your T5 fixture is grounded. So the water has a voltage potential that is causing current to flow through your body to the grounded fixture. Take your multimeter and place positive(red) in the water and negative(black) on the fixture. My guess is you are somewhere above 10V. You can check it the AC and DC setting.

you really need to stop doing the hand check though. If whatever is leaking voltage into your tank degrades more and leaks more, say a full 120VAC, it’s not gonna be a tingle.

you should have a grounding probe in any tank that has electrical equipment, sump, display, fuge,QT, etc.