Grounding equipments or tank

drernesto

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
1,075
Reaction score
832
Location
Beirut, Lebanon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello guys,

I'm redoing my electrical wiring & I'm confused with something:
Should I connect every ground wire of the equipment or just connect the tank to a ground probe?

Thanks!
 

Brew12

Electrical Gru
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
22,488
Reaction score
61,020
Location
Decatur, AL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello guys,

I'm redoing my electrical wiring & I'm confused with something:
Should I connect every ground wire of the equipment or just connect the tank to a ground probe?

Thanks!
I'm not sure I understand your question. If you equipment needs a ground wire it should have a 3 prong plug. I always recommend using a ground probe also.

If I'm going down the wrong path, maybe a picture of what you are doing?
 
OP
OP
drernesto

drernesto

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
1,075
Reaction score
832
Location
Beirut, Lebanon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm not sure I understand your question. If you equipment needs a ground wire it should have a 3 prong plug. I always recommend using a ground probe also.

If I'm going down the wrong path, maybe a picture of what you are doing?

I mean that if the pumps are submerged with water, should I ground them if they have a grounding wire? Or I can ground all the tank.
Thanks!
 

Brew12

Electrical Gru
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
22,488
Reaction score
61,020
Location
Decatur, AL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I mean that if the pumps are submerged with water, should I ground them if they have a grounding wire? Or I can ground all the tank.
Thanks!
I've never seen a hobbyist level aquarium pump designed to have a separate grounding wire attached. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the power distribution system in Lebanon to know what is commonly used. Let me do some research.

I can tell you that I would not use a copper ground wire that connects to the metal frame of a pump used in an aquarium with coral or inverts. I have never seen a pump that requires it but you would need to use something different if this is what you are looking at.
 

Salty1962

Wrasse and SPS Lover
View Badges
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
8,484
Reaction score
7,740
Location
Charlotte, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I agree with @Brew12, I've never heard of a water pump needing a ground prong, they're typically 2 prong. Any piece of equipment that does have a ground prong should not have the ground prong removed. As an added level of protection I use a grounding probe in my tank. I got bit by a bad titanium heater one time and it's not fun! Always use a GFCI on your equipment to be even safer!
 
OP
OP
drernesto

drernesto

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
1,075
Reaction score
832
Location
Beirut, Lebanon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
All my pumps have a 3rd wire... this is weird... I have reef octopus water blaster pumps and all of them have a 3rd wire.
Even the reef octopus skimmer pump has. So i'm guessing they should be connected.
Thanks!
 

Brew12

Electrical Gru
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
22,488
Reaction score
61,020
Location
Decatur, AL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
All my pumps have a 3rd wire... this is weird... I have reef octopus water blaster pumps and all of them have a 3rd wire.
Even the reef octopus skimmer pump has. So i'm guessing they should be connected.
Thanks!
Okay, I think I know what you have going on. In the United States and many parts of Europe these pumps come with the plugs already attached. The often look like this.
upload_2017-3-6_7-48-23.png


Since other parts of the world use many different types of plugs I'm guessing that instead of trying to match the plug to each country (or part of each country) they sell it with no plug attached. If I am correct in this, then yes, you must connect all 3 of the wires for safe operation.
 
OP
OP
drernesto

drernesto

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
1,075
Reaction score
832
Location
Beirut, Lebanon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
well no, all the equipments comes with Euro plug in Lebanon.
Anyways I'm connecting all the wires :)
Thanks!
Okay, I think I know what you have going on. In the United States and many parts of Europe these pumps come with the plugs already attached. The often look like this.
upload_2017-3-6_7-48-23.png


Since other parts of the world use many different types of plugs I'm guessing that instead of trying to match the plug to each country (or part of each country) they sell it with no plug attached. If I am correct in this, then yes, you must connect all 3 of the wires for safe operation.
 

SteveSTL

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2016
Messages
197
Reaction score
162
Location
Webster Groves, MO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OK, the European plugs have a 240 VAC, a Neutral/Common/Return and a ground. Generally the 240 is brown, the neutral is blue and the ground is green or green and yellow. If the equipment cord has all 3, then be sure to wire all three into the correct plug. Grounding probes are only to eliminate stray voltage from the tank and shouldn't be relied upon to save you.
 

Brew12

Electrical Gru
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
22,488
Reaction score
61,020
Location
Decatur, AL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Grounding probes are only to eliminate stray voltage from the tank and shouldn't be relied upon to save you.
A properly installed and maintained ground probe will save you. I wouldn't rely on it as the only means of protection but it will remove all voltages from your tank water, not just stray voltage. You can run the worst case scenario through the proper equations or electrical modeling and you cannot come up with scenario that will allow a lethal, or even painful, electrical shock from your salt water.
 
OP
OP
drernesto

drernesto

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
1,075
Reaction score
832
Location
Beirut, Lebanon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I wired everything and added a 30mA differential pressure switch so I think it's safe
2100830b7d124b5aecfd99769e0bf4b2.jpg
 

Brew12

Electrical Gru
View Badges
Joined
Aug 14, 2016
Messages
22,488
Reaction score
61,020
Location
Decatur, AL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I wired everything and added a 30mA differential pressure switch so I think it's safe
2100830b7d124b5aecfd99769e0bf4b2.jpg
Excellent decision! I prefer the European style Residual Current devices over the US GFCI devices. I think you will be in fine shape!

Sorry I couldn't have been more help! Unfortunately, I only have limited professional experience outside of the US.
 
OP
OP
drernesto

drernesto

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 10, 2013
Messages
1,075
Reaction score
832
Location
Beirut, Lebanon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Excellent decision! I prefer the European style Residual Current devices over the US GFCI devices. I think you will be in fine shape!

Sorry I couldn't have been more help! Unfortunately, I only have limited professional experience outside of the US.

Thanks a lot for everything... well in Lebanon most of the apartments are not equipped with ground wires. I was lucky to have it [emoji16]
 

Engloid

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
2,082
Reaction score
315
Location
Tennessee
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My house used to NOT have any grounding. All outlets only had two prongs (and two wires inside the wall). After a catastrophic loss and a huge insurance claim, the house has been rewired. Everything is grounded now. On my old setup, I also took a piece of stainless steel TIG welding wire, bent it to hook over the edge of the tank, and then ran it to the copper plumbing where it enters the house.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 65 37.1%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.7%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.3%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top