Stray Electricity From Something Apex

[Ben Pedersen]

Last night while barefooted I put my hand in my grow out tank and felt electricity around my finger nails (hurt pretty good). I turned off all the outlets on my Apex and still felt it. I unplugged my lights and MP10 and still felt it. Finally, I unplugged my EB832 and it was gone.

How could electricity be leaking into my water if all outlets on my Apex are turned off?

 

[CoralB]

After the first shock I would stop testing your water that way especially if it hurt !!! You should use a gfi circuit with a grounding probe . If you really feel that your apex system is putting out unwanted stray electricity I would contact apex or who ever owns them now and ask them for assistance. contact them and let them help you through your issue . Good luck and stay safe .

 

[areefer01]

Last night while barefooted I put my hand in my grow out tank and felt electricity around my finger nails (hurt pretty good). I turned off all the outlets on my Apex and still felt it. I unplugged my lights and MP10 and still felt it. Finally, I unplugged my EB832 and it was gone.

How could electricity be leaking into my water if all outlets on my Apex are turned off?

You need to start the process of elimination. Unplug everything that is powered regardless of it being controller related or not. Then start one at a time reintroducing.

Of course take the proper countermeasures to detect stray voltage so you can then remove the faulty equipment.

 

[jda]

I once had a VHO ballast that put stray voltate into the tank from about 12 inches away even though no wire or anything touched the water or tank. I have no idea why, but it was the ballast and it stopped when I replaced it. It is almost like it put voltage through thin air, even though I know that this is stupid.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Get a voltmeter. The shock test in saltwater can kill you, unlikely, but can. Also grab a grounding probe or something you can use to attach your voltmeter to your outlet ground.

Place the red lead in the tank and see if the voltage is AC or DC and how many volts it is (99% chance it's AC, but you need to know for later steps).

Unplug every device including all power supplies.

One at a time plug the devices back in and check the voltage reading. Plug the devises into a power strip not the EB832 since you suspect an issue here (an outlet could be stuck on or something).

Once one of them reads a noticeable voltage, set that one aside and continue checking all the rest. Do not assume that once you found one that is the end of it. I made that mistake once when it was actually 2 heaters that failed not just one, plugged everything back in, GFCI tripped overnight, didn't see the tank in the morning, came home from work the next evening and everything in my tank except 2 corals were dead.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

The outlets only switch the hot, the neutral side can still back bleed I believe. So, like above…disconnect everything and check one at a time. Plus one for a gfci outlet and drip loops. Some cable to something in contact with water is probably damaged. Also, bare feet around electricity and water is no fun when something goes wrong.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

The outlets only switch the hot, the neutral side can still back bleed I believe.

This is mostly correct. The outlets do only switch the hot, so the neutral can come in contact with the tank, but a properly grounded home should have the neutral at ground potential so it shouldn't back bleed or shock you in theory.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

This is mostly correct. The outlets do only switch the hot, so the neutral can come in contact with the tank, but a properly grounded home should have the neutral at ground potential so it shouldn't back bleed or shock you in theory.

Exactly, but we all know what happens out in the world. Some yahoo adds an outlet or steals the ground for an additional circuit. You never know, I’m always amazed.

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Exactly, but we all know what happens out in the world. Some yahoo adds an outlet or steals the ground for an additional circuit. You never know, I’m always amazed.

Seen that before. In my own house I was wondering why the dimmer for my kitchen shocked me one day. I pulled it open shut of the power and got shocked anyway. Do some more troubleshooting and come to find out they put 3 romex cables in that switch box, 2 part of the kitchen circuit daisy chain, the third part of the living room circuit. They connected the black from the living room circuit to the ground prong of the dimmer. How this didn't burn my house down is a surprise to me.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Seen that before. In my own house I was wondering why the dimmer for my kitchen shocked me one day. I pulled it open shut of the power and got shocked anyway. Do some more troubleshooting and come to find out they put 3 romex cables in that switch box, 2 part of the kitchen circuit daisy chain, the third part of the living room circuit. They connected the black from the living room circuit to the ground prong of the dimmer. How this didn't burn my house down is a surprise to me.

Exactly this! I never understood why bonding/grounding/metallic conduit and boxes aren’t required in residential, well besides cost. More people get electrocuted with 110v residential than anything else. That and everyone has a “electrician” friend or watched too much hgtv.

 

[areefer01]

some great advice here!

 

[Ben Pedersen]

After the first shock I would stop testing your water that way especially if it hurt !!! You should use a gfi circuit with a grounding probe . If you really feel that your apex system is putting out unwanted stray electricity I would contact apex or who ever owns them now and ask them for assistance. contact them and let them help you through your issue . Good luck and stay safe .

Very true.. will test with a ground a volt meter.. Thx

 

[Ben Pedersen]

You need to start the process of elimination. Unplug everything that is powered regardless of it being controller related or not. Then start one at a time reintroducing.

Of course take the proper countermeasures to detect stray voltage so you can then remove the faulty equipment.

Will do. Thx

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I once had a VHO ballast that put stray voltate into the tank from about 12 inches away even though no wire or anything touched the water or tank. I have no idea why, but it was the ballast and it stopped when I replaced it. It is almost like it put voltage through thin air, even though I know that this is stupid.

That does sound strange.. Yikes..

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Thank you all for the advise.. I will get the volt meter and ground out.. and where shoes...

Will let you all know what is causing it.... I am guessing an old pump I am using for circulation.

The grow out tank is connected to a pond I am using to prepare coral and rock for a new tank build. Photo below:

 

[ZombieEngineer]

Thank you all for the advise.. I will get the volt meter and ground out.. and where shoes...

Will let you all know what is causing it.... I am guessing an old pump I am using for circulation.

The grow out tank is connected to a pond I am using to prepare coral and rock for a new tank build. Photo below:

Don't ground the tank when you test, you won't read any voltage that way. Use the grounding probe to connect the black lead of your meter to the house ground.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Don't ground the tank when you test, you won't read any voltage that way. Use the grounding probe to connect the black lead of your meter to the house ground.

Also, this assumes your ground is good. I would check the outlet for proper ground, especially if it’s an older home. Just my two pennies. I have come across a lot of older homes where they switched out all the non-grounded two-prong outlets with three-prong outlets with nothing connected to the ground terminal.

 

[jda]

I once was told by a smart dude that salt creep is conductive, which is why things not in the water can still shock you. Seems right, but I have no idea if it is true. Keep in mind that salt creep can soak into wood, cracks, etc. and does not have to be visible. This confused me since real salt is an insulator, but I guess that salt creep is different somehow with the sodium and chlorine having different relationships? /pretending-to-be-a-chemist

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Also, this assumes your ground is good. I would check the outlet for proper ground, especially if it’s an older home. Just my two pennies. I have come across a lot of older homes where they switched out all the non-grounded two-prong outlets with three-prong outlets with nothing connected to the ground terminal.

House built in 2010.. but will verify it is grounded.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

Get a voltmeter. The shock test in saltwater can kill you, unlikely, but can. Also grab a grounding probe or something you can use to attach your voltmeter to your outlet ground.

Place the red lead in the tank and see if the voltage is AC or DC and how many volts it is (99% chance it's AC, but you need to know for later steps).

Unplug every device including all power supplies.

One at a time plug the devices back in and check the voltage reading. Plug the devises into a power strip not the EB832 since you suspect an issue here (an outlet could be stuck on or something).

Once one of them reads a noticeable voltage, set that one aside and continue checking all the rest. Do not assume that once you found one that is the end of it. I made that mistake once when it was actually 2 heaters that failed not just one, plugged everything back in, GFCI tripped overnight, didn't see the tank in the morning, came home from work the next evening and everything in my tank except 2 corals were dead.

Just wondering, how would that kill your fish?