Thermal Reckoning, a Fire in the making...

Turbo's Aquatics · Jun 8, 2016

Excellent write-up

143MPCo · Jun 8, 2016

Floyd R Turbo said:
Excellent write-up

Thank you!

glb · Jun 8, 2016

Ok I need a safety check for my new setup. Here's a pic of the acrylic shield I mounted in front of my power strip:

I mounted the power strip behind it as high as I could. All of the cords have drip loops, especially the one to the outlet. I am installing a gcfi outlet before the tank is up and running. In case the sump floods, the water will run out the front or in a hole in the back, ensuring it never reaches any outlet:

Is this setup safe? I've tried to think of everything. I'll neaten up the cords.

Gino · Jun 8, 2016

Excellent write, and a great advice for newer reefers. Like I always said... "Safety first and always play in the safest side".

143MPCo · Jun 8, 2016

glb said:
Ok I need a safety check for my new setup. Here's a pic of the acrylic shield I mounted in front of my power strip:

I mounted the power strip behind it as high as I could. All of the cords have drip loops, especially the one to the outlet. I am installing a gcfi outlet before the tank is up and running. In case the sump floods, the water will run out the front or in a hole in the back, ensuring it never reaches any outlet:

Is this setup safe? I've tried to think of everything. I'll neaten up the cords.

IMO, anything you can do to try and keep things dry and salt creep free is a step in the right direction.

Being that the power strip is under the tank (along with the sump) you risk humidity condensing inside the plugs/power-strip and causing a possible short, you can mitigate that to an extent by ventilating the stand and lessening the risk.

143MPCo · Jun 8, 2016

Gino said:
Excellent write, and a great advice for newer reefers. Like I always said... "Safety first and always play in the safest side".

Thank you!

glb · Jun 8, 2016

143MPCo said:
IMO, anything you can do to try and keep things dry and salt creep free is a step in the right direction.

Being that the power strip is under the tank (along with the sump) you risk humidity condensing inside the plugs/power-strip and causing a possible short, you can mitigate that to an extent by ventilating the stand and lessening the risk.

If I get a short, will the gcfi protect me?

143MPCo · Jun 8, 2016

glb said:
If I get a short, will the gcfi protect me?

If you look at it from the point of view that it's the only reason you installed the GFCI, you have reduced the likelihood of a flare up, but GFCIs are notorious for tripping easily (as designed) and some hobbyist choose not to incorporate them based on past experiences with the outlet turning off their entire system. I'm all for safety so better that, than risk a fire that threatens the lives of my family. In addition, GFCI protection devices fail at times, leaving the switching contacts closed and allowing the device to continue to provide power without protection and a real reason to test it regularly or habitually.

glb · Jun 8, 2016

143MPCo said:
If you look at it from the point of view that it's the only reason you installed the GFCI, you have reduced the likelihood of a flare up, but GFCIs are notorious for tripping easily (as designed) and some hobbyist choose not to incorporate them based on past experiences with the outlet turning off their entire system. I'm all for safety so better that, than risk a fire that threatens the lives of my family. In addition, GFCI protection devices fail at times, leaving the switching contacts closed and allowing the device to continue to provide power without protection and a real reason to test it regularly or habitually.

I'd rather the system turn off than have a fire hazard. That being said, is there anything else I can do to make it safer?

glb · Jun 8, 2016

143MPCo said:
IMO, anything you can do to try and keep things dry and salt creep free is a step in the right direction.

Being that the power strip is under the tank (along with the sump) you risk humidity condensing inside the plugs/power-strip and causing a possible short, you can mitigate that to an extent by ventilating the stand and lessening the risk.

So a fan maybe?

143MPCo · Jun 8, 2016

glb said:
I'd rather the system turn off than have a fire hazard. That being said, is there anything else I can do to make it safer?

This of course is a judgment call anesthetics would have to be taken into consideration but you could look into getting something called an ottoman storage box, they make them in different styles and fashions, and you could move your electronic components out from under the tank, and yet be adjacent to the tank but yet separate.

glb said:
So a fan maybe?

Yes.

jsker · Jun 8, 2016

You got me thinking

Great write up and thank for putting it out here

143MPCo · Jun 8, 2016

jsker said:
You got me thinking

oy vey... Hope that's a good thing.

143MPCo · Jun 8, 2016

jsker said:
Great write up and thank for putting it out here

Thanks man!

jsker · Jun 8, 2016

143MPCo said:
oy vey... Hope that's a good thing.

Yes, it is a good thing. I was taught that AC will kill you. I am thinking of moving a few more things around.

tigÃ©21v · Jun 21, 2016

Something similar has happened to me. Twice. First was when one of my VHO's stopped working. Found the end cap melted. Second was when the powerbar of my old Aquacontroller went up. Luckily, by chance, it happened on a day when I happened to be here in the afternoon. I was sitting upstairs and heard some sort of loud buzzing/grinding noise coming from the basement (tank's location). Got down there to find smoke pouring out of it and a small flame. The powerbar was located under the basement steps. Any other day of the week, and it probably would have burned the place down.
Odd thing is, in both cases, neither of the GFCI's tripped (different circuits, and both GFCI's were less than two years old at the time).
I've been really trying to get things cleaned up/organized the past few weeks. I almost feel as if I should be putting some sort of fire resistant backing behind all of the outlet strips and Apex Energy Bars, though I'm not quite sure what I would use.
Pics of the Aquacontroller energy bar