Your Resident Electrician for all your electrical questions!

[Brew12]

I installed a gfic outlet for my tank and it works perfect. The only thing is i have outlets in my living room that are hooked up to a light switch. So when i turn on the lamp it trips my tank outlet. I have lived almost a year without that lamp but it drives my wife crazy. When i opened up the switch box it didnt look like the grounds are hooked up to the switch. Could this be the issue?

Not likely. The grounds have almost nothing to do with a GFCI despite the G standing for ground. Are you sure there isn't a fault in the light?

 

[Clownfish2]

My GFCI shut down my tank today!! I installed it 5 days ago to be a safer reefer. Of course today, I went out of town for 9 hours and discovered it upon return. I thought this GFCI would be bullet proof. I have 2 receptacles and 2 GFCIs. The GFCI I had my return pump on decided to shut down. Luckily my tank only dropped from 78 to 75 degrees.

I can’t trust it now. What other devices can I use to prevent electrocution and also keep the tank running 24/7?

 

[Brew12]

Have you determined which piece of equipment caused the GFCI to trip?

 

[Clownfish2]

Have you determined which piece of equipment caused the GFCI to trip?

I havent figured out what caused it. The load is not much. The tripped GFCI receptacle had a jebao dct12000 pump 85 Watts, one heater Finnex 300 watt, an Inkbird temperature controller, two BRS dosing pumps 3 Watts each, one Ecotech Radion Light 95 Watt, a Reef Octopus 150sss protein skimmer, and a Tunze ATO. All of these items are plugged into a DJ power strip (15amp) with individual lighted ON/OFf switches. The DJ power strip 3 prong plug then is connected into the GFCI receptacle.

There is also a surge protector strip (15amp) that is plugged into this same GFCI receptacle, but it has only one item plugged in which is a cabinet light for occasional sump maintenance.

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

Sometimes the 15A ones are a cheaper grade, residential grade. Also if you have this on a circuit that has a 20A breaker, you want a 20A receptacle. Generally those are more robust. Sometimes referred to as "industrial" or "commercial" grade or "heavy duty" - and those are always 20A. But usually Leviton is pretty reliable...

And the heavy duty ones are usually also Leviton. If it trips though, there is a reason usually.

 

[Brew12]

I havent figured out what caused it. The load is not much. The tripped GFCI receptacle had a jebao dct12000 pump 85 Watts, one heater Finnex 300 watt, an Inkbird temperature controller, two BRS dosing pumps 3 Watts each, one Ecotech Radion Light 95 Watt, a Reef Octopus 150sss protein skimmer, and a Tunze ATO. All of these items are plugged into a DJ power strip (15amp) with individual lighted ON/OFf switches. The DJ power strip 3 prong plug then is connected into the GFCI receptacle.

There is also a surge protector strip (15amp) that is plugged into this same GFCI receptacle, but it has only one item plugged in which is a cabinet light for occasional sump maintenance.

Total load has no impact on a GFCI. A properly functioning GFCI will only trip if current on the hot wire doesn't match current on the neutral wire.

Do you have a ground probe installed in your system?

 

[pdisner]

Hi I have an led question. How do I know if an led is dimmable.? I have 3 strips of LEDs which are already prewired to a transformer/power control

 

[pdisner]

Hi I have an led question. How do I know if an led is dimmable.? I have 3 strips of LEDs which are already prewired to a transformer/power control

I also need a solution besides multiple power strips for my Tank. I never seem to have enough outlets and need an alternate solution. I’m tired of them shorting out when saltwater drips on them as well. Any help.

 

[Brew12]

Hi I have an led question. How do I know if an led is dimmable.? I have 3 strips of LEDs which are already prewired to a transformer/power control

Are you talking the individual LED's or the LED fixture as a system?

All individual LED's can be dimmed. It does take special LED drivers, sized appropriately, to make it work correctly.

 

[pdisner]

What do umean by drivers? Like a power supply or computer board? This isn’t an Ecotech or AI or something like that. Just. Straight LEDs with a power supply. I don’t think ALL LEDs are dimmable. I disagree.

 

[Brew12]

What do umean by drivers? Like a power supply or computer board? This isn’t an Ecotech or AI or something like that. Just. Straight LEDs with a power supply. I don’t think ALL LEDs are dimmable. I disagree.

You can disagree, that is fine.

This is an example of a driver. You can think of it as a more complex version of a power supply.
https://www.ledsupply.com/power-supplies/mean-well-pwm-series

 

[Brew12]

I also need a solution besides multiple power strips for my Tank. I never seem to have enough outlets and need an alternate solution. I’m tired of them shorting out when saltwater drips on them as well. Any help.

Some people like these.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Pc-100A-Mount-Power-Switcher/dp/B0002GL50Q

It has the same problems with saltwater as regular power strips. Since it has switches, some people find they are more willing to put it in a less convenient but safer location.

 

[pdisner]

Some people like these.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Pc-100A-Mount-Power-Switcher/dp/B0002GL50Q

It has the same problems with saltwater as regular power strips. Since it has switches, some people find they are more willing to put it in a less convenient but safer location.

That’s what I’ll have to do is just mount elswhere I guess. But isn’t there an OUTLET strip with more than just 5 or 6. I want 100! Lol. I CANT STAND ELECTRICAL PLUGS!! Why can’t they invent wireless power sources. Where you can just pull power from the air or a central location? But seriously guys, there has to be something better out there already. Anyone?

 

[Brew12]

That’s what I’ll have to do is just mount elswhere I guess. But isn’t there an OUTLET strip with more than just 5 or 6. I want 100! Lol. I CANT STAND ELECTRICAL PLUGS!! Why can’t they invent wireless power sources. Where you can just pull power from the air or a central location? But seriously guys, there has to be something better out there already. Anyone?

I'm not sure about 100, but how about 24?
https://www.amazon.com/Bestten-24-O...1517842149&sr=8-11&keywords=large+power+strip

 

[pdisner]

I'm not sure about 100, but how about 24?
https://www.amazon.com/Bestten-24-O...1517842149&sr=8-11&keywords=large+power+strip

Now that’s what I’m talking about!! Thanks man. I knew that I could find somebody who knew

 

[Turbo's Aquatics]

But isn’t there an OUTLET strip with more than just 5 or 6

https://www.google.com/search?q=american+dj+power+strip

I don’t think ALL LEDs are dimmable. I disagree.

All LEDs are in fact dimmable. This is a fact. It's simply a matter of the amount of current you put through them. Or, how fast you blink them, which is perceived as dimming (specifically, PWM dimming)

That doesn't mean you can take any out-of-the-box fixture and be able to dim them or put them on a dimming light switch.

"Driver" is the term most commonly used to describe an LED power supply. Unlike your typical wall plug for a household device, an LED driver is designed to provide a constant current, all the time. For instance, the Meanwell LPC-35-700 provides 700mA of current and can output up to 48V or 35W, based on what is needed

 

[Clownfish2]

Total load has no impact on a GFCI. A properly functioning GFCI will only trip if current on the hot wire doesn't match current on the neutral wire.

Do you have a ground probe installed in your system?

I have not installed a grounding probe. Will a grounding probe reduce GFCI trips? What other benefits would a grounding probe provide? What would you recommend I do now to prevent another trip?

After the GFCI trip yesterday, I’m contemplating replacing the GFCI back to a common receptacle this weekend after I finish job training.

The Leviton GFCI I installed was a 15 amp device with 20 amp feed through capability. I can’t remember now if the receptacle in question was on a 20 amp circuit. I would need to go home and trouble shoot all the outlets. I do know my house is 15 amp, but my kitchen and dryer is 20 amp.

I thought electrical laws allowed for a 15 amp GFCI on a 20 amp circuit. I consider myself a beginner in electrical knowledge. If this 15 amp GFCI is in fact on a 20 amp circuit, would this cause unintended trips?

 

[Brew12]

I have not installed a grounding probe. Will a grounding probe reduce GFCI trips? What other benefits would a grounding probe provide? What would you recommend I do now to prevent another trip?

I don't recommend you prevent another trip. Introducing a ground probe should make trips much more likely. It is possible, if unlikely, that your GFCI tripped for no good reason. It is much more likely you have a piece of electrical equipment in your tank that is "leaking" voltage.

Let's say your heater has bad insulation. It may still work, but it could be leaching copper and other contaminants into your system. It could continue to run like this until you stick your hand in the tank which would likely trip the GFCI. Or, you could have enough salt tracking to allow the GFCI to trip. The entire time, your tank could be getting potentially contaminated. By adding a ground probe, as soon as voltage starts leaking it will trip the GFCI. At that point it is just a matter of figuring out which piece of equipment is going bad.

I thought electrical laws allowed for a 15 amp GFCI on a 20 amp circuit. I consider myself a beginner in electrical knowledge. If this 15 amp GFCI is in fact on a 20 amp circuit, would this cause unintended trips?

It does. It is a better practice to put 20A receptacles on 20A breakers if for no other reasons that it helps identify the correct rating of the circuit. This has no impact on unintended trips.

 

[Clownfish2]

I don't recommend you prevent another trip. Introducing a ground probe should make trips much more likely. It is possible, if unlikely, that your GFCI tripped for no good reason. It is much more likely you have a piece of electrical equipment in your tank that is "leaking" voltage.

Let's say your heater has bad insulation. It may still work, but it could be leaching copper and other contaminants into your system. It could continue to run like this until you stick your hand in the tank which would likely trip the GFCI. Or, you could have enough salt tracking to allow the GFCI to trip. The entire time, your tank could be getting potentially contaminated. By adding a ground probe, as soon as voltage starts leaking it will trip the GFCI. At that point it is just a matter of figuring out which piece of equipment is going bad.


It does. It is a better practice to put 20A receptacles on 20A breakers if for no other reasons that it helps identify the correct rating of the circuit. This has no impact on unintended trips.

Thanks for the advice Brew12! I will do some troubleshooting on it this weekend.

 

[Clownfish2]

Total load has no impact on a GFCI. A properly functioning GFCI will only trip if current on the hot wire doesn't match current on the neutral wire.

Do you have a ground probe installed in your system?

I don't recommend you prevent another trip. Introducing a ground probe should make trips much more likely. It is possible, if unlikely, that your GFCI tripped for no good reason. It is much more likely you have a piece of electrical equipment in your tank that is "leaking" voltage.

Let's say your heater has bad insulation. It may still work, but it could be leaching copper and other contaminants into your system. It could continue to run like this until you stick your hand in the tank which would likely trip the GFCI. Or, you could have enough salt tracking to allow the GFCI to trip. The entire time, your tank could be getting potentially contaminated. By adding a ground probe, as soon as voltage starts leaking it will trip the GFCI. At that point it is just a matter of figuring out which piece of equipment is going bad.


It does. It is a better practice to put 20A receptacles on 20A breakers if for no other reasons that it helps identify the correct rating of the circuit. This has no impact on unintended trips.

Last night, my Jebao DCT12000 return pump stopped pumping. It’s been functional for 16 months. Luckily I have a back up return pump! I had just cleaned the internal parts about a week ago. I had suspected the GFCI tripped, but it did not trip. Is it possible for a return pump that stops pumping but attempts to spool up and stalls out, cause the GFCI trip I had a few days ago?