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[linkedsilas]

What "electrical problems" are you worried about

There's electric run and used in and all around water, when done correctly there is no problem.

What is your concern, having a power strip under your stand? Or something else? Please elaborate.

A leak and the water getting into the power strip. I’ve had a cube spring a leak before and worried it could happen again.

 

[Sleepydoc]

A leak and the water getting into the power strip. I’ve had a cube spring a leak before and worried it could happen again.

There are 2 problems there - the leaking tank and water getting in the outlets.

As far as water geting in the outlets/extension goes, you can minimize that risk with the design of the stand, placement of the cords, using drip loops, etc. If you're really paranoid, you could install a shield over the outlets to direct any water away. You should always have your equipment protected by a GFCI outlet which mitigates the safety issue.

Your bigger issue is the leaking tank - if you're not on a ground floor that can easily get into the ceiling and into electrical boxes in the ceiling, or track along wires into the wall outlet. It's odd that you're more worried about the power strip than you are about the leaking tank.

Regardless, the majority of people have their sumps under their tanks with nary an issue. If you don't want to do that, you can have it next to the tank, behind the tank in a fish room or under the tank in the basement. You can also have a cabinet next to the tank for the electrical equipment (like many people do for their controllers.)

 

[linkedsilas]

There are 2 problems there - the leaking tank and water getting in the outlets.

As far as water geting in the outlets/extension goes, you can minimize that risk with the design of the stand, placement of the cords, using drip loops, etc. If you're really paranoid, you could install a shield over the outlets to direct any water away. You should always have your equipment protected by a GFCI outlet which mitigates the safety issue.

Your bigger issue is the leaking tank - if you're not on a ground floor that can easily get into the ceiling and into electrical boxes in the ceiling, or track along wires into the wall outlet. It's odd that you're more worried about the power strip than you are about the leaking tank.

Regardless, the majority of people have their sumps under their tanks with nary an issue. If you don't want to do that, you can have it next to the tank, behind the tank in a fish room or under the tank in the basement. You can also have a cabinet next to the tank for the electrical equipment (like many people do for their controllers.)

my tank is on the 1st floor, My issue is hearing about fires, I am more worried about a fire than floor damage from a leaking tank.
a lot of people have power strips attached under the tank and all the equipment plugged into it.
Water damage is safer than a fire in my opinion for the other animals I have residing in my house.
I was trying to avoid an equipment cabinet. Looks like thats my only piece of mind

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

A leak and the water getting into the power strip. I’ve had a cube spring a leak before and worried it could happen

my tank is on the 1st floor, My issue is hearing about fires, I am more worried about a fire than floor damage from a leaking tank.
a lot of people have power strips attached under the tank and all the equipment plugged into it.
Water damage is safer than a fire in my opinion for the other animals I have residing in my house.
I was trying to avoid an equipment cabinet. Looks like thats my only piece of mind

Do more research, check out build threads, minimize your fear of a leaks by understanding your equipment and how a leak could even happen (aside from acts of GOD) get those concerns ironed out. Then I bet you will come up with a place you feel safe to put a power strip on YOUR system. Just because it works for others ....your system is diffrent right, but the advice from all,, has been good any of it should work for you..


If you saw pictures of some cabinets people have with their mess of scary wires, that could probably help you sleep better ask for some of those...

 

[linkedsilas]

Do more research, check out build threads, minimize your fear of a leaks by understanding your equipment and how a leak could even happen (aside from acts of GOD) get those concerns ironed out. Then I bet you will come up with a place you feel safe to put a power strip on YOUR system. Just because it works for others ....your system is diffrent right, but the advice from all,, has been good any of it should work for you..


If you saw pictures of some cabinets people have with their mess of scary wires, that could probably help you sleep better ask for some of those...

Ive been searching and searching a lot of threads on everyones build. It could be I am a worrier by nature.
Just want the least things to go wrong and that seems to be doing an other cabinet. Already bought the glass for the front door.
I feel this is my last tank, would like to make it as perfect as possible. That doesnt exist though

 

[Sleepydoc]

Ive been searching and searching a lot of threads on everyones build. It could be I am a worrier by nature.
Just want the least things to go wrong and that seems to be doing an other cabinet. Already bought the glass for the front door.
I feel this is my last tank, would like to make it as perfect as possible. That doesnt exist though

I just did a quick search for ‘fire’ on Reef2Reef - in 20 pages of results all except for 2 were referring to fire shrip, fire fish, fire sales, fire & ice....
Of the 2 actual fires (or near fires, as it turns out,) one was due to an overloaded outlet and the other from a defective heater. It’s possible that a leak would cause a fire but it’s far more likely that it would short out an outlet and either trip a breaker or trip a GFCI.

Reading your posts, I don’t think this is really a rational question. (You yourself even called it a neurosis.) Rational or not, you’re worried about Leak causing a fire and I don’t think we’ll be able to calm your fears. Even if you read, understand and agree with what’s said, you’ll still be worried - essentially your right brain is overriding your left brain. Recognizing that, putting the controller, power strips, etc in a cabinet next to the tank is probably the best option that will let you sleep at night.

More important than the location of the power strips, make sure the cords are run properly, outlets and power strips are not overloaded and everything is protected by a GFCI.

 

[linkedsilas]

I just did a quick search for ‘fire’ on Reef2Reef - in 20 pages of results all except for 2 were referring to fire shrip, fire fish, fire sales, fire & ice....
Of the 2 actual fires (or near fires, as it turns out,) one was due to an overloaded outlet and the other from a defective heater. It’s possible that a leak would cause a fire but it’s far more likely that it would short out an outlet and either trip a breaker or trip a GFCI.

Reading your posts, I don’t think this is really a rational question. (You yourself even called it a neurosis.) Rational or not, you’re worried about Leak causing a fire and I don’t think we’ll be able to calm your fears. Even if you read, understand and agree with what’s said, you’ll still be worried - essentially your right brain is overriding your left brain. Recognizing that, putting the controller, power strips, etc in a cabinet next to the tank is probably the best option that will let you sleep at night.

More important than the location of the power strips, make sure the cords are run properly, outlets and power strips are not overloaded and everything is protected by a GFCI.

I have decided to go with a cabinet even though I have a gfci.
That dang brain !

 

[Crashjack]

New question:

I'm interested in an electrical/mechanical failsafe for my dosing pumps, which are controlled a by Reef Angel controller and powered by a DC relay box managed by the controller. I have two dosing pumps, one pumps water through my kalk stirrer and the other runs my ATO. I had a situation recently where my dosing pump that runs my stirrer came on for no reason. Luckily, I was nearby and knew it was not supposed to be running so I shut it off. I moved the pump to a different relay and changed my programming to accommodate, and It hasn’t happened since, but I want to add a “hard” failsafe.

Each relay on the DC relay box runs 12VDC at 400 mA max. I would like something I could insert between the DC relay box and each pump (e.g. I don't want to move the pumps to an AC relay box because both are about full). I'm thinking a time delay relay might be the answer, assuming it could be set to turn-off after 5 minutes or whatever that would also cycle (if I'm not using the term correctly, I mean "re-start") every time it loses power. That way, if a relay comes on for no reason or gets stuck on, the dosing pump wouldn't run longer than the time I set on the time delay relay. If I discovered a problem, I would turn the relay off and the time delay relay would be back in action. The problem is, I don't know which time delay relays to get, how to setup, or how/where to connect male and female 12VDC connectors to the time delay relays (the 12VDC connectors are those used on virtually all dosing pumps, small LED lights, and so forth). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sleepydoc]

I have decided to go with a cabinet even though I have a gfci.
That dang brain !

Yeah - it’s kind of like having a fear of flying. Sure you can try to get over it but sometimes it’s easier just to drive!

absolutely nothing wrong with having an equipment cabinet. It may make maintenance easier, anyway.

 

[linkedsilas]

Yeah - it’s kind of like having a fear of flying. Sure you can try to get over it but sometimes it’s easier just to drive!

absolutely nothing wrong with having an equipment cabinet. It may make maintenance easier, anyway.

Lol, I keep changing my mind. I am taking the proper precautions with the outlet
Going to get a wifi temp probe with alert
And I have a camera
You guys are probably right that it’s safe underneath because many people have that

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Plugs can get wet anyway theres plenty of them outside with sprinklers pointed right at them with Christmas lights plugged in and working. Its the gfci's outside that will trip in that situation. But point them down(the electric plugs) with the wires going down gravity will take care of the water, there's tons of options for any thing you choose thats the best part of this hobby make it original one of a kind and post those pictures so we can see a!!!


I also don't put my receptacles under my cabinet but only to look clean not from fear lol

 

[TheDuude]

Electrical question not related to reefing but thought I would ask anyway..

What gauge wire do I need for an 80 ft. run that will be servicing a 240V outlet pulling a continuous 32A?

The plan is to have a 40 amp breaker running to a Nema 14-50 outlet.

 

[KStatefan]

Electrical question not related to reefing but thought I would ask anyway..

What gauge wire do I need for an 80 ft. run that will be servicing a 240V outlet pulling a continuous 32A?

The plan is to have a 40 amp breaker running to a Nema 14-50 outlet.

To keep under 2% voltage drop you would have to use 6 AWG based on the Ugly's chart. 8 awg would get you to 76 feet.

 

[SoggyNW]

Electrical question not related to reefing but thought I would ask anyway..

What gauge wire do I need for an 80 ft. run that will be servicing a 240V outlet pulling a continuous 32A?

The plan is to have a 40 amp breaker running to a Nema 14-50 outlet.

# 8 will work fine. Nothing wrong with going up a size also to future proof for larger equipment in the future.

 

[Crashjack]

New question:

I'm interested in an electrical/mechanical failsafe for my dosing pumps, which are controlled a by Reef Angel controller and powered by a DC relay box managed by the controller. I have two dosing pumps, one pumps water through my kalk stirrer and the other runs my ATO. I had a situation recently where my dosing pump that runs my stirrer came on for no reason. Luckily, I was nearby and knew it was not supposed to be running so I shut it off. I moved the pump to a different relay and changed my programming to accommodate, and It hasn’t happened since, but I want to add a “hard” failsafe.

Each relay on the DC relay box runs 12VDC at 400 mA max. I would like something I could insert between the DC relay box and each pump (e.g. I don't want to move the pumps to an AC relay box because both are about full). I'm thinking a time delay relay might be the answer, assuming it could be set to turn-off after 5 minutes or whatever that would also cycle (if I'm not using the term correctly, I mean "re-start") every time it loses power. That way, if a relay comes on for no reason or gets stuck on, the dosing pump wouldn't run longer than the time I set on the time delay relay. If I discovered a problem, I would turn the relay off and the time delay relay would be back in action. The problem is, I don't know which time delay relays to get, how to setup, or how/where to connect male and female 12VDC connectors to the time delay relays (the 12VDC connectors are those used on virtually all dosing pumps, small LED lights, and so forth). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Nobody have an answer or maybe a better solution?

 

[Sleepydoc]

# 8 will work fine. Nothing wrong with going up a size also to future proof for larger equipment in the future.

Agreed - it depends on the wire & insulation but for copper wire, #8 is safe. I installed a 50A circuit for my electric car charger and used #6.

 

[Sleepydoc]

Nobody have an answer or maybe a better solution?

you might want to move this to a new thread. I’t would probalby get more traffic there vs this one.

Off hand I don’t know of a ready made solution. Ideas I can think of are:
1. using separate input and output on the reef angel to control the relay and or a solenoid.
2. Creating a simple R-C circuit with a relay that would trigger and shut off after a period of time
3. Using a 555 timer chip to create a circuit.

 

[Crashjack]

you might want to move this to a new thread. I’t would probalby get more traffic there vs this one.

Off hand I don’t know of a ready made solution. Ideas I can think of are:
1. using separate input and output on the reef angel to control the relay and or a solenoid.
2. Creating a simple R-C circuit with a relay that would trigger and shut off after a period of time
3. Using a 555 timer chip to create a circuit.

Realize, my electrical experience is almost exclusive to RC planes and helicopters, which is mostly about connectors, wire gauges, and programming. Therefore, I'm pretty much an imbecile as it relates to what I'm trying to do in this situation. I don't really understand #1. I'm familiar with solenoids but don't really understand how to use in this application. I think #2 is what I'm describing utilizing a time delay relay. #3 is likely above my head... if it is something I can buy for less than $1, there is no way I'm going to turn it into something that works.

I did start a thread in the General Equipment forum but got no responses. From what I can piece together something like this is what I need: https://www.ebay.com/itm/MACROMATIC...9946?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c1#viTabs_0

The problem is, I don't know the lingo well enough to know exactly what to get or how to wire. What I'm trying to accomplish is simple enough... 12VDC relay 'on' < X minutes, time delay relay remains 'on'. 12VDC relay on = X minutes, time delay relay 'off'. Time delay relay remains 'off' until 12VDC relay turns off and then back 'on'.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

To keep under 2% voltage drop you would have to use 6 AWG based on the Ugly's chart. 8 awg would get you to 76 feet.

Voltage drop will not matter in 80 ft but the cost difference in #6 to #8 will @80'... but why are you saying 32 continous amps because thats the meat and potatoes of figuring out what size wire/braker you require which is how you do it no need to overkill and throw money in the trash

●What is you equipment (if a motor what are the name plate ratings)
● What is the ambiant temperature of the location of the conductors
You already know distance and voltage you need ..

 

[TheDuude]

Agreed - it depends on the wire & insulation but for copper wire, #8 is safe. I installed a 50A circuit for my electric car charger and used #6.

I will be using this circuit to charge an EV as well. But m EVSE maxes out at 32A so wont need a 50A circuit.