How do I prevent electric shock?

[AngelAddick]

Hello everyone, I am a newbie to this forum. Am currently an expert at killing plants and would like to learn more so that I can keep my plants alive and maybe even thrive.

My question today is about lighting and preventing electiric shock. It seems like recently I have been getting minor shocks while changing water. Sometimes when touching the light casing, sometimes touching spots on water on the tank. Ths happens with various tanks and lights. not sure whether it's short circuit and how to prevent it.

Can any bros advice what to do because I do not wish to get fried. What can I do to ensure lights are safe? Are there any instruments to check that lights/pumps are safe? Seems light lights get stained and flaky especially splashed by water bubbles created by airhose - any way to prevent that? Is that why short-circuit?

And finally, what is a safe way to power an aquarium system given the need for air pump, filter pump, light and heater (for discus). What's the best system to use to prevent overloading? Any extension power stations to recommend? How many multiple plugs can we use at one time?

Thanks in advance,
Phil

[grey_fox]

Hi Phil,

Welcome to AQ, although I'm not an electrician, I might be able to help you on this.

1. Do you have a test-pen screwdriver? If yes, touch the test-pen to your lights (any metal surface will do).
2. Does it light up? If yes, is your lighting set power plug a two pin plug or a three pin? If its two, likely your lighting cases isn't grounded properly, simply change the two pin to a three pinned plug. (You'll need to cut off the wire and rejoin it again.) I'll try to google some images for reference.

I would suggest you do a full test-pen test throughout your equipment.

[vinz]

Electric shock from water is an indication that one of the submerged electrical devices is not grounded. Filters and pumps should be grounded with a 3 pin plug. The last time I experience this was with my chiller. All I had to do was attach a grounding wire to the point designated in the manual and attach it to a metal pipe or in my case connected to a three pin plug and plugged into a wall socket.

Personally, for aquarium electrical devices, I rather spend more on a tried and tested brand then to sting and get cheaper brands from countries with questionable standards. These equipment typically run 24/7 unsupervised and I feel safer knowing I've got decent ones.

Don't forget the home fires started by inferior filters and pumps during the influx of such equipment during the luo-han craze.

[Shadow]

I wonder why goverment did not stop product which did not meet safety standard.

[AngelAddick]

Thank Bro Grey Fox and Vinz for replies. Look forward to seeing pictures and instructions how to earth the tanks.

Most lights, pumps come without earth line, and all have just 2-pin plugs. I often wonder about their safety and how many of them I can plug into a power station. More worrying is even the branded Jager heaters use two-pin without earth line. I would've thought heaters are more prone to problems, since higher resistance.

Thanks again.

[Shadow]

It is not necessary to be 3-plug.

There are two ways to prevent shock or leakage curent:
1) Total isolation (the most cost efficient)
2) Provide path to ground.

Heater coil usually sit inside the glass isulator, as long as the manufacturer able to isolate it completly, it shouldn't be an issue.

Get the product with safety approved label on them.

[tawauboy]

generally, 2-pin plugs are sufficient for devices that do not have metal casings. thus, pumps and heaters do not require a ground pin. however, electricity will leak if the pump motor coil encapsulation material is damaged or the heater glass housing is cracked. when water gets to the electrical coils, you get electricity leakage.

so looks for electrical products that have psb or ul or tuv safety markings.

[BFG]

Agree. But if you are still in doubt, you could purchase those grounding probe which could create a path for stray electric out of your tank.

[aqualover]

changing from 2-pin plug to 3-pin is only partially right - the cable has to be changed to 3-core as well, and both ends must be grounded. Consult an eletrician friend if unsure

[aqualover]

For added safety, i'd placed a large piece of rubber mat in front of my tank.

[Shadow]

me too, nothing to do with safety though, my floor is parquet

[greenie]

May I add that the ground wire in the 3 pin plug is a last line of defence against an electrical shock. If that fails to trip your home circuit breaker, you will get hurt or worse.

If you observe most aquarium electrical equiptment comes with a 2 pin plug. This is because it is design to be insulated from water. So no point getting a 3 pin plug, in most cases, as there is no 3rd wire to be hook up for grounding.

Once you start getting mild electric shock in your tank it only means that one of the electrical equiptment you have, has a current leak. That, in the first place, should not happen. Most probably poor equipment design.

Meaning it must be identified and replace. My advice is do not think it's expensive to replace for example your filter because your life is more important.

Do switch on one electrical item at a time and check if the current leak exists. Having breed discus b4 I guess it's your heater.

Identify and remove. Fishkeeping shouldn't involve mild electric shocks though we all know the hazards is there.

Please do something before the hazard becomes really dangerous.