Electricity in water

[dersuz]

Is the resistance valve of your finger, low resistance will experience higher leakage current surge.

[Crab]

there's diy grounding probe here.

http://ozreef.org/diy/grounding_probe.html

Just wondering why there's a need for resistor and a diode. Any electrical expert here?

[shiraz]

hey chrislwp... thats what im experiencing! hmmm the shock on the 4th finger is usually stronger then the rest... its not that u can't feel it, it's still there but not has strong as when your 4th finger touches the water... hmmmmm wierd facts!

[hoppinghippos]

If using a multimeter, how do you check for presence of current/voltage in the tank? dip one end into water, and the other end touch where?

[Limpc]

I guess the other probe goes to the Earth and multimeter set to AC voltage range.

There was once when I had this leakage in my tank, I used a test pen to touch the water and the damn thing lighted up. Scary!

So, that's why I wanted a ground probe badly.

LimPC

[Crab]

I guess the other probe goes to the Earth and multimeter set to AC voltage range.

There was once when I had this leakage in my tank, I used a test pen to touch the water and the damn thing lighted up. Scary!

So, that's why I wanted a ground probe badly.

LimPC

I think the other probe should go to ground (the blue wire on 3 pin socket) and not earth. Anyone can confirm?

[Limpc]

Blue is the Neutral. If leakage voltage/current, I think it's still the earth (green color one).

LimPC

[dersuz]

One probe to the water surface and the other just clip to any metal part for grounding. Set your multimeter to mA range to determine the leakage.

[Achilles Tang]

hey chrislwp... thats what im experiencing! hmmm the shock on the 4th finger is usually stronger then the rest... its not that u can't feel it, it's still there but not has strong as when your 4th finger touches the water... hmmmmm wierd facts!

Fourth finger?

You mean the little finger?

[shiraz]

hmmm no AT... i mean my 4th extension from my palm .. 3rd finger to be precise if a thumb remains a thumb .... my ring finger

[BarraCudaTM]

there's diy grounding probe here.

http://ozreef.org/diy/grounding_probe.html

Just wondering why there's a need for resistor and a diode. Any electrical expert here?

A pnp diode allows electrical current to flow in 1 only but if the current flowing in the opposite direction is too high, the diode will burn and short circuit. The resistor is there to prevent such burn out should there is a current flowing in the opposite direction.

IMHO, there is no way electrical current can flow from the ground unless its connected to the live source but shit do happens

[Crab]

A pnp diode allows electrical current to flow in 1 only but if the current flowing in the opposite direction is too high, the diode will burn and short circuit.  The resistor is there to prevent such burn out should there is a current flowing in the opposite direction.

IMHO, there is no way electrical current can flow from the ground unless its connected to the live source but shit do happens 

OIC. I've been wondering why for long time. Thanks BarraCuda

[acce]

Hi,

Just had the same experience with a new chiller.

Can i know where can i get the grounding probe? Does P@t M@@t sells it. I'm not a DIY person.

Tks.

[shiraz]

see the thread in the DIY forum... seahorse is making it for people.. just add your name to the list... hopefully he has more probes... i just did a review on it too..

[chrislwp]

hmmm no AT... i mean my 4th extension from my palm .. 3rd finger to be precise if a thumb remains a thumb .... my ring finger

Correct.. the finger that wear the ring.. especially the part of fresh just after the nail.. quite painful when i put just the dip of that finger to the water surface

[xp95]

Hi,

Just had the same experience with a new chiller.

Can i know where can i get the grounding probe? Does P@t M@@t sells it. I'm not a DIY person.

Tks.

I bought one from PR cost about $30. You will need to buy a 3 pin plug from hardware shop bout $1 and connect to the earth pin and plug into socket. The switch need not be on for it to work.

[birman]

how high above water ur lighting is? likely to be from the lighting. try disconnecting lighting if it's near water surface.

[shiraz]

can electricity be transmitted by radiation??

[Limpc]

wah !!! chim leh!

Any a professor in SRC to comment.

LimPC

[terryansimon]

Hi,

Just had the same experience with a new chiller.

Can i know where can i get the grounding probe? Does P@t M@@t sells it. I'm not a DIY person.

Tks.

I saw them selling it at Paradiz Reef for $30. not sure if other places have, coz I'm not the sort that goes LFS hunting.

[terryansimon]

hmm. a few questions...

so am I right to say that by changing the plugs on the many european brand equipment like Eheim and ATI, by changing them from two pins to three pins, that it is actually grounded?

and as for the grounding probe sold by PR, where exactly do you connect it to? as in to which part of your tank?

after reading this thread I'm getting shit scared for myself and I think I'll do what AT does. convert all two pins to three pins. however, upon further reading, I've found *I don't know lah...but supposedly* its not useful as the grounding cable isn't connected or something along those lines. =\ whatever the case, is there a way to get someone to do the conversion from two to three pin for me? and is there a way to link this "grounding wire" *earth I think* to the three pin plug?

I hope this question doesn't sound vague.

[BarraCudaTM]

can electricity be transmitted by radiation??

Not really by radiation but through magnetic waves. Ballast and light tubes can give out magnetic waves and these energy will charge up the water.

[BarraCudaTM]

hmm. a few questions...

so am I right to say that by changing the plugs on the many european brand equipment like Eheim and ATI, by changing them from two pins to three pins, that it is actually grounded?

and as for the grounding probe sold by PR, where exactly do you connect it to? as in to which part of your tank?

after reading this thread I'm getting shit scared for myself and I think I'll do what AT does. convert all two pins to three pins. however, upon further reading, I've found *I don't know lah...but supposedly* its not useful as the grounding cable isn't connected or something along those lines. =\ whatever the case, is there a way to get someone to do the conversion from two to three pin for me? and is there a way to link this "grounding wire" *earth I think* to the three pin plug?

I hope this question doesn't sound vague.

It doesnt work as these equipment only have 1 live and 1 neutral wire. If there is no ground wire, there is no point changing to a 3pin plug.

2nd point, eheim pumps are fully encased in plastic and there is no metal contact with the water. Grounding must have a electrically conductive media in contact in order to work. Most powerheads dont leak electricity directly but they induce voltage due to magnetic waves escaping from the core.

The voltage is insulated inside the tank until something that is grounded touches the water. E.g a person standing on the ground touching the water.

There is nothing much you can do as its very hard to completely shield off magnetic waves, at most you can choose to run direct drive non-magnetic pump.

[hoppinghippos]

for lights you can change to 3 pin plug and for the earth pin, just connect to a wire which in turn is in contact with the metal casing of the lights.

[Achilles Tang]

Don't get me wrong... the 2-pin plugs are those Euro plugs where the earth pin is actually on the power point itself where it connects to the plughead. You can actually see a hole in the plughead where the earth pin goes in.

For two pin plugs, you can't ground them as they don't have a earth wire.