HELP!!!! Electric current in water

[kpkelvin83]

Hi everyone,

i am new in this forum.

i need help with my system.

i have got a resun chiller 2 weeks ago and when i got back from work i found my fish all dead. when i put my hand into the water to retrieve my dead fishes, i felt electric shocks when i put my hand in.

i brought the chiller back and exchange a new 1. when i tested it back at home, same problem.

i have tried all methods but the problem is still there.

i have corals in my tank as well and now i dun even dare to switch on my chiller.

list of methods are listed below:

I am using canister filter.

1) slowly switch on lights follow by filter, pump for chiller and lastly chiller (thats when the electric comes)

2) change sockets for all of my items.

3) change water for my whole tank.

4) change pump for chiller.

5) change filter system.

[iskay]

You need to isolate and confirm the source of the current leak. Switch off ALL electrical devices and switch on one at a time. Once isolated, change that equipment. that's the safest way.

[Rxcp14]

Hmmm does the wires have drip loops?

[vinccc2009]

Why do you think it's the chiller?

You have to isolate each devices. On one and a time.

Once, I have a problem with my tank.

Whenever I on the lights, the house will tripped.

So think that it's the light and bring all the way to replace.

However, when there, noting happen.

Bring back, on and tripped.

Narrow one at a time and found it is my extension bar giving problem because once the light on, it need more curent and overload the extension bar...

[jamomatt]

Yeah... May not be the chiller.

Do you have a Main display and sump?

If you do, the leak is probably something in your main display.

[georgekoh84]

Get a grounding probe...

[Gobyluver]

Try s/w ON the chiller feed pump only and nothing else. Teat the water. Then s/w ON ur chiller and test water again. This way u can determine wether its the chiiler cause the problem..

[kpkelvin83]

bros... i have isolate everything and switch on 1 by 1. i switch on everything else except for the chiller, no current in my water. once i switch on the chiller the current comes back again. i even tried to plug my chiller to the main socket w/o extentsion, still the same.

i place my chiller below my dinning table and sometimes that area is quite dusty. will the dust be the prob that cause my chiller to have leak?

Bro georgekoh84, where can i get the grounding probe?

[sun2000]

Bro georgekoh84, where can i get the grounding probe?

Don't "solve" the problem using a grounding probe.... find the "real" problem and fix it...current leakage is dangerous

[wilsontantw]

Suggest to test it over a pail of fresh water instead of the tank itself.

Chiller, especially new, seldom will leak.

[yeo99]

Solution:

•Before doing maintenance on your aquarium, turn the power off.

•Check equipment regularly for cracks, frayed wires, or broken bulbs, and repair or replace as needed.

•If equipment goes bad (i.e.: a heater breaks), shut off electricity to the tank before taking action.

•Plug equipment into GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter).

•Use a drip loop to ensure water doesn’t travel to electrical outlets.

•Don’t lay power strips below the tank – mount them on the wall above the water level.

•Make sure the floor is dry, and wear rubber soled shoes when working on the aquarium

See

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/problemsolving/a/grounding.htm?rd=1

The problem I faced is that even the brand new equipment such as pump have leaksge.... I have install the circuit breaker as a safety measure.

[kpkelvin83]

Suggest to test it over a pail of fresh water instead of the tank itself.

Chiller, especially new, seldom will leak.

I have also tested on fresh water, but the prob is fresh water is not a gd conductor of electricity. when i test over fresh water nutting happens but when i test over salt water e prob comes back again. i am going crazy..... i dun wana use grounding prop cos it don solve the problem at all.

[sun2000]

I have also tested on fresh water, but the prob is fresh water is not a gd conductor of electricity. when i test over fresh water nutting happens but when i test over salt water e prob comes back again. i am going crazy..... i dun wana use grounding prop cos it don solve the problem at all.

If you can..why not test the chiller at the shop....bring a pail /pump with you, add salt water and test on site. If the chiller is the cause, you can get one replaced until the problem is solved. If at the shop no problem but when you bring it back (repeat the test using pail and pump)and the chiller has a problem, then better get an electrician to test and check your main line as confirm the chiller is OK (tested). Since you already swap out most of the components. If possible, try at a different power socket location( ie diff room, hall,kitchen etc) to try a different main line, as maybe the main socket you are using ( line inside) is faulty...I dunno , like I mention, do some isolation , if it is indeed only happening at that particular socket , get an electrician to check/repair. Hopefully it is just a bad chiller (and your luck damn suay, replace new once also same problem)and when you get a good one, problem is solved.

cheers and chill

[wilsontantw]

I have also tested on fresh water, but the prob is fresh water is not a gd conductor of electricity. when i test over fresh water nutting happens but when i test over salt water e prob comes back again. i am going crazy..... i dun wana use grounding prop cos it don solve the problem at all.

If I was you, I'll go crazy as well. This shouldn't be the case.

Just curious to know when u did the salt/fresh water test:

Is it the chiller pump at the same power point?

And you changed only the water in the pail from fresh to tank salt water (scooped from tank? Or you plug the chiller back to tank?)

Im not good with chemistry thus don't quite understand why would having salt content make water more conductive?

Water (with salt or not) as I was taught, is a very good conductor for electricity.

[yikai]

@wilson.

water is a bad conductor of electricity. you skin is also a rather poor conductor of electricity. however if you get water on your skin, the water reduces the resistance and improves the conductivity. but on it's own, water is not a very good conductor. it is good, but not very good.

however salt water is an excellent conductor of electricity. salt water contains sodium and chlorine in the form of sodium chloride. sodium chloride dissolves in the water to form ions. sodium + cation, and chloride - anion. these positive and negative ions floating around the water help to conduct the electricity much faster and much better. the electric current flows via these charged ions and conduct better.

that's the reason why pure water is a bad conductor. it contains no ions to help electricity move.

[Oprime]

Sometimes it appears that you are getting a small electric shock but that isnt the case. Its because you have a break in the skin of one of your fingers and the effect of the salt water gives you that tingling sensation.

[wilsontantw]

@wilson.

water is a bad conductor of electricity. you skin is also a rather poor conductor of electricity. however if you get water on your skin, the water reduces the resistance and improves the conductivity. but on it's own, water is not a very good conductor. it is good, but not very good.

however salt water is an excellent conductor of electricity. salt water contains sodium and chlorine in the form of sodium chloride. sodium chloride dissolves in the water to form ions. sodium + cation, and chloride - anion. these positive and negative ions floating around the water help to conduct the electricity much faster and much better. the electric current flows via these charged ions and conduct better.

that's the reason why pure water is a bad conductor. it contains no ions to help electricity move.

@Lemon: thanks bro.

That's why I shouldn't fall asleep at that botak chemistry teacher's class and wake up at the maths lesson, taught by a hot lady teacher!

Btw, Quite puzzling situation here... Am curious to know why and help this bro out. Anyone??

[naivete]

Where you able to solve the problem?

+1 on the tingling electrifying sensation with you dip your hands with a slight cut especially where your nails and skin attached.

[dani07]

hi guys i had the same problem of my chiller tripping my house electricity. whenever i turn on the chiller, the power supply will trip and cause all of my fishes to die. my artica chiller is about 2 years old and what could be wrong with the chiller?