Disaster averted, again!

[Guest webshout]

Ok, I sitting down this morning, checking my email. I've got the day off and just trying to ease into the day. My wife sits down to read the paper and says "What's burning?" I sniff around my PC, but don't smell anything. Nothing in the bathroom. It's a bit stronger in the family room, and stronger still by the AQUARIUM!! No flames, no smoke, just a burning rubber, eletric arc smell. AW CRUD!! I open the stand doors and see the floor of the left side is wet. Double OH CRUD! I turn everything off!! Most of the outlets are outside of the cabinet anyway. Those inside are on the side wall.

 

However, the wavemaker (Natural Wave) is on the floor behind the stand. And is wet! SHOOT!

 

Turns out that my skimmer (Remora Pro) decided to skim VERY WET, overflowed and dripped onto the wavemaker. Decided the better course would be to throw it out, cuase I'd never trust it again. Fortunately, that was the only casualty.

 

Gee, talk about an incentive to redo the wiring.

 

I'm gonna start calling my wife Fire Marshall!

 

SAFE Reefing everyone!

 

William

[yauger]

Sorry to hear that bro!! at least you figured out thew issue... now you have an excuse to buy new equipment!!

[flowerseller]

A main reason I highly reccomend skimmer cup drains and keeping thedrain container in the sump until you "trust" it or in other cases "understand" it.

If it over flows, it does so into the sump.

[Guest webshout]

A main reason I highly reccomend skimmer cup drains and keeping thedrain container in the sump until you "trust" it or in other cases "understand" it.

If it over flows, it does so into the sump.

 

Yeah, but I've been running this skimmer for months now and I've never had a problem 'til now. Ususaly, I only have to empty the collection cup every 2-3 days. This was the first time it filled the cup with almost clear skim. Overnight! For no obvious reason!

 

I'll look into turning the drain nozzle around and hooking it to a gallon jug. Didn't want to do that before b/c of the potential smell. Gotta keep the wife happy.

 

Thanks.

 

W.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I thought when remoras cups got full, they overflowed back into the center hole of the collection cup (into the skimmer). How did it get on the floor?

[flowerseller]

Wasn't implying you didn't know what you were doing with it.

[Guest webshout]

I thought when remoras cups got full, they overflowed back into the center hole of the collection cup (into the skimmer). How did it get on the floor?

 

I had turned the drain nozzle up. Not anticipating it would ever fill up. I probably should have capped it. Now, I'll set it up to drain to a gal jug.

 

W.

[ErikS]

I'll look into turning the drain nozzle around and hooking it to a gallon jug. Didn't want to do that before b/c of the potential smell. Gotta keep the wife happy.

Use carbon on whatever you drain into. I.E. put a bag of carbon over the top where the tube goes into the container. I've also heard that a bit of kalk powder in the receptacle also helps.

[jason the filter freak]

Drip loops man, they'll save a life

[treesprite]

Drip loops man, they'll save a life

 

Seriously.

[Guest webshout]

I agree about drip loops, but not applicable in this situation. If anything, I should have mounted the strip on the wall like the others, or moved it out from behind the stand. Live and learn. Emphasis on the Live part.

 

Anyway, I found some tubing and ran it to a jug. Will modify a carbon sock later. May feed the tube thru oversize PVC that will rest on neck of jug. Hmm, gotta think about stability. Don't want that smelly goop on the floor. Thought I saw something on C-list or ebay about a collection container with carbon holder.

 

Stay safe.

 

W.

[Guest webshout]

Wasn't implying you didn't know what you were doing with it.

 

No offense taken. It's just that I've come to realizae that nothing can be taken for granted in this hobby. Sometimes the hobby can be frustrating.

 

Happy reefing.

 

W.

[jamesbuf]

All we can do is learn for our mistakes. Look at it this way, you've found a mistake that you'll never make again and at least nothing REALLY bad came of it.

[ErikS]

Some container suggestions -

 

Find something, anything, that is stable with a flat top. Drill a couple holes in the lid - one hole for the hose & one for a vent (cover with carbon). Incoming hole = fitted for 1/2" NPT w a hose barb on the other = good seal & holds the tube. Milk jugs can be unstable, the tall thin entries lead to the hose causing issues. Wide and flat is good.

 

Homer Depot Buckets work well, several sizes of plastic buckets there. I've used an old salt bucket before. The thin plastic requires no tapping, it holds the barb in just fine - a reasonably tight fit will do.

 

Someone help me out, IIRC a 3/4" hole works for a 1/2" NPT.

 

If a nice overflow jug costs more than $5 you paid too much.

[flowerseller]

I use a 1g milk jug and toss it when it get's uky

[Guest webshout]

I use a 1g milk jug and toss it when it get's uky

 

This idea I like. Simple: Fill, Remove, Replace, Repeat. I also have a 2g bucket from Ace that has a flat top. That would work long term. I'll say one thing about this hobby, it certainly gives you the opportunity to tinker to your heart's content.

 

Thanks for all the feedback.

 

William

[Rascal]

Just out of curiosity, was that wavemaker connected to a GFCI? If so, I wonder why it didn't trip?

[Guest webshout]

Just out of curiosity, was that wavemaker connected to a GFCI? If so, I wonder why it didn't trip?

 

The wavemaker had 15 amp push button circuit breaker built in. I guess I caught it before it tripped. Hmmmm, now that I think about it, by the time we smelled it, it should have tripped.

 

Maybe the reef gods were smiling on me after all. It could have been worse.

 

Happy reefing.

 

W.

[steveoutlaw]

Well, when you get the MCE600 on your system you won't have to worry about that stuff. It has a cup drain that goes back into the skimmer. I'm planning on putting the sump on today so you should be able to come and pick up the skimmer sometime tomorrow.

[Highland Reefer]

You should convert the standard outlet you plug your equipment into, to a GFCI outlet. Murphy always finds a way to catch up to you. The next time you may not be there. :(

[Guest webshout]

You should convert the standard outlet you plug your equipment into, to a GFCI outlet. Murphy always finds a way to catch up to you. The next time you may not be there. :(

 

I've actually have the GFCI outlets to replace. I've just not gotten 'round to it. Again incentive to make changes.

 

William

[Rascal]

The wavemaker had 15 amp push button circuit breaker built in. I guess I caught it before it tripped. Hmmmm, now that I think about it, by the time we smelled it, it should have tripped.

 

Just FYI -- the circuit breaker is not the same as a ground fault circuit interrupter. The former only trips in the case of an overload -- too much current going through the device. A GFCI will trip when there is more current going out of the hot side of the outlet than there is coming back in the neutral side of the outlet. Strictly speaking, they are designed to prevent electric shock and not fires caused by arc-faults, but I have never had one fail to trip when there was a short caused by something getting wet.

[Guest webshout]

Just FYI -- the circuit breaker is not the same as a ground fault circuit interrupter. The former only trips in the case of an overload -- too much current going through the device. A GFCI will trip when there is more current going out of the hot side of the outlet than there is coming back in the neutral side of the outlet. Strictly speaking, they are designed to prevent electric shock and not fires caused by arc-faults, but I have never had one fail to trip when there was a short caused by something getting wet.

 

 

I knew there was a difference, but never really understood the difference. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Happy reefing.

 

W.