Thank Heaven For GFI Receptacle

[alan mcilvried]

Since I'm sitting around all unemployed today, I was messing with my tank, which I just moved a little more than a week ago. Part of moving the tank was installing a new GFI receptacle. I stopped to eat lunch and all of a sudden I hear my check valve clicking, which means my supply pump has stopped. I look in the cabinet, but I don't see anything strange other than the GFI is tripped, so I reach in and click it back on. Suddenly a geyser of water spews out of the hose that used to be the feed for my skimmer, but which now was just shooting water up and out of my sump. (Don't ask me why I didn't notice the water the first time. There are so many hoses and wires under there, I really just didn't see it.) Fortunately, it hit my switch bank and everything shut down almost instantly. I had a bit of a mess to clean up, but nothing like it would have been if my sump had been emptied onto my floor.

 

If you ever even remotely consider plugging in to anything other than a GFI, I'd remind you that it is not safe and it just might save you a LOT of aggravation.

 

 

Al

[Coral Hind]

I'm glad that disaster was averted!

[Jon Lazar]

Glad it worked out ok and you're sharing your story. Good thing you were there to notice the problem and fix things, and not away on a business trip or vacation. Otherwise the power outage could have caused a tank crash. :(

[BeltwayBandit]

Glad that the GFCI worked for you. Just wanted to add that a ground probe or two in the tank is also helpful.