STEVE March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 So can you just take a regular outlet out and replace it with a GFCI outlet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 (edited) If it has a ground I think so. You have to consider if you have other outlets downstream of that one in the circuit. If you wire the GFCI one way (with them all on the load side) they will all be protected and will all go dark if something trips it. If you wire it the other way (all on the line side) just the one outlet will be protected and will cause a trip. Others here are better electricians than me, though. I'm a poser. BTW, Coral Hind, you're a good electrician. I just know what Bean's article says. If it's wrong that a GFCI is required with a grounding probe, I'm interested in why. Edited March 28, 2013 by AlanM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Decadence March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 Electricity will take he shortest path to ground. This will likely not be through a fish. I would not run a gfci unless it was an independent gfci intended for the device or group of devices you are trying to protect. If not, a weak stray voltage from a powerhead could shut your whole tank down which is likely to be worse than a little stray voltage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime March 28, 2013 Author Share March 28, 2013 Ask then to use a multi meter not their freaking hand. Maybe they got shocked a lot as a kid or struck by lightning Or maybe the ground in you wall outlet ain't working but they have lill hand held testers for that Couldn't agree more. Unfortuantly, by the time I posted this, they had already mailed it back. I've essentially paid $30 for the same troubleshooting that I did myself. If I get it back, try another outlet, and I'm getting some voltage again, I'll give them... what do the mods fix this as... he double hockey sticks? I had more than one brew last night, problem solved Some folks put a ground probe in the sump, and NOT in the tank....and vice versa....in the tank but NOT in the sump. I do both. Might be overkill, but it's only $15 ! I plug mine into a normal outlet, I do not have a GFI outlet. As per the instructions on the Deep Blue Grounding Probe, I plugged it into a 3 pronged socket, and placed in my sump. The only real requirements were that the leg be plugged into a physical outlet, not a strip. All other conversation/debate aside, I'm still running a grounding probe into my sump, like it was mentioned, it's only $15, I'd pay that for the piece of mind, be it useful or not... that's another book. Should be back on Friday, I'll post outcomes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 So can you just take a regular outlet out and replace it with a GFCI outlet? Depending on how many outlets are on the same string yes.... though you cannot add a GFCI onto a string that has one or they will continue to trip each other if you put a large load on one..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 do you want me to show you how Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 Example number 2 about two thirds of the way down addresses the reason why. Without a GFCI to detect the imbalance between hot and neutral you can get a lot of current coming from the hot leg, through the water, and out the grounding probe. This current is also flowing through your fish and through your hand if you put it in there. I did see his example number two but it is flawed, as are a couple other areas of that article. Here is the flaw, if you have the hot wire with the hole in the insulation and a ground probe with no GFCI being used the direct path to ground the probe offers will cause the breaker to trip because of the rush of high amps from the wire to the ground that the probe offers. Yes, there is a slight chance it might kill your fish but probably not directly from the electricity as the current will flow around them rather than through them. The main thing to note is that as soon as the open in the hot's insulation happens the breaker trips which prevents a deadly situtation. If no ground probe was used because there was no GFCI as you mentioned then the tank would just sit energized waiting for a reefer to stick his hand in the tank. I think it is better to have a non GFCI circuit trip from a direct ground fault via a probe and possible have some fish die than to not use a probe at all and have a reefer die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 If it has a ground I think so. Even if it doesn't have a ground, because you are in an old two wire house, a GFCI outlet can still be used. Just wire it WITHOUT connecting anything to the ground screw. The GFCI will still function normally by watching what comes back on the neutral wire and trip if it doesn't match what went out on the hot wire. This outlet should be labeled "NO EQUIPMENT GROUND" since it has no ground connection. All outlets piggy backed off of it can be wired with standard grounded outlets if they are wired through the LOAD side of the GFCI outlet and labeled "GFCI PROTECTED, NO EQUIPMENT GROUND" If the house uses metal jacketed BX cable then just ground the outlet to the metal box to create the equipment ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocko918 March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 it could also be coming from the DJ switch. May not be the pump. Mine was coming from a powerstrip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime March 28, 2013 Author Share March 28, 2013 it could also be coming from the DJ switch. May not be the pump. Mine was coming from a powerstrip. I've thought about that. Will find out for sure when its returned. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 Sorry for the hyjack HYSublime! Did not intend for that to happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime March 28, 2013 Author Share March 28, 2013 Sorry for the hyjack HYSublime! Did not intend for that to happen! No worries, I'm learning! Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime March 28, 2013 Author Share March 28, 2013 Well. Either my grounding probe is doing a great job, or there is no voltage. Must have been my strip. My fault for not testing it further. Although, how hilarious is it that somewhere in Cali, two dudes and a saltwater tank were getting ready to test a pump they were informed had a stray voltage, with their hands? That's a $30 joke ladies and gentlemen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John March 28, 2013 Share March 28, 2013 So when you tested it today, did you use your hand?!?!?! We're all laughing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime March 28, 2013 Author Share March 28, 2013 So when you tested it today, did you use your hand?!?!?! We're all laughing... I paid the kid next door $5 to try it out. Make that a $35 joke! Just kidding, ya' got me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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