Important safety...please read

Think he was talking to the thread start question

 

Sometimes ppl "share" outlets that are wired to one breaker. So you'll have many items(tv, radio, computer, etc) sharing one breaker. Overload.

Luna

 

ahhh sweet, i think I'm ok then. thank you!!!

 

what kind of powerstrip are you using? You should have a GFCI on anything that is around water....so around your tanks there should be one placed. Trust me I have tripped it many times. I also have them in my basement where I mix the water and store water....

Also has something to do with the wiring that is in powerstrip. I do not understand electricity AT ALL.....but those 3.99 powerstrips that we all have laying around the house should be tossed immediately. I was talking to someone at work one day when I was told she had some normal living room lights plugged into one when it caught fire.

Inwall had a post once that he reposted right after I had my fire many months back that explains this better...I will see if I can find it or ask him to repost it.

But I would upgrade your powerstrip if I was you. When I went to Home Depot and Lowes today I studied all sorts of powerstrips...now mind you I know that electricity goes buzz and that is it!!! ;D but the joules ranged from 300 to 1550 and the cheaper one did not even list their joules on it.
The powerstrip that I got is a dual over-load guard (they have single ones but a lot of my stuff is on timers which takes up a lot of room...) that is 12g with dual 15amp combination dual circuit breakers. This did not come with a GFCI so I plugged it into a seperate outlet that had one. What is nice about this is the dual circuit breakers....if one side shuts off then the other stays on. Now from these posts I understand a little better about not exceeding 15amps

I now see where my problem was with overloading the powerstrip. I had my chiller, my chiller pump and one set of lights all on the same strip. I now have redistributed that load to different outlets and kept my chiller and my 2 lights on different outlets.

It took me many hours but I untangled the web of wires, re-labled them all and they are now nice and neat. I kept adding things onto these plugs and was not keeping track of what all was on it.

thanks everyone for the replies!!!

 

here is that other thread that explains more about the powerstrips...Curt hope you dont mind that I redirect here...
http://www.3reef.com/forums/general-reef-topics/fire-safety-38360.html

but this explains a lot better...and the date of my fire was 6/11!

 

Thanks for the heads up. I think I'm going to check all my stuff today.

 

If I remember correctly, when re-wiring or wiring a house you should only connect 3-4 a/c outlets to one 15 amp breaker. I am not an electrician so dont take my word for it, but I know a couple of them. Maybe one of our 3reef electricians can come in and verify. Luna

 

Find out how much each item uses and add that up. I found that my 55 gallon only used 12.3 watts. I could have put everything on one strip, but I didn't. I put my lights on timers, so they had to have their own outlet. The rest of the stuff was broken up on another outlet, using two power strips. Luckily, I have a hubby who can put in an outlet when/where I need.

 

Electrical Problems ( Fires )

I have been on a crusade to save lives and property for the last 14 years. I was an electrical contractor in NYC and saw many electrical fires in receptacles (wall outlets). I had discovered that there was an overheating problem in the connection points of the outlets where the wires connect and at the insertion point of the male plug. Have you ever had a male plug that was loose in an outlet? That can be the beginning of a phenomenon called a Glowing Connection.
Outlets wear out over time. They become defective and cause fires, lots of fires. I invented a simple solution to the problem, temperature sensing outlets, power strips, cords etc. It has taken 14 years to produce a product that can prevent this problem. It has been a David and Goliath situation.
All the major wiring device companies showed interest in the beginning, but said no thanks, until the Tobacco Industry got caught lying to congress about cigarettes -- They are a defective product, they can kill people over time. Well so is an outlet they can become defective and can kill people over time! This is a National and International problem. I have been involved with the Consumer Products Commission (CPSC) Underwriters Laboratory (UL), NYS fire commissioner, Insurance companies and numerous others. I am looking to spread the word about these safety hazards.
When I gave up my business to peruse my dream of preventing these fires , I thought the world would embrace my idea of outlets and wiring devices with temperature sensing so that when there is an over temperature condition they will shut them self down. This principal has been used in small motors, fluorescent lighting, street lighting, recessed lighting, etc. This is to prevent over heating and shut down before a fire could start. (Did you ever see a street light turn off and then turn on again. This is due to temperature sensing in these devices to prevent fires.
The world does not know that outlets cause fires and that the problem is NOT overloading, I hope you can help me get the word out to save lives and property. Temperature sensing outlets will finally be in the market place this month. I feel that I have won the David and Goliath battle and want to share this with the world. Thank you so much for your time. Hopefully you will see the benefit of your influence and tell people about this problem. I have TONS of information on this subject and 1000's of articles about this exact problem. I have put in submissions to the NEC (National Electrical Code) to require these outlets. Hopefully with your help we can get the code changed and the word out. The outlet or power strip can go on fire with as little as 1 amp plugged in. You should Google the term GLOWING CONNECTION to get a better idea as to what this is all about
Feel free to E-Mail with any questions. The tank equipment is more sustable to this problem due to the moisture created by the pumps. A GFCI ( ground fault circuit interuptor )can still go on fire. It is designed to stop stray voltage from shocking people. It is not designed to stop overheating. There is a new type circuit breaker in the market call AFCI ( arc fault circuit
interrupter) It is not designed to detect glowing connections.
If you need help or have questions e-mail me.

Bob K.