Oh Look- it's another grounding probe thread....

Electrical Safety: The Fatal Current

Ohio state physics department

 

Well guess what, just got a $10 multimeter- always wated one!

Anyways, I touched it to the screw on my socket plate, and put the red one in the sump. .................Drum roll please.................................


9.8Volts!! Holy Bejesus!

I'm going to rig a longer gound wire so I can test the tank.

Then, I'm going to take some wire, and a piece of SS from my sailing hardware and rig a ground probe and test again.

Luckily, everyone seems to be doing fine DT wise.

Holy voltmeter Batman-- 9.8volts in the sump!

 

So I started unplugging things and testing. Each device seemed to add a little.
A T5 fixture,, on the top of my plactic tank rim was about 3 volts by itself.

I made a grounding wire/plug by taking a spare male end I had to mend extension cords with and hooked a wire up to the third pole, and only the third pole and plugged it in. I attched the other end to a small piece of SS I had used as sailboat rigging. I dropped it in the sump, and then retested the sump- several times and it reads 0 every time!

I used the same ground circuit as the groaunding probe is using, still didnt matter, it reads 0 volts.

When I grabbed the ground during testing, it read 0.6V.

Interesting that when you touch the hot wire side (shorter slot side), and the ground, you get ~120. When you touch the neutral and ground, you get ~2 volts!

I had one by one turned off the power to everthing in my sump, and the water still read 2-3V.
The tank and sump always read the same.
I didn't go the submersed PH's in DT, I had a total of 5 more to go.

All in all, I think I'll keep it.

I'll see if I notice any behavior change in my livestock. So far, not really, they still sem happy, non stressed, etc.

 

I'm curious to see if it can push anything, if your feeling adventurous at some point try this. Swap your multimeter over to current and add it into your circuit in series. (3rd pole-black wire-ammeter-red wire-water)

 

I've been having the same problem with my LED light fixture. 9 10 watt leds and 3 30 watt drivers. Everything is wired correctly and insulated from the aluminum housing. However when I touch the housing with the back of my hand I get zapped. The drivers are grounded but not the aluminum itself. I was going to just ground the fixture but now I'm curious as to what is causing this? Is it because the insulation on the solid copper wire is too thin and it is transferring current to my frame?

 

Well I tested again with and without the grounding probe.

Without it, got 6.2V, and with my DIY grounding probe, 0 volts.

The livestock seem to be the same as far as I can tell.

FWIW

 

Don't know if you'll read this but mine is the same way. I grounded the fixture and it when ever my ato pump kicked on and off the lights with flicker so I removed it.

 

I thought I felt some current on a small buy I have on my finger today when putting my fingers my sump- I know I did.

Went and got my voltmeter, and the sump read 0 volts. I unplugged the DIY grounding probe, and this time when grounded, the meter read 17.6V!

I know there is lots of debate, I'm keeping mine!

 

Voltmetered it again today- got it about 12+V.
unplugged everything one at a time and voltmetered each time.

I found a small PH I really don't need putting out about 5V.- Got rid of it.

I also found that my trusty Marineland 5500 return pump also putting out about 5 V.
It's staying on for now, and I'll try emailing the company.

So now I'm down to 7V, w/o the grounding probe, back in- 0.