cbfreder;526329; said:
Read this article and then decide if it is a good investment.
http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM/Aquarium/GroundingProbes.html
Warning... Electricity kills!!
- Thread starter Potts050
- Start date
Read this article and then decide if it is a good investment.
http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM/Aquarium/GroundingProbes.html
I don't claim that to know anything about the stray voltage issue (non-issue?). I agree that it is not very scientific. However, the point of having a ground probe is very scientific.
A ground probe gives you a low-impedance pathway for any leakage current. This prevents the use of your body as a path to ground. Your resistance is much larger than that of the ground probe, and virtually no current will flow through you.
Brandon
A ground probe gives you a low-impedance pathway for any leakage current. This prevents the use of your body as a path to ground. Your resistance is much larger than that of the ground probe, and virtually no current will flow through you.
Brandon
cbfreder;847155; said:
i believe the point of the article is that stay voltages are everywhere and do no harm
stay currents are bad
stay voltages do not produce stray current unless there is a return path
ground probe provides a return path
HENCE A GROUND PROBE MAY PRODUCE STRAY CURRENT FROM THE STRAY VOLTAGE WHERE WITHOUT THE GROUND PROBE THERE WOULD BE NO STRAY CURRENT
hope this helps
haha. a few months back the main heater on the vats at work shorted out. it shocked the hell out of me one day and i unplugged it til the electrition came. i told him it has a short and the current reaches out to the tanks. i even told his it shocks you if you put your hand in the water. ( you'd figure that was enough warning.) the electrition told his buddy to go plug it in. he did. then the electrition put his hand in the water and was knocked on his butt! i laughed so hard. all i said is "see! i told you!".
johnptc;847175; said:i believe the point of the article is that stay voltages are everywhere and do no harm
stay currents are bad
stay voltages do not produce stray current unless there is a return path
ground probe provides a return path
HENCE A GROUND PROBE MAY PRODUCE STRAY CURRENT FROM THE STRAY VOLTAGE WHERE WITHOUT THE GROUND PROBE THERE WOULD BE NO STRAY CURRENT
hope this helps
I need to take exception to this. The use of current collectors is a dangerous practice unless you are using GFI receptacles for your tanks and your home is wired properly.
That is to say that (in Canada and the United States) that it has a single phase service that is properly grounded. The 'Neutral' conductor must be bonded to ground either at the service entrance or the main distribution panel board, depending on local codes. A grounding electrode must be installed, bonding the panel and all metalic components of the distribution system to the neutral. This is of vital importance since without this, there is a good chance that overcurrent devices such as fuses and breakers will fail to operate and protect life and property from shock hazards. The neutral conductor provides two vital functions;
- It divides the incoming voltage from 208/240 volts in to two 110/120 volt circuits alowing you to use most of your electrical loads through a properly protected, point of use receptacle, and
- It provides a low impedance path from the service back to the source (supply transformer) for fault current, which is necessary for breakers and fuses to operate in the event of a short circuit.
The purpose of bonding outlets and apliances to ground is to limit the touch potential (possible voltage buildup) to zero volts with referance to ground. In this scenario, you would not be at risk of receiving a shock by touching a grounded device, even if it was faulted.
A GFI would sense the leakage current and calculating that not all the current was returning to the supply via the identified conductor would operate, removing power in the branch circuit. Using a current collector ensures that the tank water is electrically common with the system ground and will facilitate the GFI protecting equipment in the tank more effectively.
A ground probe would assist in rapidly clearing fault current and any potential rise resulting from equipment failure when used in a GFI protected system. Without GFI protection a ground probe will offer little or no protection, depending on the size of the fault. Small loads such as power heads could fault and leak current to ground through a collector without tripping the breaker. This would create a serious shock hazard that could result in electrocution if you place your hand in the aquarium.
By all means use ground probes, but make sure you have GFI protection first.
They will only provide adequate protection in properly grounded, properly bonded distribution systems in cases of high fault currents. In the case of low fault currents, as is possible in power heads and water heaters to name a few, alone, they are inadequate.
well it depends on what you want to do.........
the problem with a gfi and fish is it can shut the power off to the tanks and fish die....
on the other hand it is safer for the people involved....
the problem with a gfi and fish is it can shut the power off to the tanks and fish die....
on the other hand it is safer for the people involved....
