[FishKid]

will using a grounding probe eliminate the chance of electric current leaching from my PH?

mark

[icemark]

It will help, but the only correct solution will be to replace the offending device.

It may also pop your GFI, if there is sufficent voltage leaking and you plug in the Ground Probe.

[FishKid]

the faulty powerhead has been disconnected. but here is my dilema, either I get the grounding probe, and pray for the life of me that it works, or buy a new powerhead, and forgo the grounding probe for a little while longer, I cannot get both. its an either, or situation... would it be a safe bet that the new unit would not leak any current?

mark

[dr.harris]

your guess is right, you can get by without a ground probe for a while, but you need to remove or replace the defective powerhead as icemark pointed out.

[FishKid]

I wish there were a way to salvage the piece of garbage. but there isnt, so in the trash it goes!

mark

[Aframomum]

Hi FishKid,
Best thing for you to do to make absolute certain there is no stray voltage from heaters, lights, etc. is to get yourself a voltmeter from wal-mart and test the water. You may be surprised at how much current is actually there that you can't feel.

[stingray]

Just a thought,if the ground probe was connected to the earth in a plug then plugged into an extension lead along with the other electrical equipment inside the tank and the extension lead connected to a powerbreaker at the source of power,would this then shut off at the first signs of any electrical leak into the tank

[icemark]

Stingray,

Only if there was a GFI in the circuit

[stingray]

Excuse my ignorance,but what`s a GFI.

Thanks for the reply btw

[icemark]

Here in the states there is a outlet that replaces the standard wall power outlet, and if it senses (for lack of better word) an Ground Fault (i/e the powered head that fishkid mentions has a bad seal, and shorts the voltage to ground) the GFI cuts the circuit. Hence the name Ground Fault Interrupter.

[razorbackfan]

Mark I would get a grounding probe anyway. There is ambient current in your water which you may not feel, but I'm sure your fish and corals do. I tested my 110 with a voltmeter when I first got my tank and measured current in my water, a grounding probe eliminated that.

[junkzoo]

ditto on Razorbackfan's last post.a ground probe will help with the stray voltage you will not feel yourself,i'm an electrican,and after i had the same problem with a leaky power head. checked my tank with a digital(works the best) meter, and found i still had some stray voltage in the tank after bad power head was replaced. stray voltage can be present in a tank even with no "bad" electrical equiptment. it just happens,,,i have shown many fellow hobbiest's what voltage is in their tanks and after a ground probe is installed, as per the meter it "goes away". if i had them when i do this i could sell a ground probe EVERY time! it's one thing to protect your tank life,,,but who's gonna take care of your tank when YOU get NAILED from an electrical malfunction in your tank?it does not take a 110 volts from a bare wire in the tank to kill you!,believe me ,,a LOT less is deadly .Iwork with 138K(138,000!)volts ,and believe me my aquariums get my upmost respect!one last tip b4 i get off my salt bucket,,,, when possible do tankwork one-handed,with the other not on the tank(in your pocket?) a good reminder/habit to use when it's possible."better" to have electricity go down your body to ground than ACROSS your heart!(what's inline between arm to arm?)plus unplug anything you can do without during work, ie: waterchange etc. i'm sure i am not the only lucky one to survive knocking a striplite in or breaking a heater when moving rock etc. i've so far lived through my mistakes ,just don't want to help the odds,,,sorry for the long post/ramble, but it's the old,,,"if i can save one fellow reefer,,,"I've already had to go get stuff from a guy's widow, that's NOT the way i want to aquire frag's-n-fish