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92V in tank... It stings..

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clean fixture frag heater jbj light light fixture lighting lights metal please help pods powerhead problem red refugium return rock salt snails sump tank testing travel
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MISFITKID

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
So, that is a problem right?...

I got my voltage meter, and time to figure this out.

This was on a refugium/frag system that I don't stick my hand in a whole lot. I tested my main display and I have voltage there as well, but more like 11 volts, my ground on those plugs is weak...by weak I mean this;

[Across the two main terminals I get 121v, across the ground and hot I get 105v..and strangly I get 11v for a second when I go across the ground and neutral(the other side of the two main ones)]

...if you can't tell, I'm not an electrician, but I know this is a problem...I felt it. I'm not finding the info fast enough.... I tried unpluging everything from the frag tank and still get some voltage when I plug anything in.....Is it my house wiring I should be checking....? I don't want anything crazy to happen so I am fixing this tonight...please help out with any info if you can.

I'm going to figure out where the most voltage is coming from in the meantime....
 
#4 ·
You definatly should read 0 from neutral to ground.Between ground and the hot leg you should read 120v.I would def call an electrician, sounds like your backfeeding voltage through ground.Anything else acting strange in the house electrically?
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
so far...very interesting.

I've only tested in the sump...
Return is @ 6v
Skimmer @ 2v
Fuge light @ 27v!!

Do I have a bunch of junk?
Nothing else is acting strange, I'll weed out everything leaking as much as the light is for sure... That's already gone. The only other things left are my heater, lights, and four korillia 1's....I'm at 35 volts so far.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
Main lighting...
Left side @ 16v
Right side @ 83v!
combined they are @ 79v!!!

What the heck is going on? I'm using a FLUKE band multimeter on the Voltage setting... black probe in the plug's ground, red probe in the water.
 
Discussion starter · #8 · (Edited)
sasharotty said:
You definatly should read 0 from neutral to ground.Between ground and the hot leg you should read 120v.I would def call an electrician, sounds like your backfeeding voltage through ground.Anything else acting strange in the house electrically?
Click to expand...
So, I have my dad helping me in the morning...He knows wiring and electricity. But it does sound like the house wiring is messed up....I have put off my upgrade for long enough,,,,that's getting done ASAP, after I figure out what's wrong.

It looks like all my grounds and all my neutral? wires go into the same block...in the fuse panel of my home.
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
tazzy695 said:
brandon if you want I can come over and help you out maby a second head will be a benifit

let me know
Click to expand...
Thanks Marc... I am trying to weed through everything right now, I think I have bigger problems than I thought.

I'll let you know, and thanks for the offer... Tonight I'm just going to run the basics on this tank...and get everything taken care of tomorrow. My main tank is not that bad, This one is pretty much just rock, some macros, and snails,pods,stars.

My heater only creates a couple of volts when plugged in. I'll run that, and my return.... I need to figure out what is up with the house wiring before something crazy happens...if you know anything about my luck....
 
#11 ·
I know when I had voltage in my tank it was caused by a bad powerstrip

also clean any salt creap that might be on cords power strip or anything else electricity can travel through salt

also be sure you are running that fluke meter in ac volt not dc volt
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Discussion starter · #16 ·
rickgarant said:
be carefull get a screw driver a make sure all your wires that go to it are tight they will get loose over time
Click to expand...
Thanks, I plan on doing that when my dad gets here tomorrow... Electricity really freaks me out... I got shocked by a 480v extension cord to a welder....
I was standing in a puddle of melted snow, and then I wasn't standing at all, lol. So, I try not to mess with it a whole lot any more....

I am going to check across all the plugs and make sure there is a ground and proper voltage tonight.
 
#18 ·
yeh electricity scares me to ive been zapped too

i work around lots of voltage at work and have walk across it to its a chrome plater so lots of volts let dad be there with ya but that happened to my house before and my dad fixed it
 
#19 ·
Wow thats not good, hope you get it taken care of.. hopefully without getting shocked to much more.

I'm kinda wondering why your lights are putting electricity through your tank?? Are they touching the water or something????
 
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