OceansX
Guest
Last week the cord going into my mixing pump must have cracked open. When I turned it on, it would consistently trip the GFCI. Previously I felt some electrical leakage but wrote it off as salt getting into micro-cuts in my hands. This pump was probably over 10 years old, constantly lifting it by the cord and cleaning it in vinegar over the years made the cord brittle, and it was just old.
PLEASE make sure all your aquarium power is through a GFCI outlet as electrical code requires. No aquarium is worth your life or your families' lives.
Inevitably, I expect someone to chime in, "My brother-in-laws uncle's cousin is a master electrician and he said I don't need one." Umm okay? Yes, you risk a nuisance trip if you have devices that draw a lot of current quickly e.g. metal halide ballasts or chillers, but one should be able to minimize that risk by planning your electrical draw better i.e. across different circuits.
PLEASE make sure all your aquarium power is through a GFCI outlet as electrical code requires. No aquarium is worth your life or your families' lives.
Inevitably, I expect someone to chime in, "My brother-in-laws uncle's cousin is a master electrician and he said I don't need one." Umm okay? Yes, you risk a nuisance trip if you have devices that draw a lot of current quickly e.g. metal halide ballasts or chillers, but one should be able to minimize that risk by planning your electrical draw better i.e. across different circuits.