Shock on a fish tank

[Ace Electrical]

Hi my name is wayne and was wondering how you can fix a problem with a salt water fish tank the customer put her hand in the water and got shock a small shock but she said it could be from the pump pluged in to a non GFCI receptacle but the problem is none of the cords are grounded how can I stop the water from shocking her. At one of Mike Holts seminars he said you could use a tic tracer to tell weather or not voltage is in the water. Please email me back asap so I know what to check for.

Wayne

 

[Leitmotif]

Re: Shock on a fish tank

I disconnected everything.
Big BIG PIA
but
I sure breathed easier

 

[charlie b]

Re: Shock on a fish tank

First, you don't need a ground wire for a GFCI to operate. Secondly, if you did plug this into a GFCI outlet, it would certainly prevent the shock. But it would do that by tripping instantly, thereby turning off power to the pump in the tank. Good for the human. Bad for the fish.

You need to tell her to get a replacement for the motor and whatever else in that tank is electrical. If it is a new system, then she needs to take it back to the store. It's broken.

This is not a problem with the power distribution system. Her fish tank electrical equipment is broken.

 

[mkoloj]

Re: Shock on a fish tank

Couldn't the faulty equiptment be located by putting one lead of a meter in the water and the other to ground and unplug one aquarium appliance at a time until the voltage disappears on the meter ???

 

[charlie b]

Re: Shock on a fish tank

It sounds to me like there is only one item, one pump. Is that right, Wayne? Did you solve the problem yet?