Buzzing Water

[danh]

I had to remove a power head to clean it last night. When I stuck my hand in the water I got a little tingle. I tried it a few more times and it got even worse. It buzzed me. I've got heaters, the temp probe and the powerhead cable running in that back corner. I unplugged all of those off right in that area, still got buzzed.

I unplugged the retro T5 that runs under the hood and above that area, got buzzed.

I unplugged my OR T247 that has buzzed me in the past... still got buzzed. That OR has buzzed me in the past when I have my hand in the water and my elbow touches the housing. I thought for sure that must have been it, although it's several inches away from that spot and isn't touching anything.

I put my hand in the water in the front of the tank and it's fine.

The last time I got buzzed I still had the A360 on the other side of the tank, the return pump and skimmer in the sump, the other powerhead on the other side of the tank on.

I haven't quite gotten the hang of rubber ducky debugging.... but I might have just done it typing this.... When reaching around the back of the tank on that side my foot is between a lot of power chords. Is that the big difference?

 

[Adam]

I'm having a hard time following you Dan. Not sure what question you're asking.

As you're still getting shocked you must not have unplugged the culprit yet... lol
If you're getting a stronger shock on one side vs the other it's a good bet that the stronger the shock the closer you're getting to the offending piece of equipment. Unless those cords have bare wire touching you there is nothing that being closer to the cord themselves is going to do. All that tells me is you're closer to the short in the tank.

Also, since you're already getting shocked, it's much safer to use a volt meter to check things rather than just sticking your hand in the tank.

 

[danh]

I figured at first proximity was why I was getting shocked in that corner and not in the front. After I had everything unplugged that I tried, I was no closer to anything in that corner than anywhere else. There are definitely no open wires by my feet. There is some copper showing in the retros but I'm not touching it back there... and I had that unplugged anyway...

 

[enderg60]

Test it by unplugging one item at a time and see if it stops the shock. Its usually a power head or heater, then just replace it.

All my old maxijet power heads have started leaking current over the past few years, so thats where I go first when I feel a tingle.

 

[danh]

Heater was my first though. Nope. Nothing else in that corner that I didn't try... and I don't feel it at all on the other side of the tank. I guess I'll have to go one my one..

I don't know that I have something I can effectively test it with. I've got a battery tester that I use on my boat with two leads. I can try that.

 

[seand]

You can use a grounding probe so you don’t get shocked but food for thought if you’re leaning over might want to make sure you aren’t touching something and the back corner could be where your body completes the circuit to ground so you feel it there. Even more likely if you have a metal stand or metal on the stand. Your leg or hip might actually be touching the energized part. I’ve seen people bend over the hood of a car and bump alternator wiring then shock themselves on something unrelated then spend 30 minutes looking for the problem.

Disclaimer, I’m not an electrician. I’m the son of one that made me work too much but that’s another story. I also do something kinda related as my job.