Heater keeps shocking me!

I have gotten shocked several times bringing my tanks back up and running because I stick my finger in the tank to see if the heater is working properly.

Is there a safer way to find out if my heaters have gone bad?

 

Jeez, that's awful! TBH, I really don't know. Maybe one of those socket testers? Its plastic coated I think and a light turns on when there is electrical current. Something like that?

 

HI BB,

Have someone else to stick their finger in the water. Shawnie, where are you? BB needs you!:shock:

That's a tough one BB. Hopefully you'll get some more suggestions soon.

Ken
Click on the photo below.

 

Hmm I'm confused as to how you're getting shocked. To test my heaters, I filled a 5 gallon bucket with water, stuck it in there, waited a minute, and put my hand on it to see if it was getting warm. If you put it at a higher setting, it gets warm pretty quickly! You're not supposed to run a heater without it being in the water, so that's the reason for the bucket, but I didn't test the water, I actually put my hand on the heater.

You shouldn't get shocked if there isn't anything exposed that shouldn't be - otherwise the fish would be shocked, too! Another option that doesn't require putting your hands in the water at all would be to get an infrared temp gun. Some can be a little pricey, but not too bad if you get it when it's on sale. We have one, and they're incredibly useful, in so many areas. I can make sure water I add to a tank is accurate to within a tenth of a degree (well, assuming the temp gun is accurate, which may not always be the case), I check the water pretty frequently to make sure the heaters haven't malfunctioned; and it's great for cooking too! Anyway, set up a five gallon bucket with some water in it, stick the heater in, leave it for a few minutes and come back with the temp gun. If the heater's working, there should be a noticeable difference in the temperature.

 

ROFL Ken! That's cute and an accurate description!

Kinezumi89-the tanks are filled with water and the heaters are on. I have been letting them get up to proper temperature. From what I understand, fish are not susceptible to electric shock, but I may be misinformed. I stick my finger in the tanks to check temp and verify the heater is working and I get zapped. Many of my tanks have been "offline" for several months so I need to verify I have no equipment malfunctions going on. LOL!

 

I did not know that about fish. You learn something new every day!

That sounds no good though, hopefully the shocks aren't too bad. Maybe as Ken said, find someone unsuspecting to test the water for you...

 

Buy a instant read kitchen thermometer. Stick it in the tank to check the temp, the part you hold onto on the thermometer is plastic, so you won't get shocked.

And just for safety if you are going to stick your finger in a tank that may shock you, use your right hand and keep your left hand flat on your butt in your back pocket, this will keep the electricty from running through your heart.

 

Good advice, but that doesn't prevent the current from going through your arm, your heart, then out your leg.

If you're getting shocked, some piece of equipment has failed and is unsafe. You might try temporarily using a "GFCI" cord, which has a device that will shut off the electricity if it's going where it's not supposed to (i.e. through you):



At least this will prevent you from getting seriously shocked while you find the bad piece of equipment. Note that you have to reset these whenever they are unplugged, or if power is lost. Thus, they are not suitable for permanent use. For permanent use, you need to replace the outlet with a "GFCI outlet".

 

We get shocked because we are grounded by our feet. Fish and birds aren't grounded so they avoid shock.

 

Good advice, but that doesn't prevent the current from going through your arm, your heart, then out your leg.

If you're getting shocked, some piece of equipment has failed and is unsafe. You might try temporarily using a "GFCI" cord, which has a device that will shut off the electricity if it's going where it's not supposed to (i.e. through you):



At least this will prevent you from getting seriously shocked while you find the bad piece of equipment. Note that you have to reset these whenever they are unplugged, or if power is lost. Thus, they are not suitable for permanent use. For permanent use, you need to replace the outlet with a "GFCI outlet".

We are taught to do that in electrical safety training, because electricity looks for the shortest path to ground. With your left arm touching your backside, the shortest path is in the right arm and out the right leg, a path that avoids the heart. They also teach us to do this because you are less likely to lean on something with your left arm/ hand which would bring the elctricity directly through your heart, in one arm and out the other.

 

Yep, I agree. I use that trick when working on electrical wiring. Sorry, I didn't have an issue with your statement, my post was poorly worded. Just saying that a GFCI might be another good idea.

 

I still don't understand how you are getting shocked through the water? Yes I understand the dynamics of electricity but how is the heater causing that?

 

Usually when the heaters fail it is due to an electric short or a broken case around the heater which causes the elements to get exposed to the water causing the short.

Usually this was a fault of the marineland pro heaters and there was a recall done (It is still in effect if you have one, there is a thread on it around here somewhere)

 

no no i've always gone for the cheap heaters, never failed... That's really strange... Surely companies have to accomodate for things like this? I don't think it should be happening as often as this thread is telling me

 

I don't know what you could do to not get shocked, but I thought I'd say that yes, fish are susceptible to electric shock. When biologists, or whoever studies fish and stuff, go to a stream to take out fish to observe, they often send an electric current through the water so they can net the fish out easily.

 

I don't understand getting shocked either... I've been all around in my tank and I have never been shocked. ...Maybe you need to replace your heater >.>

 

We get shocked because we are grounded by our feet. Fish and birds aren't grounded so they avoid shock.

true, but the fish still holds all the electricity in its body so if it touches something else, like another fish or a plant or the glass or the gravel, won't it then be shocked?

 

true, but the fish still holds all the electricity in its body so if it touches something else, like another fish or a plant or the glass or the gravel, won't it then be shocked?

Fish don't hold the electricity, it would travel through the fish and back into the water. The fish can't conduct the electricity.

 

Have someone else to stick their finger in the water.

Ken, your advice is impeccable, as always.....

 

Is it just me, or is getting shocked by an aquarium heater a serious issue here? I'm still pretty new to the hobby, but I'm fairly sure that absolutely should not be happening...

 

Is it just me, or is getting shocked by an aquarium heater a serious issue here? I'm still pretty new to the hobby, but I'm fairly sure that absolutely should not be happening...

No, it should not be happening. I do not know enough about household wireing to say if it is the heater or the outlet it is being plugged into, which is why I only suggested ways to help be safer, but the main problem does need to be addressed. I have not been shocked by any of mine, let alone multiple times.

 

Good morning,

I have GFCI's (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) for all of my tanks. They look like a surge protector but they do not work the same way. The GFCI's are designed to protect you from electrical shock and not your equipment. Your equipment can be replaced, you can not be! Links below:


See link in post #8 above



Ken

 

Fish don't hold the electricity, it would travel through the fish and back into the water. The fish can't conduct the electricity.

This is true... They aren't grounded so it's impossible?

Is it just me, or is getting shocked by an aquarium heater a serious issue here? I'm still pretty new to the hobby, but I'm fairly sure that absolutely should not be happening...

I have to agree with this. I'm quite shocked (excuse the pun! ) at this thread. Yes okay there was an issue with a specific brand of heaters but more than once? Surely that is beyond serious, id say extremely worrying...

 

This is true... They aren't grounded so it's impossible?



I have to agree with this. I'm quite shocked (excuse the pun! ) at this thread. Yes okay there was an issue with a specific brand of heaters but more than once? Surely that is beyond serious, id say extremely worrying...

That is why I am looking for answers and ways to find out before getting shocked.

 

What brand of heaters are you using? How long are they left out of operation?

 

Marineland heaters. They were out of operation for around 6 months. Tanks half empty. Heaters off.

It happened in 4 or 5 different tanks, ranging in size from 20 gallon to 55g.

 

This thread is shocking ... so fish can't conduct electricity. I don't know about that, but whatever. put my hand in the water next to the heater to see if it's warm- otherwise I get burned. I still don't see how you can get shocked by the heaters though.

 

If the heaters shocking you... wouldn't that call for a malfunction of the heater, there shouldn't be any open currents coming from it into the tank.

Now..someone please explain to me how electric fishing and electric eels work? I'm confused. I could swear they both used electricity to shock things.

 

I'm going to call an electrician friend of mine tommorrow to pick his brain. At first when I combed through this thread I thought it was just one heater that may be malfunctioning. the odds of you having multiple heaters that have gone bad is well....you should of bought some mega millions tickets last week.

Just to clarify.... these are multiple heaters in multiple tanks correct? Not a single heater you have moved from tank to tank.

 

I'm going to call an electrician friend of mine tommorrow to pick his brain. At first when I combed through this thread I thought it was just one heater that may be malfunctioning. the odds of you having multiple heaters that have gone bad is well....you should of bought some mega millions tickets last week.

Just to clarify.... these are multiple heaters in multiple tanks correct? Not a single heater you have moved from tank to tank.

Yes, multiple heaters in multiple tanks. One, I would've understood, but this was creepy.

 

BB - if this is a regular occurrence - go to a local electrical place and get a multi-meter (Walmart probably sell them, otherwise Lowes, Best Buy, Circuit City or similar [sorry I'm in Aus, don't know too many US places])

The probes themselves are insulated, so you can stick the negative and positive in the tank, if you get a reading, don't stick your hand in the tank!

I wouldn't 'dangle' the probes in the water, just the steel probe bits. Multi-meters have different settings for various readings, and I'm no electrician, but if it conducts electricity, you should be concerned.

For everyone else - remember, amps kill, volts don't - the amperage of the circuit is more important than the volts (we have 240V here in Aus).

 

I have been shocked once and it came from my light fixture.I found the short and problem solved.I now shut everything off before my hands go into the tanks.I agree what ken suggested get a GFCI outlet or the cord.I am slowly adding them to all my tanks.

 

I have been shocked once and it came from my light fixture.I found the short and problem solved.I now shut everything off before my hands go into the tanks.I agree what ken suggested get a GFCI outlet or the cord.I am slowly adding them to all my tanks.

With that it is understandable. That is something that is a once off occurence. As for this thread, many times still seems to be a troubling issue to me.