GFCI or No GFCI?

[tangers]

I am curious as to how many of you use a gfci with your tank. I never used one for years, then when I made my current fish room I installed 4 of them, all on independent breakers. Yesterday I came home for lunch, looked at the tank and the water was down 4-6" from the top. I shot downstairs to find my pump off due to a break in the gfci. Absolutely no reason it broke, it's the only thing plugged in to that outlet, and it's been running that way for a year. However, this kind of scared me. Had I not come home at lunch, or had this been a weekend what COULD have happened. Interested to see what you all say! Thanks!

[alonglongtime]

Do I use GFCI. Not yes, but hell yes. I have had mine trip as well, but I would rather have that happen than a repeat of reaching into my sump and much to my surprise finding a broken heater. That hurt. It hurt worse than the time I crashed my motorcycle. LOL. I have a friend who was knocked across her store when she was running her tanks without GFCI. I can see it on one of these sites. AQUARIST DIES AFTER GETTING THE SHOCK OF HIS LIFE. You better believe I use them. I have four as well, all on independent circuits. No way will I go without them. I recommend them to everyone I know. This is a good thread you have started. Maybe it will protect another member in the future. Thanks for doing this one.

[edsreef]

It's really kind of foolish not to.

[tkeracer619]

I don't use one on my dart return pump but there is one on all other equipment.

[david pinder]

Wished I know about arc detectors also. After loosing my 1200 and 600 gal tanks to a shorted light my new lighting systems are on arc detectors.

[Nanook]

Always.

[preef]

Yes!!!

I'd rather risk a GFCI false tripping than risking electrocution. So many reports of heaters breaking, etc... Protects against a light falling into the tank or power head cable insulation breaking.

Mine tripped one day a month ago or so. My Apex emailed me that my power failed and my UPS started beeping. I was at work and I was able to have my wife reset the GFCI. I thought that perhaps it tripped for no reason.

A few days later I saw my Yellow Tang splash water on the wall and the GFCI popped. The outlet was covered with water. I dried it off a little and reset it. It started smoking (or steaming) and reset again. Once I dried it off well I reset it and it was fine.

The tang had been splashing take out of the water for a while but never made a direct hit on the outlet before. Not sure what would have happened had I not had the GFCI. Pretty good chance a fire would have started. I know have the outlet protected with an outdoor plastic shield.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Nanook

Always.

More often than that!

[tkeracer619]

Originally Posted by preef

Protects against a light falling into the tank

It depends but if the part that hits the water is post ballast it won't.


Nuked all my fish when my fuge light fell in while I was at work a few years back. When I got home there was arcing in the sump. GFCI happily supplying power to the arc.

[therman]

First line of defense against shorting equipment too. If it pops its for a reason. I had several heaters on my ~250g system and I kept getting erratic GFI pops. Eventually figured out it was voltage leaking from one of the heaters which rarely kicked on because the others could keep up with the temp most of the time.

And of course not dying is nice. As for not knowing your GFCIs have popped I finally bit the big one and set up an apex system with a different EB8 on each one. Now I get a text message and an email the second any of them loses power. Worth the $$$ for peace of mind in my book.

[RokleM]

Originally Posted by Nanook

Always.

^^^ Order of this.

Originally Posted by therman

First line of defense against shorting equipment too. If it pops its for a reason. I had several heaters on my ~250g system and I kept getting erratic GFI pops. Eventually figured out it was voltage leaking from one of the heaters which rarely kicked on because the others could keep up with the temp most of the time.

And of course not dying is nice. As for not knowing your GFCIs have popped I finally bit the big one and set up an apex system with a different EB8 on each one. Now I get a text message and an email the second any of them loses power. Worth the $$$ for peace of mind in my book.

^^^ And plenty of this.

If you don't, you're taking your life, your family's life, and your financial well being into extreme risk (you burn down your house, guess who's fault it is and likely isn't covered by insurance?)

[sjmantis]

Why would you not, especially if you have pets and/or kids

[preef]

Originally Posted by sjmantis

Why would you not, especially if you have pets and/or kids

Some people are afraid of nuking their tank if a GFCI trips for no reason.

A tank can always be rebuilt. A life can't. Tank will also get nuked if the house burns down. I don't buy that argument at all. A GFCI should always be your first piece of equipment purchased for your tank setup.

[NYCBOB]

for a such a small price, why would anyone not hv one?

[tangers]

Originally Posted by preef

Some people are afraid of nuking their tank if a GFCI trips for no reason.

A tank can always be rebuilt. A life can't. Tank will also get nuked if the house burns down. I don't buy that argument at all. A GFCI should always be your first piece of equipment purchased for your tank setup.

I guess that's what I was going for when I started this thread. It has kind of turned a different direction though. I am not opposed to using a gfci at all, as a matter of fact I have installed them in all my outdoor sockets, and ones that needed them in my old house. However, like I said before, I am worried about nuking a tank for no reason. The pump is in that socket by itself, hasn't tripped in over a year, hasn't tripped since I reset it. But, like someone else said, a tank can be rebuilt not a life.

[krietzler]

The GFCI's of today are superior to those of just 5 years ago. If the circuit is dedicated to your system and not too over loaded, you should have no problems. I almost took a trip to the big reef in the sky when a halide ballast fell into my refugeum. Life saved, my underwear on the other hand, lost cause.

[barjam]

It isn't even a question, they are absolutely required. If yours tripped without obvious cause you have faulty equipment and you need to find the source.

[Chris27]

I use them on equipment that is submersed, but not on external pumps and lights. Given that my return pump is the heart and soul of my system, there is no chance in hell that I would trust a GFI to keep it running....too many stories about them tripping for no apparent reason.

[suds1421]

Yes, when my tank is setup it will be on GFCI.

[tankdude]

I always use GFCI on my system. When I built my fish room in the basement, I was told if I install plugs they needed to be GFCI protected in the breaker box. That is to help prevent fires if your basement ever floods, I also feel safer knowing my family is protected.

[barjam]

Originally Posted by Chris27

I use them on equipment that is submersed, but not on external pumps and lights. Given that my return pump is the heart and soul of my system, there is no chance in hell that I would trust a GFI to keep it running....too many stories about them tripping for no apparent reason.

I installed two gcfis and the way I have things plugged in it would take two of them going out or one go out and me not notice for a day or two for anything seriously bad to happen.

[RokleM]

Originally Posted by Chris27

I use them on equipment that is submersed, but not on external pumps and lights. Given that my return pump is the heart and soul of my system, there is no chance in hell that I would trust a GFI to keep it running....too many stories about them tripping for no apparent reason.

And when you have the inevitable accidental flood and water gets on the pump?


I have ALWAYS used GFCI. Multiple tanks, literally multiple dozens of manufactures. Icecap, Galaxy, Coralvue, Lumatek, Maristar, Stealth, Finnex, Jagger, Genx, Panworld, Sequence, Maxijet, Eheim, Mag.... on and on and on... not one of them has caused an issue with either a outlet box GFCI or a "temporary" strip style GFCI unless the hardware itself was actually having issues (like the terribad mag pumps).

Also to note, common issue with GFCI setup is people thinking they can plug GFCI into GFCI, and this causes issues. Install it as close to the circuit breaker as possible (if not the circuit breaker itself) and all devices downstream that to the equipment itself are protected.

[jlawson382]

Yeah... saltwater in direct contact with electricity is bad juju. GFCI or a good life insurance policy.

[cilyjr]

when i set up my fish room i used 2 dedicated gcfi circuit breakers.

[sslak]

Ok, well I guess I'm living on the edge...ignorance is bliss I guess.

I don't have one. The wall outlet is behind the tank, power strips are mounted vertical, waist high on the side of the cabinet, drip loops on all the cords...everything but my ATO runs through my RK2.

Where can I get like a GFCI strip or something, is that even possible?

...it's too late to re-wire the wall outlet...and there's no room for a bulky box.