Electric Shock

[ingo_1978]

I went to feed my coldwater tank this morning and got an electric shock!!! It felt more of a buzzing than a proper big electric shock, so the voltage couldn't been too high.

I immediatly switch everything off and then turned each appliance on one at a time and tested the water. Eventually isolated to one of the internal filters I had, which must have sprung a leak, so I have removed it.

I had done a water change last night, so must have happened through the night.

Strangely enough my goldfish seemed to be unaffected by this, but am worried it may have harmed them in some way. I am also worried it may have killed off all my nitrifying bacteria aswell.

 

[Jules H-T]

I wouldn't be at all concerned about the fish for a few reasons.

Firstly electricity takes the easiest route to earth it can. Water conducts better than fish (I would imagine), so the electricity wouldn't have gone through the fish regardless.

Secondly, Glass/plastic (the tank) and polystyrene (under the tank??) are very very bad conductors indeed, and the easiest route for the electricity would have been through the fitler and back into the mains. It's only because you put your hands in and presented an easier route for the electricity to flow to earth (through you), that you felt a shock.

 

[annka5]

Agree with the above - glass and the stand are going to be really poor conductors of electricity, so the electricity will not travel through the fish. A bit like why birds don't get electrocuted when they perch on power lines, even though you would if you were tall enough to touch them whilst on the ground.

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

^That being the case, if it were possible, would we get electrocuted if we perched on them much like a bird?? After all, we're not then a route to earth.
Bummer about the filter ingo_1978. I dread the day one of mine decides to pack in. I plan on getting a few more running so I don't get caught short.
Hugs,
P.

 

[pnyklr3]

I would think that to be the case (if you weren't touching the ground). I have heard, but not witnessed, that a squirrel can run on a power line and not get a shock....unles its tail touches the line above it.

 

[Dubby]

^That being the case, if it were possible, would we get electrocuted if we perched on them much like a bird?? After all, we're not then a route to earth.

Simple answer... No So long as you are in contact with one single wire you will be safe.

 

[Jules H-T]

Apols if this is patronising to anyone, just trying to offer info to people!

Electricity in the National Grid flows along the wires on the pylons because they are made of metal and very conductive. If you (or a bird or a squirrel or a branch) present the electricity with an easier route to earth you'll be electrocuted, if not you won't.

Touching the wire whilst holding on to a pylon almosts certainly presents the electricity with an easy route down the pylon, so you're getting frazzled. Hanging off the middle of the wire is UNLIKELY to offer an easier route, so you're probably OK. Do that in the driving rain, hanging 2 inches above a metal shed, wearing a robot suit, and it may be a different story.

Dubby's response suggests another scenario. If the wires have electricity all heading in the same direction to the same place with the same loads, I would have thought it unlikely that touching two would make it easier for the electricity to get to ground through the other wire, although it is possible. If the electricity is heading in opposite directions, in a circuit, it's almost certain that it'll flow through you one direction or the other.

Ingo, I'm NOT recommending you do this, but if you wore rubber soled shoes and stood on a few ceramic plates, you would probably find that you don't get shocked sticking your hands back in the tank. DON'T TRY IT THOUGH!

For anyone else considering the electrical items in their tank, wearing thick rubber soled trainers when conducting maintenance is not bad practice at all.

 

[annka5]

... or you could switch everything off before doing the maintanance, then put it back on again when you're done....

actually, I am the worlds worst, I happily dabble my fingers in the water with everything switched on, and if there are drips on the plug, ah well...Not clever!

 

[SarahBravo]

I don't think the bacteria would have been harmed, as they wouldn't have provided an earthing point. So hopefully just swapping the filter media over should be okay.

I must admit I don't switch the power off when I stick my hands in a tank, and I always seem to drip on the plugs too! I did look at wiring up a waterproof socket board, but each socket was £22! At say 3 per tank times 16 tanks..... eek.

BTW - your bb gobies are fat and happy! Will try and do pics soon!

 

[debiasir]

.. or you could switch everything off before doing the maintanance, then put it back on again when you're done....

think that is best pratice in most cases, water changes / tank maintance dont take as long as bacteria take to die so there is no probs of that happening.

 

[daza]

You should fit a Residual Current Device (RCD). They don't cost much and the RCD will trip, cutting power if such a fault develops.

Like discussed above, if you had been touching an earth, say leaning on a radiator at that time, then the shock would have been much greater, possibly dangerous.

 

[Dubby]

Dubby's response suggests another scenario. If the wires have electricity all heading in the same direction to the same place with the same loads, I would have thought it unlikely that touching two would make it easier for the electricity to get to ground through the other wire, although it is possible. If the electricity is heading in opposite directions, in a circuit, it's almost certain that it'll flow through you one direction or the other.

You are quite right. I suppose you will have to consider the phase as well.

 

[crazyelece]

That is why it is required in the electrical code for any outlet or apliance within 3 ft of a water source to be plugged into a GFI (ground fault interupt) device or outlet. You should really get a power strip with a built in gfi.