"Shocking" electrical issue...

[paneubert]

3 minutes ago, 1891Bro said:

No. 

And the earlier post referring to black and red leads on the DMM tell me you don’t know how to use it either. Reading will be the same with either a positive or negative value depending on what you’re reading. 

 Ohh I know the red versus black doesn't really matter for the placement.  I was just following the "letter of the law" from the many online "tutorials" for testing stray voltage in your tank.  I wasn't paying attention to the negative or positive readout on the multimeter.  Just kept track of where the decimal point was and what scale it was auto adjusting to.

[1891Bro]

1 minute ago, paneubert said:

Yeah, we were dumb high school kids and our techer was ex-Navy.  So there ya go.

It’s not dumb or dangerous. It’s apples and oranges compared to getting a possible 120 resi voltage through the chest if you’re grounded. Instead of playing with cheap amazon DMMs hire someone to diagnose. 

[paneubert]

8 minutes ago, 1891Bro said:

It’s not dumb or dangerous. It’s apples and oranges compared to getting a possible 120 resi voltage through the chest if you’re grounded. Instead of playing with cheap amazon DMMs hire someone to diagnose. 

So when you said "no" to my post with voltage readings and theory of source, was that just your normal ornery self being contrarian, or did you have an alternate idea for what is going on?  Saying "no" simply due to thinking I need a pro to figure it out?  Genuinely curious 🙂   I really enjoy all the knowledge you bring to peoples questions.  Seriously.  

[1891Bro]

50 minutes ago, paneubert said:

So when you said "no" to my post with voltage readings and theory of source, was that just your normal ornery self being contrarian, or did you have an alternate idea for what is going on?  Saying "no" simply due to thinking I need a pro to figure it out?  Genuinely curious 🙂   I really enjoy all the knowledge you bring to peoples questions.  Seriously.  

Bit of both. Lol. No as in yes. If you’re reading voltage with everything off have you tried with everything unplugged? If there is a possibility of an electrical hazard you should hire a pro. 

[seabass]

1 hour ago, paneubert said:

I am alive!

 

Ok....so...forgot to measure any of this with the lights on.  Haha.  These are all with the lights "off".  What I mean by "off" is that the literal rocker switches on the fixture are in the ON position, but the cords for the lights are plugged into Wi-Fi enabled timers/switches that are OFF.  I ASSUME there is a literal switch inside each timer breaking the flow of electricity since......that is how you make a timer function, right?  So let's assume the lights have no power running into their power cords.  

 

With everything (except lights) running/on.  Circulation pumps, ATO, heaters, return pump....

54V - Light fixture to tank water

34V - LIght fixture to ground plug of an extension cord

24V - Tank water to ground plug of an extension cord

 

With the power to everything removed from the wall outlet of my house.  Literally unplugged my two power strips from the wall.

 

12V - Light fixture to tank water.  No shock when I touch things.  42V drop.  Good sign that my problem is power somehow flowing to the light fixture, even when light timers are off (but timers still plugged in to power)?

3V - LIght fixture to ground plug of an extension cord.  31V drop.  Another good reason to believe my problem is somehow related to my lights?

14V - Tank water to ground plug of an extension cord.  So a 10V drop by unplugging all my stuff from the wall......

 

But!  I question my multimeter a bit since my notes seem to say I accidentally repeated one measurement, the LIght fixture to ground plug.  The second time I did it with eveything unplugged I got 8V.  So.....3V and then 8V with no apparent change to anything receicving or bein depried of power.

 

Long story short....I think I have 24V in my tank as one "problem".  I think I ALSO have a higher voltage issue in my lights that prompts the "shock" I felt, causing me to investigate all this to begin with.  I bet if I had measured the voltage before I even pulled my lights out of storage, I would have seen 24V in my tank.

 

Sound right?

I'd still like to see light to ground when the lights are on.  However, Bro is right though in that (depending on what is wrong) the current could be sufficient to kill you.  I wouldn't take any unnecessary risks.

[paneubert]

11 minutes ago, 1891Bro said:

Bit of both. Lol. No as in yes. If you’re reading voltage with everything off have you tried with everything unplugged? If there is a possibility of an electrical hazard you should hire a pro. 

Since I see some V even with all plugs/cords waving in the breeze on the floor (and giving some time for any capacitors to hopefully discharge on their own), I suspect the multimeter is partially to blame.  Hahaha.  I'm not going to go licking anything to get a rush.  Going to take a break from figuring it out since my tank is still ending its cycle.  No inhabitants to risk yet.  I told my wife we needed new lights before I even set this thing up.......maybe this will seal the deal.

[paneubert]

My Mag 7 just crapped out on me and is now tripping the breaker.  Coincidence?  I doubt it.  Light fixture doesn't shock me anymore either....

[121a]

Interesting. When I setup our 150 gallon (going on 7 or 8 years ago now), we used a Mag12. I sourced a used Mag 12 I think, that was a dangerous pump. Would randomly trip the breaker, not the surge bar. One day, it just 'exploded' underwater. I went external after that...

 

Edit: Maybe not a bad idea to run a grounding probe.

[paneubert]

11 minutes ago, 121a said:

One day, it just 'exploded' underwater.

Mine has the housing bowed out at the bottom a little.  So the seam is not sealed anymore.  Sort of like a mini-explosion.  Probably part of the problem....