Skimmer Pump sending electric waves

M

monisa

Premium Member
After cleaning my skimmer pump, I placed it back into the water and connected everything back to the skimmer and turned it on.

I needed to adjust the level, so I reached in to adjust the rising pipe and got a terrible "shock", [smilie=sweating.gif]

I left it on to see if any of that electricity is passing through my tank, I reached in on the top of the tank and Yikes, the same shockwaves.

I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to what could be causing this and how to fix it.
There are no open cuts on the wiring and I know for sure that it is this pump because when it's turned of, there are no shockers.

The pump is a sedra from the ASM 2 family.

Any ideas would be most welcome, skimmer is off now for day and a half and I am beginning to worry.

Thanks in advance for your generous responses.
 
Unfortunately, it's likely that the epoxy encasing the components of the pump has failed and is allowing water in. Sounds like it is time for a new one.
 
Woah! This Sedra 3500 is half the price of the skimmer at $100.

Well, better safe than sorry, thanks for advise guys, first time occurence with such an issue.
 
you will need to replace it, did you leave it in a vinegar solution to long sometimes the acid solution can eat at the seals and weaken them
 
@kuyatwo wrote:
you will need to replace it said:
Nope, just normal soap and water, just kidding, Tooth Brush and water, that's all.
So no acidic stuff to eat at anything.
Click to expand...
 
I know salt is a conductor of electricity, but I have a question.

When you place a hairdryer in fresh water, it is said that you would electrocute yourself.

Well I placed the Sedra 3500 into my sink to test it, and there was no current ?

I placed the skimmer pump back into my sump and plugged the pump into a different outlet thinking that the DJ strip might be the issue, but to no avail.

Hmmm!
 
Your sink may not be grounded(doubtful), you may have been standing on a rubber mat or have on rubber soled shoes that acted as an insulator so you would have been "floating". Current takes the path of least resistance to ground so if you would have grabbed someting that was grounded, then you would have known it. I would suggest not experimenting with the pump especially since you are home alone, it doesn't take much current at all to make your heart stop. [smilie=surprised.gif]

Cheers,
 
Also, if you have a metal sink, and copper pipes, then the electric current will take the path of least resistance and travel straight to the normal ground in your house. The cold water pipe is commonly used as a household ground. If there was any insulating factor for you (shoes, carpet, mat, any non conductive flooring) then you would feel little to nothing in the sink. Also, fresh water is a poor conductor. Adding salt does make it a much better conductor. You can see this with a basic chemistry test we used to do in school. Use a flash light bulb and try to light it by passing the current from a 9 volt battery through a glass of fresh water. The light bulb may flicker, but will not truly light up. Add in a couple teaspoons of salt and the light bulb will light up MUCH brighter.

Major thing though is stop using you to test for voltage! [smilie=surprised.gif] Stop by the hardware store and get you a ten or fifteen dollar volt meter. It will detect current you cannot feel and will also keep you from getting a BAD shock if the voltage goes too high.
 
Will a grounding probe keep this from happening and if so (let's say it was installed) how would you know the pump was faulty?

Sounds like we got one more thing to test for!!
 
The grounding probe keeps you safe, that's it. It should be removed from the tank for periodic testing to see how the tank is measuring up, electricity wise. Here's how to test for stray electricity: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.php/45-How-to-Test-for-Stray-Electricity
 
if you keep running the pump not only is it hazardous to yourself, but it might eventually seeze up and put that black stuff all in your aquarium. Ask any fellow former Rio owners [smilie=wink.gif] been there and done that myself and it was difficult to clean up.
 
Awesome guys, I'll stop being a volt meter [smilie=shake.gif] , point taken Ron. [smilie=wink.gif]

Thanks for the advice, especially this useful one, now I can get to work.

<u>"Here's how to test for stray electricity: http://www.reefaddicts.com/content.php/45-How-to-Test-for-Stray-Electricity " </u>

I ordered another Sedra 3500 so I could get my skimmer going again and will do a water change this weekend to help out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top