Electrical charge in the water

[Growzay]

Today I noticed that the water in my fish tank (res) is electrically charged! I unplugged everything and inspected the submersible heater no visible problems/cracks. I did the same with the pumps and I tested them individually in another reservior- there were no indications of a tingle/shock when tested individuallly.

I reconnected all the components  and hooked them back up to the timers and there is still a tingling slight shock. I do have a few niks/cuts that sting alittle on my fingers.  I know the feeling of being shocked - I definitley was feeling a slight shock! It is much less pronounced- but it seems it is still charged- I presumed it is a short- or a wire is exposed - or something internal with something but found nothing. I am going to re check it all again...

Is there any tips on how to discern if there is an electrical charge in the water other than relying on finger sensation-

I want to make sure there is no risks to the fish.

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[chuck]

is this a glass tank? glass is a exelent insulator maybe the other tank was grounded somehow. i would suspect the heater it only takes a micro crack for the elec to escape. are the pumps in or out of the water? unless you are woried about your fish geting brain tumors i wouldent wory bout them. if your tank is big and plastic and not grounded (very unlikly), note that water flowing thru plastic can create static

[TCLynx]

Clay, they sorted out what the problem was and fixed it.

 

And though you might not worry much about the fish (though hole in the head or lateral line disease can kill them before you get to eat them) it is more of a worry about the people who might get electrocuted when reaching into a tank to adjust the heater or feed the fish.  You really don't want a short leaking electricity into your system.

[Benjamin Frimmer]

Growzay, it sounds like your electrical system is not grounded!  I was a sound engineer for years, and have experienced this quite a bit.  The cheap and easy solution is to go to the Home Depot, Lowes, etc. and purchase a 2 prong to 3 prong converter.  Make sure each and every device is connected via 3 prongs.  (The third prong is the ground).  Lastly, make sure that your home is grounded!  There should be a copper rod or something similar that physically connects the electricity in your house to the ground in your backyard.  

 

Once all your components are grounded, you should not experience this sensation ever again.

 

Hope this helps!

[Ryan Chatterson]

I know the problem is fixed but it is also a good idea to use a titanium grounding probe in larger tanks/ponds like we are dealing with here. Immerse the probe into the water and plug it in. Boom, grounded.

[Growzay]

Thanks Ryan- But, do you mean to use it (along with) the other ground pole in the dirt?  

Ryan said:

I know the problem is fixed but it is also a good idea to use a titanium grounding probe in larger tanks/ponds like we are dealing with here. Immerse the probe into the water and plug it in. Boom, grounded.

[Growzay]

Thanks again forn the info TClynx,Ryan,Benjamin,Clay, & all who commented... I get the hint- Today, I am going to ground the system & find house ground. I understand it is very important on many levels....

[Ryan Chatterson]

A grounding probe in the water will ground any stray electrical current in the water. It could be used by itself or you can also drive a rod into the ground and ground the whole house (which should probably be done anyway if it is not).

[DJ Bisson Jr]

Hey, I know the issue has been resolved. The only problem that I see with the ground probe in the water or tied to the system in some way or another, is that say for some reason that it is a better source of ground then that of your house ground, then say lightning strikes your house or if you have a short circuit inside somewhere. It could potentially go to your system and harm to the fish that way. This is only my opinion. 

Ryan said:

A grounding probe in the water will ground any stray electrical current in the water. It could be used by itself or you can also drive a rod into the ground and ground the whole house (which should probably be done anyway if it is not).