Caryl Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Apart from the possibility of electrocuting yourself mixing water and electricity, bear in mind if you have unsatisfactory wiring (or similar) and need to claim insurance they will turn you down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Just make sure your RCDs or piles of RCDs turn back on after a power cut (not a trip, thats different). Water is a poor conductor but it does conduct. The only electric shocks I've ever received in an aquarium were mild. But the most common causes I've heard of, had happen etc are broken heater glass (so the heating coil is surrounded in water), and water on four way boards when you pick them up. An RCD is a good way to save you from those experiences. Just make sure it turns back on after power failure (not a trip though, cause that'd be silly). If you can't get the RCD power points with auto-switch on after power cut, then get a normal plug and fit a plug-in RCD that does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Also note that if you are being electrocuted, normal fuse box switches (even the reusable ones) will NOT flick off under normal circumstances. (As others mentioned above) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoody Posted July 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 IMHO you should not have anything that re-sets itself when tripped, its down right bloody dangerous. The reason for something tripping in the first place is that there is a fault on the circuit. You do not want to be the one causing the fault only to discover it re-sets itself causing you to be the fault all over again, do you? Good point, allthough I ment to say after a power cut. My bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwipete Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Good point, allthough I ment to say after a power cut. My bad! RCD's don't trip with a power cut. They only sence the imbalance on the load side of the circuit(s). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthewY Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Wow, 6am post, some guys wake up early :-) The main RCD's ive seen to use a relay of soem kind which gets turned on when you push teh green button and cuts of when it either trips or when there is no longer power to keep the relay on (during a power cut). I know my $12 bunnings one works in a similar way. To test this, just turn the power switch on teh socket off while using rcd, wait afew seconds and tuen it back on (without resetting it from teh rcd ofcourse). If all is well then good, simple power cut simulator :-) The one I have would not re-arm??? itself when tehrs apower cut :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richms Posted July 13, 2008 Report Share Posted July 13, 2008 Thats a requirement for the plug in ones so that if some idiot puts a tool down after a power failure and doesnt turn it off, it wont restart when the power comes back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwipete Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Thats a requirement for the plug in ones so that if some idiot puts a tool down after a power failure and doesnt turn it off, it wont restart when the power comes back. Quite right indeed, the power board ones will always switch off when the power is cut. You really should look at a hard wired one on your switchboard to be on the safe side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.