Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
OK... I'm embarrased to even write this, but if it saves someone it was worth it.
I have a battery backup hooked up to my heaters and powerhead. I've got everything - lights, battery backup, skimmer, etc - plugged into a GFI outlet beside the tank. Great... I've got ground fault protection so I don't shock myself. Now comes the "duh" that I can't believe I didn't notice for the three months my tank has been set up:
If my GFI outlet does its job when it senses a current spike, then it shuts off power to everything - including the battery backup unit. And then when my battery backup senses no power, it does ITS job and supplies power to whatever is plugged into it! So much for that safety feature of the GFI! Duh!
I fixed that by getting one of those GFI extension cords with the three outlet block on the end. I've got that plugged into my battery backup so that if a heater wants to trip the GFI, then it'll trip the one before the battery backup and no power will get to it.
Just thought I'd pass along my oversight in hopes others won't make the same mistake I did. And no... I luckily did not find this out by experience.
I have a battery backup hooked up to my heaters and powerhead. I've got everything - lights, battery backup, skimmer, etc - plugged into a GFI outlet beside the tank. Great... I've got ground fault protection so I don't shock myself. Now comes the "duh" that I can't believe I didn't notice for the three months my tank has been set up:
If my GFI outlet does its job when it senses a current spike, then it shuts off power to everything - including the battery backup unit. And then when my battery backup senses no power, it does ITS job and supplies power to whatever is plugged into it! So much for that safety feature of the GFI! Duh!
I fixed that by getting one of those GFI extension cords with the three outlet block on the end. I've got that plugged into my battery backup so that if a heater wants to trip the GFI, then it'll trip the one before the battery backup and no power will get to it.
Just thought I'd pass along my oversight in hopes others won't make the same mistake I did. And no... I luckily did not find this out by experience.