Curious What Would Happen...

[NonstickRon]

What happens if water ends up leaching into a submersible heater? Would it electrocute all my fish? Would sticking my hand in it electrocute me? Would it blow a breaker out somewhere?

I just can't keep from being nervous about that thing sitting down there whenever I look at it.

 

[Axleuk]

What happens if water ends up leaching into a submersible heater? Would it electrocute all my fish? Would sticking my hand in it electrocute me? Would it blow a breaker out somewhere?

I just can't keep from being nervous about that thing sitting down there whenever I look at it.

Yes, you will get a shock and yes your fish will be shocked too. There are heaters with protective casings but essentialy the same thing will happen if they get in contact with water.

 

[Gun]

Hi NonstickRon

I don't have an answer, but I sure to would like to know

Sometimes, when I place my hands in the water I think what may happen if the heater malfunctioned would the electricity cut out, or would it charge the water....

 

[fishyfreak]

That reminds me of a few years ago I was re-arranging a 100 gallon tank and while I had my arms in the water I noticed that the glass covering the heating element had broken and fallen right off in one big piece, the element was fully exposed and the heater was still plugged in. To this day I don't know why I wasn't zapped! maybe I was lucky and the heater just didn't turn on?

 

[Axleuk]

That reminds me of a few years ago I was re-arranging a 100 gallon tank and while I had my arms in the water I noticed that the glass covering the heating element had broken and fallen right off in one big piece, the element was fully exposed and the heater was still plugged in. To this day I don't know why I wasn't zapped! maybe I was lucky and the heater just didn't turn on?

You are very lucky. It is only active when turned on, which is why you should always turn a heater off and leave it off for 15mins before doing any water maintenance.

Hands up how many people never turn their heater off before cleaning the tank or doing water changes ?

 

[Mikaila31]

We depends on how much water gets in the heater. If it was a lot and the heating element was in contact with the water then you have the chance that it could zap all the fish. When you get just a little in the heater the water will start to boil. Which will eventually cause the glass on the heater to crack. Either way it's not good.

 

[Gun]

Yep, dont have tank at moment...but cant remember ever turning the heater of during maintenance.

Don't know why I've never done this..but I sure is going to do it from now on

 

[NonstickRon]

Yep, dont have tank at moment...but cant remember ever turning the heater of during maintenance.

Don't know why I've never done this..but I sure is going to do it from now on

yeah...I think I'll start unplugging mine too

as a matter of fact...I think I'm going to mark the plugs on the powerstrip somehow to be able to identify which is which easier.

 

[Mikaila31]

I wrap pipe cleaners around the cord by the plug to let me know which ones to unplug. Depends on my heater, since some of them turn off when the water level drops.

I have had to deal with water boiling inside the heater. And let me tell you it's no fun. I deserved it though, I only have one non-submersible heater. I completely forgot that it was non-submersible, and I was cleaning it underwater in the sink. Pluged it back in and 5 min later there was the weirdest sound coming from the tank..... . Took a couple hours to get it to dry out....

I also got shocked by the electrical socket when I was plugging my filter back in with wet hands....... It hurts like hell.

 

[lilfishie]

i never unplug mine, infact have been doing maintainence today always unplug when doing water changes though

 

[Ian H]

i never unplug mine, i know i should but its a risk im willing to take. Never unplug the filters either

 

[jglover]

What happens if water ends up leaching into a submersible heater? Would it electrocute all my fish? Would sticking my hand in it electrocute me? Would it blow a breaker out somewhere?

I just can't keep from being nervous about that thing sitting down there whenever I look at it.

Make sure all your electrical equipment for the tank is plugged into a GFCI protected power strip. A ground fault circuit interupter (GFCI) is a device that senses a fault to electrical ground (ie a cracked heater, wet cord, etc.) and kills the power to the entire power strip. GCFI's are standard on any up to code outdoor circuit and are supposed to belocated on any circuit within 6 feet of a water source. The little button that pops out on the electrical outlet in your bathroom (provided the bathroom is newer and was built to code), for example, is a GFCI protected outlet. That's the best protection one can get for both your fish as well as yourself.

Myself, being a safety manager by profession, I *almost* always (being honest here! ) unplug the heater prior to sticking my hand into the tank.

John