Salt Water + Electricity + Nicked Pump Cable = Fire

[tmelhiser]

Well, let me start by saying, I need to find a new four leaf clover or another leprechaun to tuck in my back pocket.

I was mixing up some NaCl-H20, making ready for the joy that will be my office system.

I had my trusty Eheim pump stirring things up nicely and making good time. The way I set up my sump, I can shut off one chamber and let the Eheim pump out the existing water, let the RO/DI system refill it, salt it up, let the Eheim go back to mixing it for a while, and finally drain some from the main display, reopen the chamber and release the newly mixed brew. (quite a handy invention, now to automate it!)

It's time to come back and stir the sediment that collects in the corners. I reach in to adjust the head and angle it to catch the dead spots. (This is my last catch in the automation process... how to validate a good mix. But that is another post, this one is about electricity!)

I noticed a small blue arc under the water near the pump my right hand was holding under water. In that moment, I think I had a few hundred random thoughts take place, the oddest of which was, "Could it that be one of those strange blue dots I see after looking at the sun?", only to be followed by, "Do I smell bacon?".

That thought was quickly dismissed, but oddly enough, I didn't let go of the pump. I pulled it out, looked at it and the cord started to smoke. At which point, I gently (but quickly) laid it on the wood frame of the stand, furiously searched for the end of it's plug, but was distracted by the blue fire igniting. Opting for the panic button, I downed the entire pump array. Fire out, smell lingering, I hear, "Something smells funny, I sure hope the neighbors aren't cooking meth again!" (not really, but it would have been better than the, "I smell something, I'm leaving, hope you're ok...")

Now the back story. I put this pump in use only a few days ago after having loaned it to a friend. When I got it back, I noticed that when I turned it the wrong way, it "bound up". I thought the drive shaft of the propeller had been slightly bent from a random shell fragment or snail or someting and didn't want to spin, so I thought nothing of it.

Turns out, "they" (gender neutral so as not to hint at the identity of the indiviual, but it rhymes with Boosh Dag as I affectionately now call them) forgot to tell me that they had the cable in a bind and had to "pull it hard" to get it free. My best guess is that some sharpness was holding it fast and nicked the internals of the cable, which then exacerbated as I twisted and turned it to mix sediment.

I'm feeling quite lucky to be here right now without a funny smell, no curly hair, and no trip to Seton.

Now, all this just to ask, is there a way to re-attache a new cable to this bad boy that will be water tight. If the answer is not a 100% sure, this will never leak, I don't think I want to risk it. I've already used up all my lucky for this year.

-t

[Derek]

I'd get an entirely new pump. I wouldn't risk it.

I'm glad you didn't get hurt.

[soggydrysuit]

Wow! I think you were very lucky you didn't touch anything that could have made an earth path through you - ZAP!

I'd chuck it for peace of mind if nothing else. Even if you used silicone sealent it would flex loose and the water would get in. I'm pretty sure there is no safe way to fix things like this.

I think marine tanks have the potential to start housefires if you don't keep an eye out for this kind of thing - sw getting into plugs because of no drip loop - and dodgy wiring.

I'm also one who has done silly things and nearly didn't get away with it. I had two double 55W T5 units cable tied to the inside of a plastic hood on a 40g reef and every so often I'd have to replace then or the heat would degrade the plastic and make the ties brittle. I'd just touched the hood on this tank and one of the lights fell off. I went to grab it and just stopped myself. Into the water it went. Fizz, pop, sizzle, clunk went the RCD trip. Lucky that. It was a bad design - get corrosion on the end caps after time too from the salt. Corroded copper from the contacts falling into the tank is not the best idea either...

[tmelhiser]

That's kind of where I'm at with repairing this thing. Unless there is a way to open up the housing, reconnect a new cable, and reseal the housing, I think it's going in the trash. No, I take that back. It's just going in the trash. It's hard to get out an ambulance ride for less than a $100 bucks these days, so trash can, here it comes and I'll get a new one and pocket the extra $40 bucks from the savings from the ambulance ride.

Your lighting story made me start thinking about the wiring for my lighting. Is there any way to insulate it better? It's not exactly bare wire hanging over the tank, but it's also not really got any protection from salt creep and humidity/condensation. Basically it's a couple of wire nuts and a lot of luck.

-t

[+Jakedoza]

solder.. and heatshrink... should be fine.

connect it externally.. don't use it as a submersible pump.

if you don't want it.. I'll take it.

[tmelhiser]

solder.. and heatshrink... should be fine.

connect it externally.. don't use it as a submersible pump.

if you don't want it.. I'll take it.

It's yours. Any chance you are coming to the frag swap-O-rama this weekend?

-t

[+Jakedoza]

I'd like to.. Guess I can plan on it. I don't have anything to swap since I'm just setting up my tank.. But it will be cool to visit with some of you guys. Maybe I'll bring my camera

[tmelhiser]

I'm in the same boat. My system is just getting set up. I have a solid month or more before I can introduce a clean up crew. I still have another week before the rock gets here.

I'm hoping I can show up and beg for folks to hold some things for me. (not likely, but it could happen)

I'm going to be bringing photos of the larger equipment I am selling and some of the smaller bits and pieces.

Look forward to seeing you there.

-t

[+Jakedoza]

cool.. sounds good.