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Re: A question for the electricians



I'm not an electrician but....
In the UK the mains voltage standard is 230V (+/- 6% I think) (used to be
240 and often measures 250).  A bit more fatal than your 110V yet all the
aquarium gear I've seen is mains driven.  I would agree that glass
heater-stats with a rotary control that penetrates the seal worry me the
most.  I've had at least two heaters fail (many years ago when when perhaps
tubes were not as tough as they are now) and have survived.  For substrate
heating I'm using a 50W 8mt long mains driven "Rena-cor" and of course a
Earth leakage cutoff device, tested at every water change.  Also all the
gear here carries a CE mark which I think is some kind of electrical
cerification.

Conclusions:-  I think mains gear is safe but be sensible

Phil, amused by the colonists squabbling over the spoils of empire. (burns
red coat & hides in bunker :-))

>From: "James Purchase" <jpurch at interlog_com>
>Subject: A question for the electricians
>
>Snip...
>
>I guess my question is - how real is the danger? Aquarium heaters have
>household current running through them, and they are encased in fragile
>glass tubes. The AZOO substrate heater is sheathed in silicone and buried
>under the gravel. Shouldn't that be safer?
>
>Would I be risking life and limb by installing the AZOO substrate heating
>system? How would its lack of CSA certification affect my Insurance Policy?
>