Re[2]: electrical safety

To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re[2]: electrical safety
From: KB Koh <KB_Koh at ccm_ipn.intel.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 96 08:44:00 PST
>From: nguyenh at nosc_mil (Hoa G. Nguyen)
>Date: Mon, 11 Mar 96 10:58:08 PST
>Subject: Re: electrical safety
>
>>From: KB Koh <KB_Koh at ccm_ipn.intel.com>
>
>>What is that Ground-Fault-Interrupt? Is it the same as ELCB (Earth Leakage
>>Circuit Breaker). Over here it is required by law for every home to have it.
>>
>>The better way is to ground the water with a wire and hook it to ELCB or
>>your GFI(?). Any current leakage to the water would immediately trip the
>>breaker. Anyone know of any side-effect to the water here?
>>
>
>Sounds like they are the same device.  In my city, as of 8 years ago when I
>bought my house, GFI was required for the bathroom outlet circuits in new
>houses only.  I don't know the current law.  I believe it compares the
>current in the hot and return lines and cuts the electricity as soon as the
>two aren't the same.  If this is the case then I don't think there is a need
>to ground the water, since any leakage to anywhere would trip it.

Well, in that case they are different beast. In Malaysia, since about 25 years 
ago, all new and old houses has to install main ELCB for all power socket usage.
Maybe this is due to the 240V that we use. The higher the voltage, the more 
current can flow through your body. We use 3 pin sockets instead of 2 used for 
110V; Life, Neutral and Earth. The Earth/Ground line is connected to ELCB and 
down to a metal body in the ground. ELCB has a coil that monitor the current 
flowing through the Earth line. If it detect current in the Earth line above a 
preset value, it would trip and break the Life and Ground line. So, 
earthing/grounding the tank water or in fact any equipment you have in your 
house is a good idea.

rgds..kbkoh