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shoelaceike

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Well a heater i had bought used happened to have a short in it. I took apart the overflow box to fix the hose connection. Had to let it dry so put the used heater in the dt. Went to mess with a coral. Both hands went in and started getting electrocuted. Was not able to let go of the tank due to the electricity. Ended up pulling the entire tank on top of me. Crashed the system, ended up getting stitches. Was not a pleasant experience. Which is why i try to tell people to use gfi and ground probes. That way they wont learn the hard way like i did. :)

What kind of heater?
 

RamsReef

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Hi, can electricity transfer through plastic. Meaning, if I dip a plastic cup into a tank with leaking voltage without touching my skin to to the water, can I still get electrocuted? Also if I was wearing a plastic glove. Thank you

No, but the quality and condition of the plastic affects this. I work with 13800v through 260000v and you would not see me using a plastic cup at 120v to shield myself.
 

Paul B

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Weird question but no, you will not get electrocuted.
 

DLuce510

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Is there any 0-10v controlable cooling fans in can hook up to my Apex VDM on my diy t5 fixture?
 

RamsReef

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DLuce510

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Most computer fans are 0-12v controllable. I do not know what the wattage rating on a VDM port is you may be able to power one very small 12 volt fan.

I personally would go with something like this on my DIY fixture, https://www.coolerguys.com/collecti...d-speed-ac-fan-with-thermal-switch-bt12038b1m
or for a bump up
https://www.coolerguys.com/collecti...kit-with-custom-wood-grill-thermal-controller

Thanks for the reply. The vdm doesn't power anything, it's just a analog signal that is used to dim lights, pumps ect. I like the fans on the link but those would be stand alone and they're AC which means i couldn't dim them with the vdm and would have to run another power cord.
The problem most have run into is regular computer fans have a chip in them that doesn't respond well to attempts at dimming
 

RamsReef

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Thanks for the reply. The vdm doesn't power anything, it's just a analog signal that is used to dim lights, pumps ect. I like the fans on the link but those would be stand alone and they're AC which means i couldn't dim them with the vdm and would have to run another power cord.
The problem most have run into is regular computer fans have a chip in them that doesn't respond well to attempts at dimming
I know, I just told you what I would run, since you gave no indication of available power, what power rail you are tapping off of, what the VDM signal is going to be used for, power, control, power and control. I mean honestly you could hook the VDM up to the gate of a transistor and drive a DC Fan from that.

Myself, I would go with a large on/off quite low speed AC fan or the other solution I provided if you wanted more finite temperature control. Driving a fan off of an APEX seems silly to me. Seeing as your fan is inside the light that you are trying to cool it would make more sense just to have it sense the temperature of the light enclosure and go from there.
 

DLuce510

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I would like to run the power off the same power running the light inside the fixture to keep everything neat. I want the fans to be controlable to ramp up with the lights and to keep it from being too cool which would lessen the effectiveness and lower par.
If it's has one speed it would either be too hot or cold and some times only one channel of t5's might be on and the light still needs to be cooled but not the same as when all channels are on.
Most fans have set Temps to run on and most temperature controlled are to bulky to fit in the fixture which is why I would control it on the vdm.
 

Totempolez

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this is an interesting topic that i stumbled upon, i would like to install t5 in a canopy as well. i was just checking the ballast that i want to buy.....( https://www.grainger.com/product/PH...rammed-3CE45?searchBar=true&searchQuery=3ce45 ) what would be the problem with having fans run every time the ballast turns on? like set the fans on the same timer that the lights were on via apex outlet. i cant imagine the ballast getting too cold, could it?

sorry if my ignorance clouded up the topic, but i wouldn't mind a bit of education.
 

DLuce510

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There's nothing really wrong with having them on full blast all the time but there's a optimal operating temperature for the most efficiency. I have vent fans in my hood to exhaust heat but this is for inside the fixture.

After trying I failed. I tried a 4 pin fan with a internal pwm. Don't believe it would accept the 0-10v signal from the apex, different hertz signal or something.

If your thinking about going t5 and you have a aquarium controller you might want to concider dimmable ballast.Supereasy.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-dimming-t5-fixture.226925/
 

Totempolez

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i did watch that and i was going to do almost the same thing as the brs160..except, im poor lol. i was going to use 2 photon 36 in the middle of 4 80w florescent bulbs. however, i can not afford what he has. the t5 lamps he has are 250 dollars a fixture which i would need 2 of vs 2 ballasts for 55 dollars and 4 pairs of waterproof sockets that run 12 dollars a pare making my total 158 plus some recycled computer fans and 158 sounds better then 500
 

Totempolez

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if any one out there has a video of someone building a t5 light from scratch, could you link it. i cant find a video. i wanted to buy all of the pieces and make it totally custom. other then a ballast, end caps and a plug what do i need? i have a some experience as a maintenance man for a hotel and i am totally confident i can wire the the ballast part because i have done it multiple times (Plus the wiring diagram is on the ballast itself). however, i have only replaced the ballast and end pins before and i am curious on what else goes into the Whole light, such as other parts or ways to cool it and i cant find any video of anyone doing it. a diagram wont help because i am not and electrical engineer and don't know how to read those.
thanks
 

West1

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2 wire system in older apartment, took landlord a month to have an electrician replace bathroom and kitchen to GFCI's.
This is when I found out we do not have a ground wire. Putting a GFCI where I plan to set up my biocube 29 scares me.


Wiring a GFCI will only protect me from getting electrocuted but not the high end equipment right?
What are my options other than hiring an electrician?
 
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