How To Test For Electrical Current In Water
Salts or other chemicals that dissolve in water can break down into positively and negatively charged ions.
How to test for electrical current in water. Any leakage current flowing in the green safety ground wire would be seen as a non zero reading at position 2 and any leakage current from the load to earth would show a non zero reading at positions 2 or 3. The danger comes from a person standing with feet in the water so he is perfectly grounded to 0 volt. We believe this is from the electrical current flowing into the unit during normal operation and becoming solid on top and then when backwashing the system the bottom became solid also. It is the best electrical earth that can be found with virtually no resistance.
These free ions in the water conduct electricity so the water electrical conductivity depends on the concentration of ions. When we dismantled the water filtration filter the media was melted on the top surface and bottom surface from granular to solid material. Do this test in the sump as well as the aquarium. Since the green wire is included in the test at position 3 only the ground current is registered as leakage in that case.
Common sources of electricity are going to be powerheads heaters and lighting. Touching an electrical device that has voltage on the enclosure will lead to a current through body to. Ec or electrical conductivity of water is its ability to conduct an electric current. Remember that water conducts electricity so a leaking pump in the display tank will affect the water in the sump because the water in circulation between the two is still in movement.
See if electrical current is going to the water heater by touching the tip of the voltage detector to the wires leading into the thermostat. The reading you want to see is 0.