• Looking to buy a cephalopod? Check out Tomh's Cephs Forum, and this post in particular shares important info about our policies as it relates to responsible ceph-keeping.

Power Strips

matt

Pygmy Octopus
Registered
Joined
Apr 6, 2003
Messages
13
Hi,

I was reading the posting about the GFI tripping when the power goes off and was wondering if anyone has problems with a regular power strip with a 15 amp circuit breaker?

Thanks, Matt
 
there was actually a lengthy debate about this a few months ago on the index...I believe that the end regard for regular power strips was that you have to be careful monitoring them. One keeper lost his entire tank because the strip didn't re-start after a power outage when he was away...there are self-maintaining strips available from computer stores,but they are pricey!!!
Good luck!
Greg
 
Yeah... :| ...that was probably me with the recent power outage/GFCI crash. I suppose I'm not the first one to to have this happen. I was lucky enough that most of what represented a significant financial investment (live rock, some coral) actually survived, but I certainly did lose most animals.

Right now, I still use the GFCI, but I am removing that and plugging everything into a standard outlet when I go away for anything more than a day. The whole point of the GFCI is to keep ME from getting electrocuted, so I'm not really willing to give up on it...I just have to be a bit smarter with it from now on.

I'm working on (as in, waiting for the right sale price!) installing a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply.) These are the battery-backup systems for computers...lose power and you get some 10-30 minutes, depending on the model, to save your work and shut down. I intend to just plug one item into it, the sump return pump. My hazy knowledge of such electrical equipment suggests to me that a model with a lot of battery life would perhaps run for at least a good few hours or more with just one roughly 40 watt draw. That would ensure essentially no harm at all from a brief power company outage (as opposed to Aquarist-caused outage) while I'm away, and were there a longer outage, I'd be home anyway by that time, putting together some other "auxiliary life support."

I must say, however...I don't know WHAT you'd do if your house breaker feeding the outlet tripped while you were away. That's why I've considered still having someone check the tank periodically if I'm gone for a long time. You can also buy some special devices that monitor your home's conditions and place a phone call to you when power fails (and you can call it to find out if power is still off or not.)

rusty
 

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