Parzifal Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Good evening all! In 2019 I bought an abyzz a400 pump, because, well shoot, can anyone give me a good reason. long story long, it’s tripping my dedicated 20amp gfci circuit. I’ve tested the circuit with dehumidifiers and multiple other pumps. It works without issue for everything other than the abyzz. I've tested the abyzz on 5%increments from 60%-95%, all with the same result. Circuit trips within 30 seconds. anyone have any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burningbaal Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 sounds like something's wrong for sure. have you tried it in a non-gfci circuit? I'd wonder if QC missed something on the pump though... And you can try putting a kill-a-watt in front of it too see what it's actually drawing. and I'd try a super low setting too, like 5% disclaimer: I've never touched an abyzz pump, so I am far from an expert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parzifal Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 Thanks! Great idea. I’ll check out the apex as well and see if it registered a power surge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willapa Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 If the GFCI breaker or outlet is not the issue then your pump is leaking current to ground, in this case the tank water. Water, or moisture, must have worked it’s way into the motor causing current to flow to ground. In this case, it doesn’t matter what speed it’s running at. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bicyclebill Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Has it been running every day since you’ve had it, or did you just pull it out of a box and start trying to use it recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parzifal Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 It’s been running daily since March 2019...didn’t realize it had been that long! it seems to be working again now, I’ve got the power down to 60, anything over 75 trips immediately. i threw a power head in the tank too just in case it trips while I’m at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The ReefBox Posted January 27, 2021 Share Posted January 27, 2021 On 1/26/2021 at 6:21 AM, Parzifal said: It’s been running daily since March 2019...didn’t realize it had been that long! it seems to be working again now, I’ve got the power down to 60, anything over 75 trips immediately. i threw a power head in the tank too just in case it trips while I’m at work. I would tend to agree will Willipa and it’s leaking voltage or it’s creating resistance. Have you cleaned it recently? Is the impeller raceway clear of debri and build up? My concern would be stray voltage. Maybe add a stray voltage probe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 Willipa is an electrician, and Willipa says.... It is caused by stray current, ergo.. your pump is currently leaking electricity into your tank, no matter what speed you set it at. I would contact them for a replacement. This does happen overtime and the reason I buy Jebao pumps. You could have 6 jebaos sitting on the shelf for replacements for the same cost as the abyzz. Hopefully they will hook you up, they do have a 10 year warranty if you registered it. Good luck and get that pump out of the water. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parzifal Posted January 28, 2021 Author Share Posted January 28, 2021 Yeah, sadly need a pump that can go up at least ~23 feet in head pressure. I’ve reached out to abyzz and am hoping they honor their warranty! If not...looks like a pair of hammerhead golds. I’d prefer a DC pump for controllability. Anyone out there with experience with a DC pump that can do the head pressure needed here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 I have seen high head pumps in the 2,400 gph range but for that flow and head, it is either AC or the pump you have. While not as elegant of a solution as dialing down the power, you can control the output of the hammerheead with a gate valve, the backpressure is not harmful to the pump (says the folks at reeflo). I would be shocked if they don't honor the warranty if they don't however I have a hammerhead with no seals I would be willing to part with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parzifal Posted January 28, 2021 Author Share Posted January 28, 2021 Thanks! I keep thinking there has to be an easy fix, I have an idea. Willapa, what do you think of this: since it’s probably an electrical issue and electrons don’t like each other. If I find the amperage and voltage of the leak and inject that into the tank from an alternate source...will it just push the stray current back into the pump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willapa Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 You mean chuck a hair dryer in there and call it good? 😁 A GFCI detects when current is flowing beyond the circuit and is much more sensitive than the flow needed to trip a standard breaker. That is why they are recommended around water since any amount of current flowing to water can be dangerous. Once the current escapes the circuit, no way of getting it back in. A grounding probe on the tank would dissipate it, but would still trip the GFCI since it “sees” the lost current and not a fix in this case. Maybe the cord has a small crack allowing water to leak or a seal is letting water seep in? Any small amount of water gives the current a path to flow out of the circuit into the tank and trip the GFCI. Hopefully the warranty will come through, not an inexpensive pump! Can you run it as an external pump? Maybe that would help if water is leaking at the cord or housing? And for the record, I am not an electrician....just a weekend electrical warrior! I do happen to work for an electric utility..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 On 1/25/2021 at 5:52 PM, Burningbaal said: And you can try putting a kill-a-watt in front of it too see what it's actually drawing. On 1/25/2021 at 6:21 PM, Parzifal said: Thanks! Great idea. I’ll check out the apex as well and see if it registered a power surge. Following up on this earlier QnA Normally, is the abyzz normally plugged into an Apex, or directly into the wall circuit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parzifal Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 1 hour ago, Willapa said: You mean chuck a hair dryer in there and call it good? 😁 A GFCI detects when current is flowing beyond the circuit and is much more sensitive than the flow needed to trip a standard breaker. That is why they are recommended around water since any amount of current flowing to water can be dangerous. Once the current escapes the circuit, no way of getting it back in. A grounding probe on the tank would dissipate it, but would still trip the GFCI since it “sees” the lost current and not a fix in this case. Maybe the cord has a small crack allowing water to leak or a seal is letting water seep in? Any small amount of water gives the current a path to flow out of the circuit into the tank and trip the GFCI. Hopefully the warranty will come through, not an inexpensive pump! Can you run it as an external pump? Maybe that would help if water is leaking at the cord or housing? And for the record, I am not an electrician....just a weekend electrical warrior! I do happen to work for an electric utility..... Lol. Thanks, I thought about just cutting another pump cord and dropping it in the tank while plugged in, but my wife said there were better solutions. i think it is leaking from the cord or housing, it’s already an external pump, and seems to work fine unless I screw up and spill water in the aquarium room, then it trips non stop while wet. I don’t think stray voltage is getting into the tank. I tested it earlier by dropping my dog in there and she seemed fine. A little twitchy after and now wifey says she smells bad. But am definitely thinking of a grounding probe or titanium heater as others have recommended thank you all again for the advice. Keep it coming! 45 minutes ago, obrien.david.j said: Following up on this earlier QnA Normally, is the abyzz normally plugged into an Apex, or directly into the wall circuit? Into the apex 832 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 7 minutes ago, Parzifal said: Into the apex 832 And just to rule everything out, before you go do the repair route... Have you confirmed it trips the GFCI just as easily while plugged directly into the wall. (skipping the EB832) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parzifal Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 Yeah. Plugged into either circuit trips the gfci. (I ran two 20amp circuits to this room). well technically 3 circuits. Two 20 amp 120v circuits and one 20 amp 240v circuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obrien.david.j Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Fair enough - you've got a bad pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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