# Coralife Power Center warning....



## bhare (Nov 11, 2005)

I've seen a few posts warning about the the Coralife Power Center ...well I recently purchased one and was surprised to see clearly written on the back of this thing "Not recommended for use with aquariums"...and this power strip is clearly marketed to aquarium users..such as here:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11379&N=2004+113782

a shot of mine:









and the warning on the back:









mine has been working fine so far..I keep it a fair distance from my tank...I just can't believe the gall of this company to market its product toward aquarium users and then no where on the package or marketing materials say "Not recommended for use with aquariums"


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## turbowagon (Dec 30, 2005)

That's crazy! You should point that out to Drs. Foster and Smith. 

Need another one?

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=25836


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

LOL. They should have just printed "Not recommended for use with electricity." That would be a great blanket disclaimer. :icon_roll


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## beviking (Aug 2, 2005)

I wouldn't bother Drs Foster & Smith...just look on the box that it came in! On the front (of mine anyway) there is a picture of a trigger fish (don't see many of them in a terrarium!. Not to mention also on the front of the box it says "Day-Night Timer or Wave-Maker Timer". Plus, on the side "...This feature allows you to control aquarium and terrarium environments..." "The Power Center can control two sets of water pumps...to create a wavemaker application." Must be for those that want to give their Hermit Crabs a little fun :icon_eek: 
Think I'll hold onto this box in case my tank goes up in flames:icon_evil 

-be


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## Kayakbabe (Sep 4, 2005)

I'd bet quite a sum of money in Vegas that Coralife doesn't make these themselves.

I will bet coralife doesn't know their manufacturer has changed the labeling on the product either.


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## Kayakbabe (Sep 4, 2005)

The local hardware store Home Depot sells powerstrips with GFCI circuits in them. They'll handle up to 6 devices. Couple that with a timer on the wall end of the setup and you'd be a lot safer... I think the powerstrip I'm talking about also has a warrantee/gaurantee so you'll basically be insureing your aquarium and expensive setup for something like $10,000 US by using one of these instead. Just a thought...


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## DarkCobra (Jun 22, 2004)

I've seen some discussion on how easily manufacturers are able to weasel their way out of honoring those warranties.

Don't consider the warranty as a purchase point. If you really want a warranty, get some real insurance.


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## wapfish (Oct 14, 2005)

Son of a gun!

I've been using a Coralife timers for a few months and had just recently decided to ditch it. Although it's been working flawlessly and I've never seen any explanations of specifically how it was defective (?), I decided to give in to my paranoia. This little observation puts a whole new light on things. It's really really gone.

Below is a photo of the back of my timer, purchased about 2-3 months ago. No warning against aquarium use. Quite the contrary.


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## Hop (Mar 27, 2004)

I could point you to three fires that I know of where these were the culprate... I would stay away from these!


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## New 2 fish (Dec 26, 2004)

Great... I have about every plug used up on one! All of my timers before it kept going flaky on me and leaving my lights on forever. I hate wasting money :angryfire


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## bhare (Nov 11, 2005)

I purchased this power strip last December from Drs Fosters & Smith..I have contacted them as well as Energy Savers Unlimited (ESU) and have received no response regarding this problem.

the package:









the warning on the outer package does not mention "not recommended for Aquariums"









the back of the power strip looks generic with no company name:









seems there is a disconnect between the outer packaging and the actual product itself..which would give weight to what Kayakbabe said...I'll keep everyone posted about this...

its a shame because I actually like the functionality of this product.


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## TRDMCV20L (Jan 22, 2006)

Argh! I just ordered one from the Dr's too. Its supposed to arrive sometime this week. Maybe I should return it before I open it.


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## Dood Lee (Jan 14, 2005)

I've been using this product for a while. It's been marketed and sold as for aquarium use. Almost every online vendor sells these for aquarium use - Dr. Fosters, Petsolutions, Big Als, etc. I've personally not had any problems with it, so I'm not too concerned about it.


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## Adrian (Aug 17, 2005)

A few months ago I got in touch with someone at ESU to rectify this issue...he assured me that these so-called claims and accusations were unfounded and proceeded to ramble off the warning on the side of the bloody box (this devise should not be installed in wet...blah, blah, blah. 

*Balderdash, rubbish, hogwash*...I can't stand this type of dodgy corporate hand-washing.

I got rid of mine...waste!:icon_evil


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## beviking (Aug 2, 2005)

bhare has the same one I do. I've only had it a few months. Guess we'll see where my faith in this thing leads cuz I'm too cheap to just toss it!
Mine is plugged into a GFI and properly grounded outlet (neighbor is an electrician and I know a little!)...not that I'm taking precautions (notes, witnesses, documentation, etc...) in case I need to sue someone or anything :icon_roll :hihi:


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## jgc (Jul 6, 2005)

I have to wonder - what specifically is defective with these to cause fire. If they are causing fire because the switch can not handle the full rated amps, then I can see a problem. Expecting them to do something they are not intended to do (operate when wet, act like a gfi (which they are not) then it is not the manufacturers fault.

I really need to confirm my gfi is working on my tank outlet - any easy way to test them without intentionally zapping myself?


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## Dood Lee (Jan 14, 2005)

I checked my Coralife outlet this morning, and there is no such label warning on mine. In fact, the unit actually looks different from the one bhare posted. Perhaps Coralife switched manufacturers, and didn't realize that the new ones were different?

BTW, perhaps it's labeled as not for aquarium use because of the fact that it might get wet? I don't see what the problem would be if you kept it in a really dry place.


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## bhare (Nov 11, 2005)

> bhare has the same one I do. I've only had it a few months. Guess we'll see where my faith in this thing leads cuz I'm too cheap to just toss it!
> Mine is plugged into a GFI and properly grounded outlet (neighbor is an electrician and I know a little!)...not that I'm taking precautions (notes, witnesses, documentation, etc...) in case I need to sue someone or anything


mine is only plugged into a 3-prong grounded outlet, but it is not one of those GFI outlets..there is only a few of those in my house in the kitchen. This makes me a little worried because of all the fire stories I have heard..if anyone can post a link to the stories/forum thread where these things caused fires it would be greatly appreaciated...still no word from ESU....


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## turbowagon (Dec 30, 2005)

*now THIS is a lawsuit in the making....*



wapfish said:


> Son of a gun!
> 
> I've been using a Coralife timers for a few months and had just recently decided to ditch it. Although it's been working flawlessly and I've never seen any explanations of specifically how it was defective (?), I decided to give in to my paranoia. This little observation puts a whole new light on things. It's really really gone.
> 
> Below is a photo of the back of my timer, purchased about 2-3 months ago. No warning against aquarium use. Quite the contrary.



HOLY CRAP! I have that same silver sticker, but did you peel it back???

click the thumbnails below for a closer look


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## bhare (Nov 11, 2005)

> HOLY CRAP! I have that same silver sticker, but did you peel it back???
> 
> click the thumbnails below for a closer look


:icon_eek: :icon_eek: :icon_eek: ...the plot thickens...


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## wapfish (Oct 14, 2005)

turbowagon said:


> HOLY CRAP! I have that same silver sticker, but did you peel it back???
> 
> click the thumbnails below for a closer look


Found the same thing when I peeled mine back. What in the heck is going on here anyway? :icon_eek:


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## turbowagon (Dec 30, 2005)

I don't know, but here is my letter to HelloLights.com:



turbowagon said:


> Dear Customer Service Manager,
> 
> A few weeks ago I purchased a Coralife digital power center from your company and have been using it to regulate the lights in my aquarium. I have since read a claim that a Coralife power strip was the cause of a fire in their home. See more information here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=584645 As a precautionary measure I decided to read the warning label in detail on the back of the timer.
> 
> ...


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## Dood Lee (Jan 14, 2005)

No offense guys, but I read that entire thread (reefcentral forum link provided by turbowagon) and I counted a total of three people who had problems with the coralife unit (defective), and only one of those people experienced a fire because of it. A lot of the people that posted on that thread seem to be under the impression that ALL of these outlets are defective, and thus decided to trash them. In my experience, there is always a chance that water may leak into an outlet, which is why I keep mine away from the aquarium.


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## bhare (Nov 11, 2005)

> No offense guys, but I read that entire thread (reefcentral forum link provided by turbowagon) and I counted a total of three people who had problems with the coralife unit (defective), and only one of those people experienced a fire because of it.


the point here is that the product is poorly manufactured, the company is either unaware of the problem or is mis-advertising its product, and now we see that it is labeled "not recommended for use with aquariums"..certainly I agree you could possibly have this same problem with a lot of power strips...it just feels very disingenuous to purchase a power strip targeted toward aquarium users only to find out later that it has caused problems with aquariums in the past..and after seeing the reef central post, one fire is too much for me, I've decided to remove my power strip and go with something else.


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## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

I honestly think in this case you guys are beating yourselves up over nothing. A _lot_ of equipment sold and marketed for aquarium use is made by a few manufacturers and repackaged, especially in the lighting and electrical areas. In fact, it's like this for a lot of markets. (For example, you can buy vitamin supplements under hundreds of different names, but a lot of them are all manufactured by the same few companies.)

I think this is likely a case of repackaging. The "not for use with aquariums" warning is probably there because the power strip has no ground fault interrupter. That's really more of a building code kind of thing... for example, if you build a house, the builder must make sure all the receptacles in the bathrooms are on a circuit with a ground fault interrupter present.

Technically, if you set up an aquarium and plug the equipment into _any_ outlet in your house that's not in your bathroom or garage, it's likely _not_ on a ground fault interrupter, therefore that outlet carries the same "not for use with aquariums" warning as the power strip in question!

If you want to make it "safe" to use with aquariums based on this technicality, simply have an electrician rewire your outlet so it's on a ground fault interrupter circuit. Or, simply buy a ground fault interrupter, then plug the Coralife power strip into that, then plug that into your outlet.

If Coralife wants to "fix" this problem, they should update their product to include a built in ground fault interrupter.


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## bhare (Nov 11, 2005)

Interestingly enough, Drs. Foster and Smith responded to my email concerning this power strip with the following:



> Thank you for choosing Drs. Foster & Smith for your pet supply needs. We have been in contact with the manufacturer of this strip due to questions arising from the wording molded in the plastic back. The wording is from the original manufacturing of this item. This product is now approved for use with aquariums. A large sticker which had been referenced in the previous email now covers the old wording until new back covers for this item are available. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused you.
> 
> If we can be of any additional assistance, please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at 1-800-562-7169 or via email at [email protected] and we will be happy to answer any question(s) you may have. You are a valued customer and we look forward to hearing from you in the future.
> 
> ...


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## New 2 fish (Dec 26, 2004)

My gf's father came over today to do some owrk on our house, and I asked him if he could install a GFI outlet in the living room for my aquarium. He told me that I didn't need one, that since basically there is no metal inside the water of the aquarium, that if I drop anything electrical into it, it'll basically just heat the water, not shock me. Then he went into the explanation of how the metal in the drain of a tub acts as a ground and that electricity will try to go from a cord to the ground in a tub.
????
I know nothing about how electricity works. Do I need to put a GFI outlet where I have an aquarium plugged in or not?
--got rid of the Coralife center the other night, just in case....


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## BOTIA (Dec 23, 2003)

Having an electronics background and done a lot of household electrical I can tell he is right and wrong.
Dropping a say a light fixture will not elctrocute you unless you stick your hand in .
Mythbusters did toaster in the bath tub trick which is different because water pipes (unless you have the new ipex type) are grounded and it is not a myth.

That said a puddle of water and something elctric is recipe for disaster the same way a bathroom is dangerous.
Definitely ignore the advice and get one installed. The install very easily just like a regular outlet. They have instructions, and as long as you turn the power off via breaker or fuse you could DIY!
I put gfci on all my aquarium used outlets for the safet sake. 
Botia
Btw a grounding probe for aquariums is a very good idea.
If you have any powerheads or heaters in tank. Sometime powerheads can leak small amounts of current which can apparently mess with fish health.


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## New 2 fish (Dec 26, 2004)

Hmm... I'll have to ask him how to put it in now. I have an old house that has 4 wires coming out of the wall instead of two or three. 
Then'll come the discussion about why I don't need it. :icon_roll 
Thanks for the info.


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## panboy (Jan 27, 2006)

I tihnk the not use for aquarium notice is for their own safety. If something goes wrong, then you can't blame them. Any company is going to try to protect themselves.

I mean... the thing is called "AQUAlight power center"
how could it not be for aquariums


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## fishwhisperer (Jan 8, 2006)

I visited my lfs today (a friend owns it) and saw one of these units for sale on his wall. I took it out of the package and showed him the infamous warning on back. He couldn't beleive it. He also said that he was using one on a reef system at his last store that caught fire.... ruined the whole store. The fire marshall never found the cause. Anyway, it's probably just a coincidence.


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## Roan Art (Jan 5, 2006)

Geez. I just read this thread for the first time. I've at least six of these Coralife timers connected to aquariums and reptile cages. The reptile ones have been in use for 6 months at least and I've not had a problem. I've not had a problem with any of the others either, but they've only been in use for 2 months or so.

I'm just glad I had my husband replace all my wall sockets with GFIs before I set up my aquarium. 

While I was setting up my newest 75g, I accidentally splashed the GFI and it scared the bloomers out of me! All I heard was a low *zap* noise (which may or may not have come from the GFI -- I'm hearing impaired) and the power went out to the tank. Obviously it's working, it was just the first time I had it cut on me. Took two hours for the outlet to dry and allow power to flow through it again.

I don't know if I will replace the Coralifes. I do know that I will have my hubby dissect one and see what he thinks.

Roan


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## Sympley (Apr 18, 2006)

Wow, I jsut stumpled on this tread recently and I have 2 of the coralife timers. Just out of curiousity are there other timers on the market for aquariums? I have been looking around and these are the only ones that I could find.


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## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

wapfish said:


> Son of a gun!
> Below is a photo of the back of my timer, purchased about 2-3 months ago. No warning against aquarium use. Quite the contrary.


Peel that sticker off and I bet I know what you'll find underneath...:icon_wink 

I've heard nothing good about those things. Before I built my own power center, one of the more honest LFS in the area told me I didn't want one as they have had a lot "s**tload" of returns.

Tommy


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## Justintoxicated (Oct 18, 2006)

Crazy old thread but a good read.

NONE of the outlets in my house are grounded, so definately no GFI! And I'm not even useing one of these, I'm using X-mas Tree Light timers. They have a warning label as well that says not to plug them into a power strip, extention cord etc. I have an extention cord run to a UPS with strips connected to that, and then I have my timers plugged into that! Mounting them to the inside of the cabinet to create a drip loop sounded like a good idea to me. 

There is NO way I can install GFI's since none of my outlets are grounded anyways. Plus I just rent so I'm not about to upgrade the electrical in the house. My dad's old house was like this as well. He has no grounds!

Jeez! What would you do in a situation like that!?


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## crazy loaches (Sep 29, 2006)

Interesting.

I somehow doubt thought there is much to worry about the coralife timer... I am sure most any regular outlet strip you look at will probably have similar warnings, and I am sure the coralife unit wasnt exclusively made for coralife nor aquariums, hence the warning from the original manufacturer. I mean look at it, its just a regular strip with a timer, no special water proofing or gfi or anything, any old strip and timer is going to be just as fire-prone when used near aquariums. I dont know if one is required but I replaced my outlet with a gfi equipped outlet that my coralife is hooked too.


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## jpfelix (Oct 10, 2006)

what happens to the coralife powercenters? 

1.) often times the timer sticks

2.) the contacts inside the unit overheat, melting wire insulation and the plastic body. potentially causing a fire

i had one melt at the lfs when the timer stuck on and the contacts overheated. it was only firing one 65w pc bulb!

i certainly wouldn't buy one. especially with the lack of customer support concerning these items!


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## crazie.eddie (May 31, 2004)

I wonder if Coralife already rectified the problem, but was just too cheap to make a new mold for the casing. Probably the older, faulty models had the mold, which had this...









Once they fixed it, they found it cheaper just to make little stickers to place over them, so they look like this...


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## glass-gardens.com (Apr 14, 2004)

More than likely, they didn't "fix" anything but the notice. It's not like Coralife makes these things, they just paste the labels on them.

Virtually any power strip can be safely used for aquariums if used in conjunction with a GFI system and common sense is followed hooking it up (i.e. keeping away from and above the aquarium)


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## sayn3ver (Sep 1, 2006)

i like how it says its not meant to be mounted on anything yet clearly has holes+slots designed to be mounted.roud: good job coralife.:icon_lol:


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## aman74 (Feb 19, 2007)

Justintoxicated said:


> Crazy old thread but a good read.
> 
> NONE of the outlets in my house are grounded, so definately no GFI! And I'm not even useing one of these, I'm using X-mas Tree Light timers. They have a warning label as well that says not to plug them into a power strip, extention cord etc. I have an extention cord run to a UPS with strips connected to that, and then I have my timers plugged into that! Mounting them to the inside of the cabinet to create a drip loop sounded like a good idea to me.
> 
> ...


Not sure the exact setup you have, but I would be careful. The warning to not plug them into power strips etc. isn't suddenly voided because you are going into a UPS. You need to watch how much you are running off one outlet as well.


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## Tsquare (Feb 13, 2007)

Can anyone tell me one that is safe? I have been using regular timers plugged into the wall outlet for 25 years or more. Wife also uses them in the basement for growing house plants. Never had a problem with one but if there is a safe brand around I would like to know where I could get them.
Gene


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## Dood Lee (Jan 14, 2005)

Tsquare said:


> Can anyone tell me one that is safe? I have been using regular timers plugged into the wall outlet for 25 years or more. Wife also uses them in the basement for growing house plants. Never had a problem with one but if there is a safe brand around I would like to know where I could get them.
> Gene


There is nothing wrong with using the Coralife timers. Like anything used for an aquarium, you just need to make sure the power center is in a dry place where water can't get to it.


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## 051009 (Jan 28, 2007)

same goes for the digital timers? the pictures i'm seeing here seem to all be their mechanical timed powerstrips


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## Poohbee (May 6, 2004)

I have one of those coralife timers (non digital version) and I had to send it back to them to replace because the stuck timer problem. The replacement I received had the same exact stuck timer problem after about a year of use. I have to manually turn the timer in order to turn on the lights on and off. The cheap feeling power strip and timer doesn't help me feel too secured about their products either....


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## Fish'InMN (Apr 23, 2006)

This is why most saltwater folks stay away from these "power centers"...
(Link already mentioned in thread, just for reference)
Reef Central Online Community - Photos of my house fire...aquarium put it out.

Reef Central Online Community

I know I'm fanning the flames here (no pun intended), but you should be aware of the serious problems some people have had.


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## Alexplosive (Mar 24, 2006)

I have the powercenter too. I dont know if it comes in different models but mine does not say "not to be used with aquariums". It just says to place it in a place where it can not be exposed to high moisture or fall into an aquarium.


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## bcreque (Jan 28, 2007)

Alexplosive said:


> I have the powercenter too. I dont know if it comes in different models but mine does not say "not to be used with aquariums". It just says to place it in a place where it can not be exposed to high moisture or fall into an aquarium.


Mine reads the same. There is no warning regarding aquariums. Since mine was recently purchased about a month ago, I'm assuming the warning label has been changed.


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## Alexplosive (Mar 24, 2006)

This is my second power center actually. I had placed my first one under my aquarium inside the stand. I didnt mount it in a safe place. You should mount it a little high so that the wires from the aquarium lights & filter hang forming a "U" shape then plug them into the power center. That way, if water travels down the wires, they will drip down instead of flowing into the sockets.

Anyway, I had a small spill and the water had travelled into my Power Center. It was not plugged into a GFI socket. Next thing I knew, the power to half my apartment went out because the main breakers had shut off and my powercenter smelled like it was burnt. So you just gotta be EXTRA careful where you mount your power strip.

EDIT:

As you can see from the photos in the link provided by FISH'InNMN, (Reef Central Online Community - Photos of my house fire...aquarium put it out.) They seem to have made the same mistake I made by just leaving it on the ground where water can flow right into the sockets.


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## DarkSoul (Sep 18, 2005)

Alot of newer plugs now a days, (cant say about aquarium equipment) have little grey "boxes" around the actual plug prongs.

these are a safety measure, and iof the plug should get too hot, these little grey boxes melt, and cause the circuit to be broken before a fire starts.

though i honestly dont know how well they work.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

I know I am resurecting an old thread, but has anyone had any positive experience with these strips lately. I can't find an alternative to these strips, and I don't want to "daisy chain" strips and timers if I don't have to.

I will have a GFI protected system in a new stand I am building. I guess I could install 3 new receptacles with 3 seperate analog timers, but I REALLY don't want to unless I have to.

Any input is appreciated!


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## Alexplosive (Mar 24, 2006)

BiscuitSlayer said:


> I know I am resurecting an old thread, but has anyone had any positive experience with these strips lately. I can't find an alternative to these strips, and I don't want to "daisy chain" strips and timers if I don't have to.
> 
> I will have a GFI protected system in a new stand I am building. I guess I could install 3 new receptacles with 3 seperate analog timers, but I REALLY don't want to unless I have to.
> 
> Any input is appreciated!


I've had mine working for about 3 years now. A little over a year ago I got married and had put the hobby on hold for a while, however I've been using mine as a regular power strip to run my computer equipment (the non-timer plugs) ever since. I finally decided to upgrade my computer and along with that I purchased a regular power strip and eventually retired the Coralife.

One thing I do have to say though is that I did start with another Coralife of the same model in the beginning that I had to replace (completely my fault by the way). I did not properly place the strip in a way so that there was a "drip loop" and some water got into it during a water change. The unit just died but there was a strong burning odor coming from it due to the shortage but there were no sparks or fire. Its always a good idea to install a GFI socket. It "should" cut the power before it even gets to that point. Definitely do not daisychain any power strip.


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks for your comments alexplosive. I was actually more concerned about the timer outlets and/or the timers themselves. I was also wondering about anything that might be short related or something of that nature. 

I guess the timer functionality is what concerns me. The strip is a great concept, and the dual power center would fit my needs perfectly.


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## JSCOOK (Jan 7, 2008)

I'm really surprised with this thread as no one seemed to mention the fact that a lot of "reefers" generally run extremely high electrical loads, particularly with their lighting systems .... I truely suspect that this is the main reason for the power strip catching fire IMO.


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## tusk (Jan 30, 2006)

I have one runing since last June. My only gripe is that I really don't think the clock in it is constant; It looses time.


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## PRESTON4479 (Mar 22, 2007)

BiscuitSlayer, I have 2 of these and have not had a problem to date. I think as with anything electrical being used around water it is a must to have GFCI outlets installed. This would cut the power to it almost instantly if there was an accident. I have pre-wired my stand with 4 GFCI outlets for this reason.

If you check out my "view user tanks" link you can see where I mounted mine.


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## PRESTON4479 (Mar 22, 2007)

JSCOOK said:


> I'm really surprised with this thread as no one seemed to mention the fact that a lot of "reefers" generally run extremely high electrical loads, particularly with their lighting systems .... I truely suspect that this is the main reason for the power strip catching fire IMO.


I was thinking the same thing. Actually overload any power strip and this is what you could be facing. Always be sure to check the rated amperage on the power strip and the rated amperage for the devices being plugged into it.


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## JSCOOK (Jan 7, 2008)

PRESTON4479 said:


> I was thinking the same thing. Actually overload any power strip and this is what you could be facing. Always be sure to check the rated amperage on the power strip and the rated amperage for the devices being plugged into it.


Regardless if it was overloaded or not ... a reputable GFCI should stop any problems dead in there tracks before it even gets going.

For the damaged shown in the fire, either there was no GFCI installed or it was installed incorrectly ...


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## PRESTON4479 (Mar 22, 2007)

JSCOOK said:


> Regardless if it was overloaded or not ... a reputable GFCI should stop any problems dead in there tracks before it even gets going.
> 
> For the damaged shown in the fire, either there was no GFCI installed or it was installed incorrectly ...


Agreed............


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## Left C (Nov 15, 2003)

I have several of the analog single timer and dual timer Power Centers. All of them are plugged into GFCI outlets. I haven't had any problems.

I've noticed that Big Al's is selling the dual timer version with reptile terrarium packaging. Why ... ?
http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...enter?&query=power+center&queryType=0&offset=


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## BiscuitSlayer (Apr 1, 2005)

Thanks for your comments on these guys. Maybe the timer related issues have been ironed out for the most part (except for loosing time). I can easily see overloading one of these by using a couple of MH lights and a powerful pump, etc. If you are drawing more than what the circuit can handle, the GFI should trip (atleast they used to).


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## jaredjones (Jan 25, 2009)

*Fire!!*

My Coralife Digital Power Center just caught fire today while I was sitting about 10 feet away. I'm still pretty freaked out right now to think that my whole house could be gone if I weren't home. It started making this crackling sound then lit up in flames right in front of my eyes. I have no idea what caused it. There's no salt residue or water on it. Luckily, the only damage was a quarter sized melted area in my floor.


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## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

Was it in use on a marine tank? Were you using a GFCI? How much total wattage was plugged into it?


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## merk1_99 (Nov 11, 2008)

Not to scare anyone but do a search on reefecentral on these and you will find at least two threads where houses burnt down because of these....


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## bibbels (Sep 29, 2008)

I hadn't seen this thread until now - scary stuff. I've been using the dual timer version of this for about 16 months. 

I'll be looking to replace it immediately after reading this.


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## airborne_r6 (May 2, 2008)

BiscuitSlayer said:


> If you are drawing more than what the circuit can handle, the GFI should trip (atleast they used to).


Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) have never nor will they ever trip in the event of a current overload, that is the job of the circuit breaker. The circuit breaker should trip in two instances, first a direct short such as the hot and neutral wires touching and second in the event of a sustained current draw over the rating of the circuit breaker.

The job of the GFCI is different. It monitors the current flowing out the hot and back in the neutral. If there is a difference such as the current is going out the hot, through you and not back through neutral then the GFCI trips. The circuit breaker will not trip in this instance unless you are drawing so much current through you that you create an overload of the circuit.

The point of having a GFCI on an aquarium outlet is to protect the person from being shocked. Anytime you have water and electricity in close proximity you create an increased risk of electrocution. This is why GFCI protection is required in the kitchen, bathroom and anyplace else such as the garage or any countertop with a sink where there is an increased risk of human, electricity and water getting together.

GFCI's will do nothing to stop an overloading power strip (or Corallife timer as it may be) from burning. GFCI's only protect you from getting shocked. 

To protect against fire I would recommend using multiple strips and timers to spread out the load. Ensure that you are not trying to draw more than the strips are rated for. Dont assume that the breaker will trip if you overload the circuit, I have found many, many that do not. Also, talk to an electrician about installing something called an arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) on your aquarium circuit. AFCI's work by sensing an electrical arc, such as the very tiny ones that occur when a device is overheating and shorting out. AFCI's are the best device to prevent a malfunctioning electrical device from causing a fire.


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## James1986 (Jan 23, 2009)

I'm surprised these are as popular as they are considering the price you could buy: a G.F.C.I.(to replace outlet being used for aquarium, a timer, two power strips(one constant, one on timer)


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## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

These are popular because they are an "all-in-one" solution. They provide two timed outlets for daytime, another two that switch on inverted of those, plus four standard outlets. Two power strips and a single standard timer will not provide the same functionality. 

A GFCI should be in use on any outlets used by an aquarium.


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## Blown 346 (Dec 8, 2008)

I have had mine for over 2 years running constantly in a GFCI with my reef tank with not a single issue. It is mounted about 2 feet away from the tank on the wall.


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## snafu (Oct 9, 2004)

airborne_r6, i have to say that was a clear, well-written response. i love that!


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## Goanna (Jan 23, 2008)

I have three of these running for quite some time now. I used them all for reptiles initially but now I have one running for about a year on my small pludarium and another running for a couple months on my 65 gallon brackish tank. I do my best not to get either of them wet, but seeing the picture of the burnt up one, and reading about previous failures is not making me too comfortable with them. 

The only thing I had happen one time was the unit failed on me. The timer broke, and ESU/CL replaced it for me no questions asked. I since then upgraded to the digital models and never had any issues with them. 

I am going to look them over and be sure I dont have too much current being drawn through any of them. My reptile one probably has the most being drawn, 2x 250 watt ceramic heaters, a thermostat and 2 36" fluorescents, and then 2 60w night time bulbs at night.

JaredJones, I would be curious to know what you had hooked up to it when it failed/burnt up. Did you have alot of things running off of it?


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## Pinto (Jan 23, 2009)

This is some mess up issue. I was planing on buying a timer like this too..


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

I've used these off and on for a few years and never had any problems with them. Same thing will happen with a regular power strip as well.


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## snafu (Oct 9, 2004)

does the power center have a circuit breaker like most regular power strips do? if so, what's the current limit?


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## jinx© (Oct 17, 2007)

snafu said:


> airborne_r6, i have to say that was a clear, well-written response. i love that!


x2...roud: I knew the workings of GFCI's but that's a great easy to understand explanation of how they operate.


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## MrJG (Feb 21, 2007)

Wow you know I had read a few things in the past about this and thought in my mind that those were fairly isolated incidents. I have these on 3 out of 4 of my systems right now (several of them running for almost 2 years)... JaredJones' picture up there just scared the poop out of me and now I think this is a chance I'm not willing to take anymore. Its too bad too because they do seem to work so well and fit the needs nicely. 

Jaredjones:
I'd like to know as well how much you were drawing off of it when it failed. It would go a long way to put a lot of us at ease if it was being pushed to the limit.


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