# Urgent help: Fish tank electricals emitting burning smell



## Tig (Oct 1, 2009)

Hey guys, earlier today I put all my fish tank electronics into one power strip so it would be easier to manage, and soon my room filled with a strong, almost caustic rubber-burning smell. It is so strong that me and my Mom considered calling the fire dept. When I unplugged the power strip, the smell stopped until a few minutes after I replugged them in. I really don't want to unplug the stuff and risk all my fish being dead in the morning, but I don't want to be on the morning news under "House Fire Started by Fish Tank", either. None of the equipment feels hot, and I know it's not a malfunctioning heater, because none of my fish are belly-up and the temp is not changing. I tried evenly distributing the plugs over 2 powerstrips, but I figured I better ask anyway...
Help please!!


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

It is possible it is the one powerstrip. For now I would definitely keep them out over 2 and preferably not having one of them being the one that they were smelling in. 

What all are you plugging in?


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## Tig (Oct 1, 2009)

3 filters, a heater, and a light.
Ok, a cartridge-less filter running to increase current seems to have overheated, although I am not 100% sure that is the problem, or the source of the small. It's a Tetra PF-10, and as soon as I can figure out how I'm gonna rip the guts out of it to see if anything is caught in the motor.


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## Tig (Oct 1, 2009)

NM, it was my week old aquaclear 20...


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## Tig (Oct 1, 2009)

>.< Or not. It seems like, no matter what filter it is, whichever filter is in that tank starts to smell...
It's the first tank i ever had sand in, could the filters be sucking up sand?


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

plug them all in...then unplug one piece at a time to see if the smell stops...i have an entire fishroom running on one circuit...and obs may well be right..could be the strip...does it have a breaker?...reset?


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## cowetpets (Oct 15, 2009)

I just recently had this happen to me. You know how on the packages of everything they say to have drip loops where the cords go below the plug then come back up to it. Well with me it was a heater in a freshwater tank (I keep a little salt in my tank) and there was a little salt creep on the heater plug and the water was actually running down the cord and getting into the plug causing that "ozone" smell. 

Just unplug stuff and look at the plugs see if there is any black around the outlets or on the plugs. (a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) and drip loops would keep this from happening)

Clint


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Agree with the others, you really need to find the source and stop it. Try one thing at a time on a long extension cord to another outlet. It could be in the wall. But my money is on the power strip. Just get another one.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Be careful with this burning smell. I work in a computer shop. This smell comes from electronics shorting and burning the electronics. What you smell is poisonous to humans.
Also, be extremely careful with electronics when you know something is burning. This could lead to more dangerous things than poison gases. Electrical fires can happen, and these fires are extremely dangerous. 

I don't want to scare you about this, but I do want you to realize the danger.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Ah, this is something I've experienced countless times...

Usually the cause is water having gotten into the powerstrip, but sometimes the strip itself is simply defective. Don't keep using it in either case. replace it ASAP. If that doesn't fix it, then you have a bad piece of equipment which needs to be identified.


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