Crews quickly battle back row house fire

[moused]

Just noticed this on the news....might be good motivation for people on the fence on getting a GFCI


Crews quickly battle back row house fire

CFRA News
Monday, November 19, 2012

Firefighters quickly extinguished flames at 341 Gloucester reported to have sparked as the result of an electrical malfunction with a fish tank.

They responded to the call at the three-storey row house around 7:20 yesterday evening after someone heard alarms, saw blackened windows, and smelled smoke.

There were no injuries, and the damage related to cleanup costs is estimated at $5,000.

[lucius]

Be especially careful if you're buying used equipment.

I bought an Aquaclear 500 from Used Ottawa about a month ago.  The seller had grey duct tape over the wire so I removed it and discovered a knick in the wire with some copper exposed.  It didn't look too bad so I re-taped it with electrical tape.  About two weeks later, I unplugged the AC500 for a water change and saw white powdery stuff all over the plug.  An engineering friend of mine said that it was shorting and the white stuff was from the wire corroding.  So he suggested I cut the wire at the knick and put on a new plug.  So far so good.

[Nerine]

yikes, that anyone we know?

[exv152]

Apparently caused by "a failed aquarium pump".