>Yes and they will, but the current must first reach the trip point. A
GFI measures the difference of the current flowing out a returning
through the GFI. When the imbalance is to great they trip. If your
test functions works then you're safe.
>Is this current that I feel only on the hand with the cut dangerous? And
why
>does the GFI not trip out?
>>Nope just doesn't feel good. Again you didn't pull enough current to
trip the GFI.
Cary is exactly right, not enough of a buzz to trip the circuit. Once you
remove the skin barrier even a mild current will be felt. One of the main
reasons I built my fishroom was because I got a strong jolt in the basement
- bare feet - picking up both sides of one of those old all metal hoods.
Now I never go into the fishroom w/o shoes and almost all of my lights are
up inside the rack, not resting on top of the tank, with the ballasts
stored safely away from water splashes. GFI's are a good thing to have in
the fishroom. All you need is one on each circuit though so you don't have
to go nuts and put one on every outlet. When they first came out they were
absolutely no good for fishrooms as they were so sensitive that they would
trip with the dampness in the rooms. Now they are doing a much better job
of them. Also one of the other reasons that I went to a heated centralized
fishroom (in the basement) was to get away from ratsh*t heaters. You can
buy good ones, they still break and either zap you or fry your fish. I
still have to heat a few tanks but not near as many as in the past.
Gary Lange
Rainbowfish Study Group of North America
http://home.earthlink.net/~sbuckel/index.html
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