Grounding a DIY aquarium light

[funtimes]

I made a DIY light fixture by putting some cut-to-size LED strips in an aluminum housing connecting them to a Mean Well DC power supply with a 3-prong plug. It's supposed to hang over a planted aquarium.

My problem is that I feel a tingling sensation when I touch the housing. My understanding is that this is current leakage from the PSU and I need to ground the housing.

What is the best way to go about doing that?

Is there a product available for this sort of thing?

 

[newfutile]

What voltage is the transformer? If you are getting a perceived electric shock there must be a power supply fault if its extra low voltage,earthing the case may help or it may just finish off the power supply,.

 

[funtimes]

It is 24 volts and 2.5 amps.

The tingle occurs when I run my hand over the housing but not when I simply touch it. I thought it was just friction until I noticed a distinct difference between when power is on and off.

I was told that current leakage is normal for such power supplies, but I have no knowledge in this area.

 

[newfutile]

Not many people could feel 24 volts,check the obvious like no stray wires touching the casing,if you have a meter check ac and dc voltage between case and a true earth

 

[funtimes]

Thank you for your replies.

Unfortunately, I have no meter.

The wiring is basically as shown in the picture. It's just a few inches of red and black wire connecting the strips, with no bare wire touching the case. I tried isolating the wiring and the connector parts from the housing by putting some cardboard between them and the housing as a test, and I could still feel the tingling.

 

[Avo Mk8]

I imagine you are plugging it into a receptacle that has a ground connection - the reason I ask is that a suppression filter is usually incorporated in the mains input of these power supplies, and that can sometimes result in a voltage if the earth wire is not connected to anything.

Mean Well is a big reputable manufacturer of these products, so it should be 'safe'.

You could add an earth wire to bond the outer metalwork of your lamp to the ground of your electrical installation. In a commercially manufactured product the earth pin of the IEC mains input connector would probably be wired to an earth wire going to the casing of the lamp. Unfortunately I don't think you have a connection point available to do that simply.

This sort of thing might do it, just need to extend the earth wire!

Conntek 29336-DP NEMA 5-15P to IEC C13 Power Cord

Conntek 29336-DP computer power cord features a NEMA 5-15 elbow male plug and an IEC C13 female connector with an exterior grounding wire. The cable come...

corddepot.com

Or you could buy an IEC (C13) connector and make up your own lead like the above.

PS I worry slightly about the temperature the lamp might reach when running continuously, and if the LED strip will get too hot?

 

[funtimes]

I imagine you are plugging it into a receptacle that has a ground connection - the reason I ask is that a suppression filter is usually incorporated in the mains input of these power supplies, and that can sometimes result in a voltage if the earth wire is not connected to anything.

….

PS I worry slightly about the temperature the lamp might reach when running continuously, and if the LED strip will get too hot?

Thank you so much for your reply.

I checked the outside of the housing with an infrared gun and it gave me a temp of 100 F, so I thought it was OK in terms of temperature

I’m plugging it into a power strip with a “ground” indicator light that says it’s grounded. I thought the ground prong would provide grounding.

Would something like this work? Ideally I wish the ground prong would provide grounding without the need for a separate wire.

https://www.amazon.com/Grounding-Cable-Banana-Outlet-Alligator/dp/B0BV3YYYW3/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?crid=12UCZ053YXEMV&keywords=earthing+wire+cable&qid=1707969326&sprefix=earthing+wire+%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-14

 

[Avo Mk8]

You have the right idea, but unfortunately those leads you show are designed for discharging static, (ESD - electro static discharge), eg for static handling of electronics assemblies, have a 1 Megohm resistor hidden in series in the lead (as a safety measure). It doesn't say that explicitly in the listing, but I think it's very likely.
With 1 Meg in series I don't think it will reduce the 'tingle'.
That's why I was suggesting getting a mains lead with the earth accessible, or make one up after buying an IEC connector.

I had an old metal table lamp, made in the days when a ground connection was not mandated, that showed the same 'tingle' effect as you have. I didn't regard it as a problem at the time, just lived with it.
But maybe your fish might be more vulnerable though!

 

[funtimes]

I had an old metal table lamp, made in the days when a ground connection was not mandated, that showed the same 'tingle' effect as you have. I didn't regard it as a problem at the time, just lived with it.
But maybe your fish might be more vulnerable though!

Thanks again for replying.

Do you think it would be generally safe to use as-is? The tingle is not a problem per se, and I don't think it would affect the fish, I just don't want to risk a larger shock or a fire. The housing would occasionally get a few drops of water on it, and it's not unthinkable that I would touch it with wet hands.

 

[Avo Mk8]

Do you think it would be generally safe to use as-is? The tingle is not a problem per se, and I don't think it would affect the fish, I just don't want to risk a larger shock or a fire. The housing would occasionally get a few drops of water on it, and it's not unthinkable that I would touch it with wet hands.

The tingle is an effect I'm familiar with, and you can get it with 'double insulated' products that have metal casings, such as laptop's charging via their adaptor from the mains, mains powered smart radio's, etc. I have a Mu-So cube radio right here, with a metal top, wearing its manufacturer supplied 2-core mains lead, that does it to me when I stroke the top of the cube!
It appears to be due to capacitative coupling between wiring (or deliberate use of capacitors within the device for EMC purposes). I don't know that it would show up with a dc leakage test, but there is clearly a small ac current flowing.
Some people seem more susceptible to the sensation than others.

I'm saying the effect in itself is not unusual, does not necessarily mean that there is a fault, and doesn't imply it's going to get worse, or spontaneously change to a lethal direct connection to live mains.

You have selected a power supply you judge appropriate, and you have designed and built the load on that, which might possibly, who knows, present a characteristic the PSU manufacturer never envisaged, causing a failure that just might be hazardous.

As it's 'home made' I can't say definitively it's safe. So I think better to provide an earth connection.

 

[Moley]

Is it a aquarium with a lid or open topped? I made up something similar a few years ago with LED strip, an aluminium channel and clip in diffuser. If it's a tank with a lid then you have to be really thorough sealing the light housing. The condensation from the water will get in and kill the LEDs. I sealed mine with aquarium silicon sealant (the type you use to build aquariums) and it still got in. After 2 home made ones died I gave up and bought read made LED lights. They have lasted a few years and the only problem I get is algae growth on the outside.