Heater blew up!

Was down in the fish room when I had a heater flash spark and catch fire. I quickly unplugged it but I'm too afraid to reach into the tank as it still may carry a charge. The fish seam okay but it's still smoking. Any ideas on how to safely reach in there and remove it?

As long as the heater is unplugged, use the cord to gently remove the main part of the heater. There shouldn't be any remaining charge. Charges can only be stored in certain types of electronic pieces that I don't think are in a heater. Watch out for the sharp edges since the glass is an especially sharp type of broken edge (not regular glass).

Thanks, that's a relief. I was afraid the tank water itself might hold a charge.

Capacitors can hold a charge, but I doubt there are any in a heater. If there are, they are not big enough to hurt you I would think.

Better safe than sorry though, I would make sure I had shoes on and wasn’t touching anything else when I pulled it out.

Glass is probably the bigger danger.

Water can't hold an electrical charge.

Good! I know it makes an excellent conductor as I've found out the hard way in the past.

I would not take a chance, I would ask your husband ( or mother in law) to do it.

Mark

You could ask my ex-mother in law to do it but i'd need you to plug it back in first.