Electricity HELP!!! My Power Strip is MELTED!

[Cyruskayos]

Thank god i had a 1/2 day at school...I just got home and i smelled something burning so the first thing i did was run to my fish tank. And the worst has happened. My power strip is melted. I had 5 out of the possible 7 things plugged in. Here is the list of things plugged in:

Protein Skimmer
Standard light (plan on getting a more powerful one for coral soon)
Return pump
Heater
Powerhead

I am concerned if everything still works...I havn't checked yet. If someone could please link me (possibly to petsmart) to a powerstrip rated for what i have. I have a 36 gallon tank and 10 gallon sump. I know nothing about electricity. Thanks!
Here are pictures....

[DiamondBitsUSA]

Wow! That looks like quite the overload. Is it possible water somehow got into the strip? I like to use heavy-duty strips from Home Depot for all of my aquariums. It's not listed on their website but it's metal and cost about $15. I have had 800W of lights, 200W of pumps, and 300W of heater all running on one with no problems.

[Matt Rogers]

The strip appears not to have been grounded. That could have been it right there.

[Tangster]

If you guys have to use a power strip then get a good one and not a 2 for 5.00 like at the dollar store or Lowe's look for a 20 amp at the minimum rating and they cost about 20.00 to $ 30.00 and are not cheap you will see and feel the difference One from a electronics store for T.V and Amps and then make sure you mount the thing up off the floor and out of the way or any water spills or drips Salt creep will cause resistance and turn that strip into a 1,500 elect heater. Or the amp draw from all you have added to the over heating ? all strips are not created equal and since you can see or smell electricity many just over look it. After yrs as a full Mechanical contractor and carded electrical tradesmen I have seen more stuff burned up then a little your stuff is properly find if amp draw was the problem ? if you need faster information P/M me that will hit my mail box..I think you will be fine just get a good quality strip and mount it properly please..

[MDeth]

Invest in a real quality strip. This also means avoid those Coralife things...they are trash, and the wavemaker WILL kill your pumps

[jcdillin]

Well it looks like you have a converter on the plug to convert it from a 3 prong grounded to a 2 prong ungrounded. Which probably means it's a really old receptacle which could cause some nasty heating and generally bad stuff. I would consider having the receptacle replaced along with a new bigger power strip.

Also Water + Ungrounded = Unsafe!

[amcarrig]

Might wanna have a read here:

Fire Safety

[Z-Ice]

I agree with Matt Rogers. Also where is your GFCI? This is a must!

Zak

[Tangster]

Third prong did not cause that all that is is a back up ground to insure a positive ground that bottom round ground on the receptacle goes to the same buss ground bar in the panel box as the leg line or the white wire connected to the receptacle .. The 3rd ground is better But it would not have helped here .
This was was over amped ? I don't think so with what they had plugged in I'm guessing at most a bit of salt shorted the buss bars in the strip and acted as a resistor much as a heater does and that heated it up and I lean more to it was just a cheap K.Mart strip the 2 for 5.00 pack or so you see at Christmas time .. Lower the amp rating and get it pass the U/L testing then sell them it may not even be U/L ??? as is not most hobby crap anyways from pump controllers to lighting ballast and sockets.. There are many ways to get around U/L listing's Post the amp draws on all you major users plugged into the strip we can figure it out better yet just go get a good high quality 20 amp U/L approved strip and be done they can also be had with surge and GFI already built in..about 40.00 to 50.00 ea.. But you will see and feel the extra money. Oh and as for the extra solid ground go to a elect supply even a Lowes look for the 3x2 prong adaptor that has the little copper loop that the wall plate screw goes into many thing it just to hold the extra plug in better But thats the same as a 3 proged plug as for the ground goes . they are like 4.99 and not 1.89 (:

[DiamondBitsUSA]

Have you taken the back off yet to see if it was salt?