Powerstrip that prevents water damage?

[Amphiprion]

Keep in mind that a GFI powerstrip or a GFI outlet will do nothing to protect you or you house if you get water in it - especially saltwater. You just, flat, have to make the effort to do whatever you need to to prevent water from EVER getting into a power strip.

All outlets, powerstrips, and GFI powerstrips need to be mounted somewhere safe. Then any cords that run to them need to have drip loops. Water cannot be allowed to run down the wires from anywhere above and on into the outlet.

You also need to consider all your piping and hoses. Look critically at them and ask yourself, "What happens if a pinhole leak occurs and water starts to spray here or there?"

If needed you should make little plastic shields that would divert any water cascading down from somewhere above.

Remember leaks are a serious pain, but a fire gutted house is a much bigger pain!

Those are precautions that should be taken whether you have a GFCI or not. A GFCI is simply an extra precaution for the rest of the potential problem. They will stop the flow of electricity to an outlet, regardless of whether or not it is fresh or saltwater. Does that mean they work all the time? Of course not, but they do add a bit of redundancy where it is needed and do indeed help if you splash water out onto an outlet (trust me).

 

[artemis]

What you are describing is an arc fault. A ground fault circuit interrupter may or may not protect you from an arc fault (it depends on whether the arc fault is causing an imbalance between the power flowing into the hot line and out of the neutral line, which is what a GFCI unit is monitoring). Best protection is obtained by having an electrician install a breaker box arc fault circuit interrupter on the circuit running your aquarium, plus using a ground fault circuit interrupter (either installed at the breaker box as well, or via an outlet or plug-in model) and a surge protector power strip. That should offer reasonable protection from arc faults, ground faults, and sudden overloads due to surges in electrical current.