Consumer Product Safety

Products for Fish Tanks

October 26, 2001

Attentions in Using Products for Fish Tanks (Calling Attention)

Ignition and fire accident information caused by products for fish tanks was reported to the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation for six years from 1995 to 2000 in total 30 or more. On investigating the causes, more than the half of the accidents were cased by wrong uses and carelessness of users. To prevent such accidents from happening again, NITE releases the contents of the accidents and call attentions of the users.

1. Products Causing Accidents

The precuts causing the accidents are lighting equipment for a fish tank, a heater for a fish tank, a thermostat*for a fish tank, a filter for a fish tank (incorporating a heater therein), and a pump for a fish tank, and most appropriate products use a 100V power supply for general household use.

* Thermostat for the fish tank:
A device adjusting the heat generation of the heater by repeating turning on/off of a power supply at a set temperature so as to hold the water at a fixed temperature.

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2. Origins of Accidents

  1. （１）Due to wrong uses
    When a fish tank heater and a fish tank filter (incorporating the heater therein) in their conducted state are left in a space with no water or less water in the tank and with most parts of the fish tank heater exposed to the atmosphere for a long time, the fish tank heater was heated and ignited.
  2. （２）Due to carelessness
    The origins of the accidents of the fish tank lighting equipment, the fish tank heater, the fish tank thermostat, and the fish tank pump are as follows.
    1. (a) A connecting part (plug and outlet) of a power cord was installed in a place liable to receive water splash and get wet, and it was also left in a state liable to be covered with dust. These factors lead to a tracking phenomenon and ignited combustibles.
    2. (b) A power cord was laid under furniture, received the pressure, snapped, and short-circuited so that it was lead to heating and ignited combustibles.
    3. (c) A power cord was connected to multiple wiring devices such as extension cords so that over current flows through an outlet to ignite combustibles.

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3. Matters Required Attention

To prevent the similar accidents from occurring again, you are required to attend the following points.

  1. （１）Don't use the fish tank heater and the fish tank filter (incorporating the heater therein) with no water or less water in the fish tank.
  2. （２）Install the power supply part of the product in a place prevented from water splash and dust accumulation.
  3. （３）Don't place anything on a power cord.
  4. （４）Don't plug too many leads into a single socket, which possibly leads overcurrent to flow through the socket.

Contact us

 Consumer Product Safety Public Relations Division  Product Safety Technology Center  National Institute of Technology and Evaluation
Phone number:+81-6-6612-2066
Fax number:+81-6-6612-1617
Address:1-22-16 Nankokita, Suminoe-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 5590034, Japan MAP
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