Static electricity
 

Hi,can anyone tell me if the stories ive heard about the static in Calgary are true?
I get zapped wherever i go in Newcastle and ive heard its really bad in Calgary :eek:
I,ll be the one walking round in a big rubber suit lol ;)

thanks

Mandi x

Re: Static electricity
 

It's true

Re: Static electricity
 

My friend who lives there actually blew her computer up, because just after she had turned it on, she took off her fleece and the static from her body/clothes did something at the computer and blew it up! Wear wellies all the time Mandi then you will be "earthed" :D

Lisa

Re: Static electricity
 

Oh my god,this is gonna be fun haha.My mum comes over in July and shes worse than me.
Wellies it is :blink:
Mandi xx

Re: Static electricity
 

I don't quite understand how this happens but I don't have any problems at all with static electricity, none zip, nadda.;):D

Perhaps the longer you're here the less of a problem it becomes. :confused::thumbup:

Re: Static electricity
 

There was another thread on this, not that long ago, and I was eventually reassured that you do become more accustomed to it - say 5-6 months in. There was lots of discussion on humidfiers too ...

Re: Static electricity
 

I think you do kind of get used to it but it still catches me out from time to time - especially the fridge.....actually maybe OH has wired it to the mains to keep me away from the beer....:eek:

Re: Static electricity
 

It's not that I have got used to it.

It just doesn't happen. :D

Perhaps I'm dead and no-one has told me yet. :p:rofl:

Re: Static electricity
 

You definitely just get used to it - after being caught a million times, you learn to shut the truck door using the plastic handle. It is far worse on really cold days. I use an anti static shampoo & cond as well otherwise my hair goes crazy!! It is good fun when the rellies come to visit though, they get zapped left, right & centre:rofl:

Re: Static electricity
 

Its the dry air mainly, cos the fridge is metal and earthed electrically you will discharge on it or a sink ! it shouldnt be as bad when raining or snow melt, due to evaporation:thumbsup:

Re: Static electricity
 

We got zapped loads when we first moved over here and stayed in an apartment. We have now moved into our own home which has an air exchanger and have only suffered a couple of zaps in 3 months. Don't know if it's down to that or the fact there is more moisture in the air outside.

Re: Static electricity
 

It even happens in the damper climes of NS and NL! We notice it particularly during the winter. The cat fares the worst as one can stroke him and build up a large static charge that invariably earths to his ear! :ohmy:

I find the air-exchanger exacerbates the problem (as we don't have hot air heating & no central humidification) so we tend only to run it for an hour or two a day.

Re: Static electricity
 

Thanks for all the replies,hey Steve maybes i can zap you back to life haha. I hope it works on my fridge aswell coz my hubbies a beer monster :rofl:
Take Care
Mand xx

Re: Static electricity
 

I always thought that with static electricity wellies were the last thing you should wear - with rubber-soled shoes there's no route to earth for any static charge you build up so it all zaps to the fridge, sink, those little screws on the faceplates of lightswitches (ouch) or wherever. Don't people in electronics factories and similar environments wear conductive overshoes to ground themselves and prevent static discharge?

It's quite possible that I've got completely the wrong end of the stick on this one, but I'm sure I've found I get more static shocks when wearing (rubber-soled) slippers round the house than when padding about in socks or bare feet.

Re: Static electricity
 

I always was rubbish at science!! Sorry!!

Lisa

Re: Static electricity
 

Hey, I wasn't aiming that at anyone in particular, Lisa :D

I took off a fleece jacket immediately before going to the fridge for a beer yesterday evening, while wearing said slippers... ZZZAPPP! As I said to OH, if you didn't want me to have a beer you just had to say so, there's no need to booby trap the fridge :ohmy:

Re: Static electricity
 

:rofl: :rofl: Heres me sorting me wellies out,what do i wear then? Otherwise i,ll end up with huge hair and sore fingers :eek:

Mandi

Re: Static electricity
 

I'm always getting zapped or zapping the cat! I think a lot of the problem has to do with nylon carpet and the general lack of natural fibres in furniture and flooring as I never had this problem in the UK! Maybe I'm wrong - I too was cr@p at science!!:p

Re: Static electricity
 

I've had the static problem ever since moving to Canada as well. The door to my office at work is metal with a metal handle and I can't open it without a static shock. I also get really dry skin on my hands as well. I personally think it is the excessive use of air conditioning as it causes a really dry atmostphere and also if you have forced air heat as well in winter and no decent humidifier. It gets better in summer when outside as it is so humid but inside the air conditioning is cranked up and it is the same.

Re: Static electricity
 

Oakvillian you are correct. You are better off walking around bare foot. I find it in the UK with some trainers on a hot summers day.
Dont wear rubber boots it will be worse. Better off with rubber gloves but you will look a idiot with those on all day.LOL

Re: Static electricity
 

yes worst thing is to have plastic sole shoes, you know the really cheap ones on nylon carpet, you would generate the most potential,:eek:

ive had that if you ware rubber sole shoes, and my wife is bare foot, go to kiss her good bye zapp across the lips that hurts:eek:

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I should be so bloody lucky - every damn day, ouch! sting! zap! pow! it's like i'm starring in my own Batman series! LOL :p

Re: Static electricity
 

This should be fun - if there's static electricity to be found I'm the one to find it. Looks like I'll be walking around Calgary with a permanent twitch - I'll end up a nervous wreck :rofl:

Lynne

Re: Static electricity
 

Set yourself up as a welder?:lol:

Re: Static electricity
 

I kick my car door shut rather than touch it, that always draws mystified looks...

Re: Static electricity
 

....particulalry from the dealership body shop. Are you a regular there by any chance or do you wear soft shoes....?:)

Re: Static electricity
 

with cars you can usually avoid a shock by holding on to a metal bit (the edge of the door, for example) as you get out - then as you earth yourself on contact with the ground there's already a path for the static discharge. What gives you the "zap" is the charge jumping across a v small gap just as you make contact with the door.

BTW to return to the welly boots issue - to avoid getting a shock from the car, you should be wearing wellies, because it's the car that's insulated (rubber tyres, see?) and you that provide the path to earth. While you're in the car you and it are at the same electric potential, then when you get out all that static electricity runs to earth through your body.

So really we should all be driving in big rubber-soled boots, then taking them off and padding barefoot into the house. Sounds like Canada in the winter, eh? :D

Re: Static electricity
 

Thank god someone agrees or id have bought wellies for nothing :rofl: :rofl:

Re: Static electricity
 

Does anyone know how many electricians it takes to make electricity static?

Re: Static electricity
 

You've got to grab it and hold it still so I'm saying seven

Re: Static electricity
 

No, no, it's a very balletic foot-on-door and extend leg behind kind of thing, I don't hoof it ;)

Oakvillian - thanks for tip, I'm careful to touch nothing on the way out of the car so that's where I'm going wrong.

Afraid I'm another one who had fun with the van der graaf generator thingy and rubbing nylon sticks with dusters but paid no attention to what was being said by the teacher :o

Re: Static electricity
 

1. When you get out of the car hold your key on the metalwork as you touch the ground .... the key crackles and you don't (usually) feel a thing. :thumbsup:
(There are warning notices on gas pumps here to earth yourself and discharge any static build-up before starting refueling!)

2. try to wear less nylon:blink:

3. I don't seem to have been as bothered this winter as I was last year, so maybe I'm getting acclimatised? :confused:

Re: Static electricity
 

You can get a piece of rubber that hangs from the bottom of the car so it is always in contact with the ground. I have not seen them for years. 20 Years ago you would see lots of them on the back of cars.
They are made of a conductive rubber compound therefore discharging the static electricity from the car.:thumbsup:
I will have a look on the web and see if you can still buy them.:thumbup:
Saves looking like a prat doing a dance every time you get out of the car.:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
LOL
In the mean time have a look at this site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A6378744
It has got some tips on how to prevent static build.
Note do not use your car key to discharge the static as you could disable the immobilizer chip in the key!!!!!!

Re: Static electricity
 

Found this site should do the trick:)

http://stopzap.com/

Re: Static electricity
 

And here

http://www.extremeautoaccessories.co...p?section=1205

Re: Static electricity
 

Cool thanks for all those tips :thumbup: :thumbup:
My mam wasnt gonna visit me anymore haha
Mandi