Oakvillian

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

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

mandi moo

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

Mandi

TrishP

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!!

wizzard

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.

Bigboybuzz

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

lee58uk

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

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

Tiffin Tease

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

Beastie

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

Lynne

MCrocker

Set yourself up as a welder?

Biiiiink

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

MCrocker

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

Oakvillian

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?

mandi moo

Thank god someone agrees or id have bought wellies for nothing

steve666

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

MCrocker

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