DIY Grounding While Working with Electronics

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prosaplayer1

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Sep 13, 2015
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Do help me move this thread to a more suiting category. I am not sure which category to post this question.

uk-mains-plug-wiring.png


I want to fashion a grounding strap from a UK plug. Ill remove the live and neutral pins, leaving the earth pin, and then insert it in a plug and tie the earth wire around my ankle or wrist.

Has anyone done this before? Is this feasible?
Is the earth wire always grounded regardless of switch position?
And will the Earth Leakage Cricuit Breaker trip?
 
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tech-wreck
i made one exactly as you described, with just the earth pin in the plug and a clip in the middle to attach to a case, bare copper wire around the wrist. still not dead.
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prosaplayer1

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A big thanks to tech-wreck for letting me know that it can be done! Just wanting to make sure a discharge from human body wont trip the ELCB right?
 
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prosaplayer1

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Does that mean it is not safe to use it during a storm? A legit wrist strap can protect againts lightning?
 
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makkem

makkem

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Hi
Providing the live and neutral pins are physically removed then this would work but you would be better using a proper strap connected to the plug in order to have the extra protection of the resistor as kanewolf states
And yes the earth is always connected regardless of switch position and no it wont trip the RCCB (earth trip)
I actually have a properly manufactured moulded plug which just has the earth prong and two plastic other prongs to connect an ESD mat or wist strap.
http://
 
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kanewolf

kanewolf

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Excellent product. Resistor built in and snaps or banana plugs. It doesn't seem they make a similar product for US plugs.
 
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prosaplayer1

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Wow thats a great product! Its practically what I need.

One thing Im not sure is what happpens in this situation.

Assuming our body has 30 Volts compared to ground. A 10 Mega ohm resistor will only allow 3 micro Amps. What happens when current is higher than 3 micro amps? And how many amps will lead to death?
 
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makkem

makkem

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It doesn't really work like that,if your body has a potential that is 30V above ground there will be no current flow until you connect to ground at which point it will bleed the voltage down to parity fairly slowly at 3 micro amps.
It can vary but a rule of thumb is that anything above 100 mA can be dangerous and most earth trips(Residual Current Circuit Breakers) are set around the 30mA area.
 
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tech-wreck

tech-wreck

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pick a solution to close it.
but let me add that a RCD will not trip while you or i are connected to earth/grounded. it's not an earth trip, the circuit breaker measures current of live and neutral and stops the supply if they don't match.
if your wiring has obsolete ELCBs (earth leakage circuit breakers) they may trip, but you are still earthed.
 
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tech-wreck

tech-wreck

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you should get some professional advice whether it's worth replacing the circuit breakers.
and i think threads only get closed by the mods or admin if they get shouty or break rules. otherwise they are left open even if 'solved'.
 
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