Cant Ground Myself

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coozie7
This static risk is overrated.
As long as you don't produce a huge static charge (as above ;) ) you and your system will be fine.
You can ground yourself easily by touching and remaining in contact with: A masonry wall (brick, stone or concrete), a water pipe, any plugged in electrical appliance with a metal body that is itself grounded (washing machine, microwave, fridge, cooker or even a metal framed bedside light).
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Gallarian

Gallarian

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Jun 25, 2011
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Really don't worry about it.

Unless you're working on carpet in your socks and running up and down carpeted stairs every 5 minutes, the chance of static shock damage to modern components is extremely low.

There are even videos on youtube of people doing just that - deliberately building up static electricity and then touching components - and they were all fine. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1la0a8RQ7kI)

If you just touch a radiator before you start, you won't need to ground yourself again.
 
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Eximo

Eximo

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May 27, 2010
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Agreed, there is little risk.

Most paint is conductive anyway. In computer chassis even the plastic is infused with metal to help shield the computer. Same with laptops and most consumer electronics. Anti-static bags have a metal lining. (The outside of the bag doesn't, so all those people you see placing the boards on the tops of bags is incorrect.

Touching a radiator or other grounded home appliance is not a guarantee that the computer will not have a different voltage potential. "Grounding" is a mis-used term. You could have as much a charge as you wanted on yourself, as long as the computer chassis had the same charge.

To be nearly as safe as if you had a ESD strap simply touch the chassis (ground plane) first of the computer. Then touch the ground plane of the component you intend to pick up (say the metal bracket of a video card). This equalizes the potential difference between the component chassis and you. Then you can insert the component.

Baring some weird circumstance where your skin and the environment are completely dry, static discharge is unlikely. And the exposed components of a computer aren't that sensitive any longer.
 
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B

Brandeis

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Dec 8, 2016
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I am working on a wooden table on wooden floors without any socks. Hopefully, I will stay safe and I don't have a radiator.


 
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coozie7

coozie7

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Jun 2, 2007
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This static risk is overrated.
As long as you don't produce a huge static charge (as above ;) ) you and your system will be fine.
You can ground yourself easily by touching and remaining in contact with: A masonry wall (brick, stone or concrete), a water pipe, any plugged in electrical appliance with a metal body that is itself grounded (washing machine, microwave, fridge, cooker or even a metal framed bedside light).
 
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