Grounding PVC pros and cons

[Tiger]

I have now connected up most of the dust extraction system but have seen a number of articles which cast doubt on using 4 inch PVC (which is what I've used). The main issue is safety in regard to explosions with static electricity. Do any of you out there know of explosions/fire ever happening? If I did want to go down the track of grounding the PVC pipe, what is the easiest way to do this and have you gone to the trouble of grounding? Thanks.

[numbat]

Try this link http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=16230 - I think you will find that this topic has already been discussed many times. Might I suggest that you use the search facility.

Cheers

[andyfly]

I worked in a malting plant for 15 years, one of the dustiest workplaces you could find and we had some of the largest dust extraction plants that you could imagine. Dust explosions are very real and very destructive but the real problem are the fires that can smoulder for days only needing a little bit of disturbance and oxygen to flare right up, say, when you empty the bins. In all my years there we used pvc tubing once, never again. For as soon as the grain and dust started to go through the tubing we got shocks (big shocks) and rumour had it that it blew an electronic weighing belt. The sparkeys tried to earth the tubing with little success. In the end they replaced the ductwork with stainless steel. Now malt dust is very similar to wood dust but the workshop is a very smaller area to earth so it might be easier. A static shock from dust going through pvc tubing hurts like hell but worst of all it makes you throw your hands and arms about!! A very dangerous thing to do in a small workshop with router bits and saw blades spinning around

[SammieQ]

GAWD!!!!! This one has been round the clock a few times!

I have no doubt that the malting plant was shifting tons more dust per time interval than most domestic/small professional posters to this forum. I have no doubt therefore that the static build up would be much more impressive than the Joe Soap 'in the shed'.

I am equally sure, having done the research, read the definitive article by the bloke from MIT, that we Joe Soaps will rarely generate enough Joules/Coulombs/Sparky wotsits to do more than reset our pacemakers when we touch the Heath Robinson Bodgetastic Sukka piping we rigged up from 2" domestic water pipe, 4" soil pipe or whatever.

I blame the Educationalists. They are far too busy examining their own fundaments to encourage reading.

Rant over.

Sam

[Kev Y.]

maybe this is a topic MYTHBUSTERS should investigate, just to find out if us backyarders can actually blow ourselves up with static electricity

[journeyman Mick]

..............I am equally sure, having done the research, read the definitive article by the bloke from MIT, that we Joe Soaps will rarely generate enough Joules/Coulombs/Sparky wotsits to do more than reset our pacemakers when we touch the Heath Robinson Bodgetastic Sukka piping we rigged up from 2" domestic water pipe, 4" soil pipe or whatever..........

:D :D :D :D

That was a Bodgetastic rant Sam!

Mick

[SammieQ]

Aw shucks, Mick.