If you are the one who is wondering about how to ground yourself electrically, you are not alone. Grounding yourself electrically, especially when working with some electronic components, mostly a PC is undoubtedly essential.
Grounding yourself is a great way to protect yourself and your equipment from any damage or shock. We are going to show you some possible explanations of this grounding phenomenon and practical ways to ground yourself electrically.
- What does it mean to ground yourself electrically?
- How to ground yourself electrically
- Method No. 1: Touching Any Grounding Object such As Metal
- Method No. 2: Using anti-static wrist band
- Method No. 3: Using a metal wire
- How to Ground Avoid Electric Shocks
- Method No. 1: Clean Your Workspace
- Method No. 2: No Carpet or Rugs
- Method No. 3: Increasing Humidity
- Method No. 4: No Pets in Workplace
- Method No. 5: Using Anti-static Mat
- Final Thoughts
What does it mean to ground yourself electrically?
Grounding oneself electrically is a technique to make a backup route for current to flow to the ground if there is any wiring failure out there.
To protect against shock, grounding yourself will eliminate excess voltage from an object while you are dealing with electronics. Until unplugging the power supply, touching a grounded object, such as a wall or a wooden table, will ensure that you are electrically grounded.
How to ground yourself electrically
Following are some easy methods to electrically ground yourself.
Method No. 1: Touching Any Grounding Object such As Metal
Touching any grounding object such as a metal, a wall, a water pipe, or some wooden table that is directly in contact with the earth is the best way to reduce the risk of electric shock
If you are working on your computer, touching the metal area of the computer’s power supply would greatly help you grounding yourself electrically. But remember to do it before unplugging the PC. By touching such items regularly, you can significantly reduce the risk of any shock and easily ground yourself electrically.
Method No. 2: Using anti-static wrist band
It is another excellent way to ground yourself electrically. You can easily buy such wristbands in your nearby electric stores. They are cheap but provide an effective solution for grounding.
You can wear this wristband and clip or connect the other end of the band to any metal object such as a metal screw or unpainted metal object. It will significantly reduce the risk of shock and ground yourself effectively.
Method No. 3: Using a metal wire
If you are somehow unable to get an anti-static wrist band, you can take any metal wire in your store and use it. It goes like a wristband. You can connect this wire to any metal object from your toe or also from your wrist. This is also an effective and cheap solution.
How to Ground Avoid Electric Shocks
Method No. 1: Clean Your Workspace
There is enough scientific proof that plastic bins, papers, a cellphone, and other plastic objects can generate a static charge and hence lead to some electric shock. Remove such items out of your workspace.
Method No. 2: No Carpet or Rugs
Having contact with the ground is crucial to avoid any shocks while carpets and rugs can prevent you from grounding. You can apply an anti-static spray to your Carpet if you have no option other than working on that in your workspace. It would greatly help you reduce the static charge and risk of any shock.
Method No. 3: Increasing Humidity
Increasing humidity in your house and workplace is yet another effective method to avoid electric shocks. In winters, the air becomes much dryer and leads to severe electric shocks. In this case, using a humidifier is the best option out there. So grab one in the winter and stay safe.
Another thing that can cause trouble is excess humidity. If the air is more humid, you would need a dehumidifier so keep this in mind as well.
Method No. 4: No Pets in Workplace
Cats are a great source of generating static electric charges, and if they are near to workspace, it’s time to be alert. Never work on your PC or open it if there is a pet around. Try to clean the space also from any fur out there.
Method No. 5: Using Anti-static Mat
Using an anti-static mat might be the best investment you can make. This mat provides a static charge-free surface and helps to avoid any potential risks of electric shocks.
Final Thoughts
It is imperative to know how to ground yourself if you are mostly working with electronics such as PC. This would greatly reduce the risk of any electric shocks or possible equipment loss.
