On Topic: Carpets producing static and old HPs

From: Ward Donald Griffiths III <gram_at_cnct.com>
Date: Fri Dec 4 19:31:55 1998

Athanasios Kotsenos wrote:
>
> >There are a few things you can do to minimize static. First you can either buy
> >an anti-stat spray or get a bottle of Downy and dilute it as recommended, then
> >spray a mist over the carpet and let it dry.
>
> Is Downy a detergent for sensitive clothes (the name is familiar)? Or is it
> specifically for this purpose?

It's a "fabric softener". It leaves a chemical residue after the rinse
that tends to reduce static electricity formation after the clothing is
dried. As anyone who has dried clothing of dissimilar fabrics is
familiar with the socks sticking to the shirts.
>
> >You can also run bare wire under
> >the carpet (if possible) and then terminate it to a cold water pipe or other
> >building ground. It tends to neutralize the potentials and will at least
> >minimze
> >the chance of buildup.
>
> Well, this room has a raised floor under which power and network cables
> run. The floor is wooden with the thin carpet on top. At various points you
> have these metal 'holes' where the sockets/plugs are located. In fact the
> covers are metallic and have carpet on them too and it was intereting when
> I noticed that they have a little grounding wire connecting them to the
> rest of the metallic frame. That's obviously for keeping static off that
> bit, but it doesn't seem to be doing any good for the rest of the carpet.

There is carpeting manufactured that contains conductive threads. It
was standard at all of the Radio Shack Computer Centers in the States,
probably the regular Radio Shack stores as well. I was more likely to
generate a spark walking across the linoleum in the repair shop than
in the carpeted showroom.
-- 
Ward Griffiths <mailto:gram_at_cnct.com> <http://www.cnct.com/home/gram/>
WARNING:  The Attorney General has determined that Alcohol, Tobacco,
and Firearms can be hazardous to your health -- and get away with it.
Received on Fri Dec 04 1998 - 19:31:55 GMT

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