To start off: I was explaining to my friend that I don’t have a grounding point in my house (plumbing is PVC, outlets are gcfi protected only, not allowed to drive a grounding rod into the ground, etc…) and that I’ve just been handling sensitive electronics with just luck and preparation (humidity, moisturizer, no synthetic clothing, etc…) all this time. He told me to just wire myself to a good, multimeter tested, grounding point in a car and that will discharge any built-up static electricity. I’m not smart enough to argue with him but that doesnt seem the safest. Would that work or should I just keep doing my method? My understanding is that chassis grounding is essentially replacing wires with the frame so the outcome would just be connecting myself to the negative terminal of a car battery.
Tldr: I’m explaining my lack of a grounding point at home for sensitive electronics and is advised by their friend to wire themselves to a grounded point in a car to discharge built-up static electricity. However, I’m uncertain about the safety of this suggestion and questions whether their current method of handling electronics with precautions is sufficient.
rufus@discuss.tchncs.de 9 months ago
What even is a grounding point in a car? I mean if it’s a car on rubber wheels, is it even grounded or would that just be like touching the negative side of an AA battery?
And you could just directly touch the soil infront of the house, no car needed.
But it will also not help if the electronics parts aren’t grounded and neither is the table they’re lying on. Now you’re grounded and they might be charged. Same zap like if it were the other way around.