we have theses two plastic lawn chairs on out cement patio, every time you touch somebody sitting in them, look out the sparks fly, even if you hold your hand close to the chair you can hear it crackel, its driving me nuts, there plastic, why so much static, even dog hair clings all over them they sit infront of a dryer vent, if that would have anything to do with it

 

I would guess that having plastic chairs in front of a dryer vent is a good combination. Dry air forced past plastic chairs? Sure, why not.

I was putting down some laminate flooring on Sunday. The whole time I was working on it, I'd get zapped. But once I had the last piece in, I was fine. It probably had something to do with the foam pads I put underneath, but I'd get zapped going from inside to outside, (where I had my saws for cutting) outside to inside, going to the can... weird.

 

I could tell ya all kinds of stories about static electricity - STATIC means "Waiting in Place", electricity we know about.

For a charge of electricity to build up - all you need is an insulator.

Look up "Triboelectric effect" on the web, it will tell the story better than I can.

Electricity is genereted in several ways. By Chemical, magnetic, or by frictive actions.

The lawn chairs are insulated. They are also prime generators.

Q.E.D. - You sittin' on a DYNAMO!!!


~Wolf

PS: Move them away from the dryer vent - just as a test. Moving air acts as a frictive force, especially from an electrically charged point of origin.

PPS: In the 1930's, science fiction books predicted electricity being transported through the air like radio waves. Do you believe it now?

 

how can plastic hold electricity, is there no way of grounding the chairs, so they don't store static, I'm talking big sparks here, before coming in from sitting in the chair, I reached over and grabbed the garden hose, and got a 2 second spark. it always startles the h#ll out of you

 

could just try tying a peice of bare wire to the one of the legs. my dad works in a foam plant and theve got 8 clamp trucks, you wanna talk about sparks, were talking hospital here. so now theve all got grounding chains that drag on the ground, works pretty good.

 

Well, there's your answer!!! You've got them near the dryer vent so now the static cling sheets in your dryer and removing the static cling from your clothes and it's getting forced out the dryer vent right onto the chairs!!! lol. jus kiddin. couldn't resist.


Our plastic lawn chairs did that for the longest time. The only thing that really helped was time and weather. Being out in the elements for a few years stopped the static charges. You could try taping or pinning a dryer sheet underneather the chairs. I know that helps cut down on my static shocks in my truck in the winter. Or maybe put one leg of each chair in a can or bowl of water.

 

hehe.... reminds me of middle school long ago when we used to sit in those plastic chairs and squirm back and forth to build up some pretty major charges... then raise up slightly from the chair and zap each other on the ears... lol. Ahhh... those were the days.



STan (sorry this didn't add much... just thought y'all would get a kick out of it.)

 

Static electricity is a non-moving electical charge. In other words a buildup of excess electrons. You are correct that plastic cannot conduct electricity. But that feature is what allows it to hold an electrical charge. Electrical charges can be built up by rubbing two objects together. Air counts as an object. Cars, airplanes, helecopters, and gasoline delivery trucks gather static charges by moving through the air. This phenomenon is more noticable in the winter. In the winter the air is drier. Lower humidity (drier air) allows static charges to build up more. I believe the humidity (moist air) can provide a conduction path and allow a static charge to dissapate.

Since you have placed the plastic chairs (electron catchers) in the path of flowing air (electron doner) with a means of electon transfer (forcing the air to move) you have created an ideal situation for static to build up.

I would suggest the following solutions:
1. Move the chairs.
2. Move the dryer duct or divert it so it isn't pointed at the chairs
3. Buy metal chairs. Since metal is a conductor, the electrons can flow easily throught it to ground.

 

Oh my gosh! I remember doing this all day when I was in Elementary school. Thanks for bringing back some good memories

 

If the chairs are worth keeping, you might try grounding them by possibly installing some kind of metal "foot" on the bottom of the legs. This could be as simple as a short "pan headed" screw that is threaded into all four of the legs??? Again, it's something simple and cheap to try if you want to keep the chairs.

 

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Go ahead and build up a big charge of static while sitting in the chair. Then, call your dog, kid, wife whatever, over and give them a gentle 1,000,000 volt zap on the nose. Works for me. I have seen sparks that were quite spectacular, even in daylight. I even think the dog's eyeballs lit up. Also keeps the cat from wanting to sit in my lap too often. Wife just mutters.

Yup plastic chairs on cement is a good insulator and the chairs will build up static from your clothing rubbing it, from the dry air moving around the chairs and so on. I suppose you could put a small metal chain on the chairs and have them touch the cement, maybe that will work even though cement isn't the best conductor either.

You might ground the chain into some nearby dirt or on a metal water pipe, but this could be hazardous since now you might be a good conductor and lightening or a wife with revenge on her mind from the zaps you gave, might put an ungrounded metal powertool in your lap.

Don't know if this will work here, but years ago, we used to make up a solution of Downey fabric softener with water in a spray bottle and spray the carpets etc. This killed the static. Don't know how this will work on hard plastic and whether it will make the chairs "greasy" or something.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

if I read 76supercab2 reply right(which was very impressive by the way) if plastic is not a conductor, then how would the charge travel through the chairs to a grounding device? were getting real scientific here.and I like you guys sense of humor too. lol
I said to the wife I guess theres still some spark left in our marriage, even if its when were in those plastic chairs. she bought some cling free spray we'll try that, if not good by plastic chairs

 

I have a Industrial Shop Vac with a stainless tank, let it run over a minute and it will hurt you from the static charge buildup. Plastic top is ok but get near the handle or tank Zapp ouch!
.....=o&o>.....

 

Omni,
what you say, Cling Free and Viagra? Post the results for us please.
.....=o&o>.....

 

Helicopters are nototious for building up static charges due to the rotation of the rotors. Ever notice on films of rescues with a harness being lowered the crew will always touch the harness to the ground or water before allowing the people on the ground/water to touch it? Yuppers, ZAPPO!!!!!!