General Question for those PC Techies

Do you wear Grounding Strap while working on a unit ?

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orienz

Weaksauce
Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Messages
70
How many of you actually use "Grounding Strap" ..

any scary stories which has led you into wearing them or just lucky not get let off a lightning bolt :D
 
i didn't use one for the first two computers i built but this last one i bought a strap because i built a fairly decent computer and figured better safe than sorry.
 
i have one but rarely use it.. i just make sure i ground my self no matter what im doing on the computer.. kinda one those things.. you do something so long and you start forgetting the safety stuff until you fry something and wish you had been wearing it..
 
I dont know anyone who uses that stupid thing, and we have never had a problem...
 
I ground myself and then work on the computer, haven't had a problem yet.
 
All these references to ground ....
You should be at the same potential as what you are working on, not necessarily Ground.
 
I do not use the grounding strap. So far i never have a problem. I just touch the PSU before i start to work on a computer.
 
never... I just make sure to ground myself first before working on them.
 
I don't use one. I just try to touch something metal first and find the safest surface to work on. Usually ends up being a wooden or plastic surface.
 
Years ago, one of my friends took no precautions. He said he touched a HDD he was working on and saw a small arc. It fried the sucker! So, I don't use a strap, but I am very careful about being grounded....
 
I used the strap more when I was a noob (2002/2003). Nowadays, I just touch the PSU/case.
 
'Sometimes' if I remember. As long as I have my forearm on the case I feel safe.
 
FibreChanMan said:
I don't use one. I just try to touch something metal first and find the safest surface to work on. Usually ends up being a wooden or plastic surface.
Click to expand...

To elaborate more on this, the metal you touch must be grounded, or touching it is useless. ;)

Red_Star said:
I dont know anyone who uses that stupid thing, and we have never had a problem...
Click to expand...

I guess you don't know any electrical engineers. :p They use them all the time... well, most of 'em, especially at work -- though they're typically not simply building computers, lol.

I use them at work, too, mainly cuz our emulators cost more than a person's annual salary sometimes, lol.
 
I don't use any device, but I obsessively discharge myself on the case like every 5 seconds as a result.
 
When I worked as a notebook tech we would use them sometimes but we worked on anti-static mats and had a set on the floor as well.

With my current job I don't have the ability to have that setup so I just touch the power supply.

That being said I've seen multiple computer parts get fried by static before.
 
Needs to be a Yes and No answer.

If I'm working on somebody elses computer I always wear one so that I don't have an "oops" moment. When working on my own computer I just ground myself then go to it.
 
enginurd said:
To elaborate more on this, the metal you touch must be grounded, or touching it is useless. ;)
Click to expand...

Why do you think that?
All he needs is to be at the same potential as what he is touching (motherboard).
In fact, he does not want to be grounded if the motherboard is not grounded.

Let's for a moment assume that he and the motherboard are both aboard the space station and the motherboard is at a 10,000V potential with respect to Earth. Then, as long as he is also at 10,000V, when he touches the motherboard, there will be no discharge.
 
I connect a power cable to the power supply when building so it's grounded, but too lazy to use a grounding strap. Not a bad idea though.
 
Work full time as a bench technician, we never use them. Sometimes I use an antistatic mat when I'm working on laptops (just because it fits on the mat easy, who cares.) or when I'm soldering the motherboards.
 
MrF said:
Why do you think that? ...
Click to expand...

Because an un-grounded piece of metal is capable of being at the same potential as you (you walk across a carpeted room, carrying the case). If the un-grounded metal you touch is at the same potential as you, and the component you touch has no charge, wouldn't you discharge into the component?

Most of the time, the parts you're about to touch are not charged, especially if they're coming out of a brand new anti static bag. Since there's no way to measure your potential, nor the potential of your metal case or other components, wouldn't the safest practice be to ground the metal you want to touch, then touch it before touching your component?
 
I, not thinking, ran out across a carpeted foyer and down a carpeted hallway, in my socks, during the winter, holding my beloved IQYHA back in 2003. I got to the door and said "crap, I'm still holding this?" put her in, and she worked just fine. I've never shocked anything to death and I've touched more computers than I have chicken wings. No, never wear one.
 
XeroHouR said:
I, not thinking, ran out across a carpeted foyer and down a carpeted hallway, in my socks, during the winter, holding my beloved IQYHA back in 2003. I got to the door and said "crap, I'm still holding this?" put her in, and she worked just fine. I've never shocked anything to death and I've touched more computers than I have chicken wings. No, never wear one.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that low ESD has a latent effect.
 
enginurd said:
If the un-grounded metal you touch is at the same potential as you, and the component you touch has no charge, wouldn't you discharge into the component?
Click to expand...
You touch the ground plane of the motherboard (shorted to the power supply case through the power cables).
The idea is to bring yourself to the same potential as all the components on the motherboard (ground plane) so that you can work on it without damaging any of the components on the motherboard whether it is grounded or not.

Most of the time, the parts you're about to touch are not charged, especially if they're coming out of a brand new anti static bag.
wouldn't the safest practice be to ground the metal you want to touch, then touch it before touching your component?
Click to expand...
Do you think a technician aboard a flying plane cannot safely work on a semiconductor component that is inside an anti static bag because he cannot ground himself since he is thousands of feet above it (Ground)?
How about an engineer on the space station? How is he supposed to ground himself considering he is orbiting it?




An anti static bag has a very high resistance. But, it is not a perfect insulator. In other words, it's resistance is not infinite.
When you hold the bag in your hands for a few seconds, it is enough for the charge to transfer between you and the contents of the bag. So, you will be at the same potential.

Since the resistance of the bag is extremely high, the current in this case is very low and non-destructive.
 
MrF said:
You touch the ground plane of the motherboard (shorted to the power supply case through the power cables).
The idea is to bring yourself to the same potential as all the components on the motherboard (ground plane) so that you can work on it without damaging any of the components on the motherboard whether it is grounded or not.

Do you think a technician aboard a flying plane cannot safely work on a semiconductor component that is inside an anti static bag because he cannot ground himself since he is thousands of feet above it (Ground)?
How about an engineer on the space station? How is he supposed to ground himself considering he is orbiting it?

An anti static bag has a very high resistance. But, it is not a perfect insulator. In other words, it's resistance is not infinite.
When you hold the bag in your hands for a few seconds, it is enough for the charge to transfer between you and the contents of the bag. So, you will be at the same potential.

Since the resistance of the bag is extremely high, the current in this case is very low and non-destructive.
Click to expand...

Right, I know the idea is for you and everything you're working on to be at zero potential. I was asking what the safest practice would be when working with computer parts (presumably at home), since that is what this thread is about. I wasn't asking about how to work with computer parts on a space station. But, thanks for the attempt at such education.

edit:
So, just to be clear, you're saying its NOT the safest practice to properly ground yourself or the metal you want to touch before working on brand new computer parts? Yes, I know you don't have to, so my choice of the word "must" earlier is what you're nitpicking, but my point was that its the best practice.
 
I think in certain instances (a carpeted workplace) merit the use of a strap.

At home I just take my socks off and touch the case frequently. Haven't had anything happen yet.
I'd also imagine that boutique builders will use a strap for insurance.
 
I know I should use one - after all it is a REALLY EASY way to dramatically reduce the risk of damaging my components...but I don't.

I ground my self to the chassis constantly and I leave my PSU plugged in (and turned off of course) to keep the case grounded to local earth ground.
 
One can often see posts that suggest "you must be grounded or else ....".
That is incorrect.
The reference to the space station was to point out a clear example where safety is of utmost importance and the above statement does not hold.
nitpicking? Attempt at education? Whatever!

There is nothing wrong with being grounded as long as it does not give one a false sense of safety.

Is it the safest practice to ground yourself before working on a brand new computer part? Not if the computer part itself is not at the ground potential.
The safest practice would be to hold the part, while still inside the anti static bag, for a few seconds before opening the bag and reaching inside.
 
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