Question about ESD protection: how to maximze

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the_servicer

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How can one set up a workspace to eliminate electrostatic discharge when handling computer parts? I live with carpeting only and I own only a basic wrist strap. What gear should I obtain? I don't want to take any risks. I was thinking I should take my computer to a place like a public library, which is not carpeted, to perform computer upgrades. Would that make sense?
 
Constant Monitors are what you use if you work on anything that costs real money (thousands). They'll beep at you if the contact between your skin and ground is broken.

ESD Constant Monitors

You can buy a grounded mat from that same site. Using both together guarantees safe handling.

Read more about it here, this seemed like a well written guide :D

ESD Workbench and ESD Mat :: Radio-Electronics.Com

I wear this crap at work when my job requires it.

But I roll bareback when building my own, always have. There's enough ESD protection in PC products, and I am consistent about handling just the edges of cards and keep my hands away from conductive edges AND exposed components that stick out from the PCB.

If you follow that, and take you socks off before you start, and keep the house humidified (dry air = shock central) ESD is not so dangerous.
 
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another tip is to have your psu plugged in but flip the switch off. the psu casing is always grounded and you can touch it to discharge yourself before handling anything. the little screw that holds the faceplate onto light switches and power sockets work too.
 
That technique does not apply to a portable computer such as a Dell Latitude, correct?
pendragon1 said:
another tip is to have your psu plugged in but flip the switch off. the psu casing is always grounded and you can touch it to discharge yourself before handling anything. the little screw that holds the faceplate onto light switches and power sockets work too.
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if the power plug for the laptop has three prongs that go into the wall then it is grounded and you can touch the metal part of the tip(end that goes to laptop) to ground yourself. if it's only two prong like most then its not grounded. oh and the screw trick only works in houses/building with modern electrical. if its a really old house that has knob and tube it wont(no ground).
 
I have never grounded myself in the 20 years that I've been working on computer and have never had an issue.
 
You have me worried about humidity. This is a very dry climate and I don't want to buy a humidifier just for one computer.
 
The humidity of the air does make a huge difference. I take a lax approach to working with computer components here in soggy Seattle that I would not take in the semi-arid area where my parents live. In one place I can't build up a static charge without some rather deliberate measures, and even then it wicks away in a matter of seconds; in the other, I build up a charge that's painful to ground out with a single step on carpet.
 
the_servicer said:
Thanks.

When you say bareback, does that mean no mat, no strap, no anything?
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I just touch the case to ground myself.

And as I said earlier, I also make sure not to touch conductive surfaces. Handle expansion cards by the non-PCIe edges, heatsinks or backplates, or the I/O plate.
 
Then do what I said with the psu, work next to a light switch or power socket and don't move too much. If you have to move just ground yourself again before touching anything.
My system is in my living room which is carpet and I work on it just by turning off the power and touching the case to ground out. I'll take a part out, like when I modded my gpu, then walk across the carpet to my dining room which is linoleum touch my light switch screw to ground myself. Did my red mod. Then I walked back across the carpet touch the case first and reinstall the card.

If you are really really worried about humidity work on it in your kitchen with a pot of water boiling on the stove to humidify the room. But still make sure you ground yourself before touching things.
 
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defaultluser said:
just touch the case to ground myself
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that only works if the psu is plugged in and grounded or if your work bench is grounded. if it's just the bare case on a counter or table there is no ground.

Edit: OP, To totally eliminate it like you asked get a humidifier, an ESD mat and strap and a grounded work bench. Otherwise follow what we've been saying.
 
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Has anyone in the history of hardforum posted a thread that conclusively showed that ESD damaged their system when they were building it? I've never seen a thread like that before...
 
not that ive seen. but whether you believe it or not ESD can and will happen. you possibly live in a climate that does not promote ESD. I do and have personally killed one cpu by working on carpet in the winter when I was young and stupid. that was my lesson and it has never happened again.
 
st4rk said:
Has anyone in the history of hardforum posted a thread that conclusively showed that ESD damaged their system when they were building it? I've never seen a thread like that before...
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Nope, and not saying it can't or won't happen, but I've definitely slapped motherboards right on carpet and plugged sound and video cards in to PCI slots. I guess in a workstation/business/enterprise setting where hardware is really expensive and more importantly only gets upgraded when something breaks, these precautions are important as even mild degradation on a $10,000 component is huge, but who here would really be disappointed if their Pentium 4 bit the dust next year?
 
ZeqOBpf6 said:
Nope, and not saying it can't or won't happen, but I've definitely slapped motherboards right on carpet and plugged sound and video cards in to PCI slots. I guess in a workstation/business/enterprise setting where hardware is really expensive and more importantly only gets upgraded when something breaks, these precautions are important as even mild degradation on a $10,000 component is huge, but who here would really be disappointed if their Pentium 4 bit the dust next year?
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Agreed for industrial/business/etc uses dealing with very expensive components it is a good precaution. But for home use, I've never heard of any case from friends or read anything on a forum where someone in their house ruined their computer from ESD.
 
People not worried about ESD know no better and do not realize you can degrade a component it it will still be operational.

I've worked in many aerospace on many high end components, and if you did not follow procedures for smocks, shoes, wrist straps, etc you would probably be fired on the spot.

Probably causes a lot of RMA's when people buy new things, I would imagine.

"Why isn't this working right", etc.

A wrist strap at least is a good idea.
 
st4rk said:
I've never heard of any case from friends or read anything on a forum where someone in their house ruined their computer from ESD
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didn't read my post in this thread then eh?! it CAN and DOES happen. Just because it hasn't happened to you...
 
MongGrel said:
People not worried about ESD know no better and do not realize you can degrade a component it it will still be operational.

I've worked in many aerospace on many high end components, and if you did not follow procedures for smocks, shoes, wrist straps, etc you would probably be fired on the spot.

Probably causes a lot of RMA's when people buy new things, I would imagine.

"Why isn't this working right", etc.

A wrist strap at least is a good idea.
Click to expand...

I haven't hard to RMA hardware in 12 years. And my systems tend to remain in use for 5-10 years (either me, or hand-me-downs) so I'm not one of those cutting-edge "use for a year then sell" people. I WOULD NOTICE IF THERE WAS A PATTERN OF BAD HARDWARE!

I don't just throw parts on the carpet though. I try to do my installs on a tabletop, but sometimes it's not an option. After I remove parts from the bag they stay on top of the box they came in, placed on top the bag they came in until they go in the slot. Pretty good protection just being smart, so no you don't need a strap.

But you do need to think things through using my method, which may be harder for most people than just using the strap.

Hell, my original custom build motherboard (BH6) from 1998 was still functional in 2013 when I sent it off to another forum member here. And that got moved into at least four different cases over the years, serving first as a gaming system, then as an emulation HTPC, then later a file server/web browser. I used it actively for 10 years before I shelved it (not enough memory for modern web), and then I made sure it still worked before shipping it off.
 
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defaultluser said:
I haven't hard to RMA hardware in 12 years. And my systems tend to remain in use for 5-10 years (either me, or hand-me-downs) so I'm not one of those cutting-edge "use for a year then sell" people. I WOULD NOTICE IF THERE WAS A PATTERN OF BAD HARDWARE!

I don't just throw parts on the carpet though. I try to do my installs on a tabletop, but sometimes it's not an option. After I remove parts from the bag they stay on top of the box they came in, placed on top the bag they came in until they go in the slot. Pretty good protection just being smart, so no you don't need a strap.

But you do need to think things through using my method, which may be harder for most people than just using the strap.

Hell, my original custom build motherboard (BH6) from 1998 was still functional in 2013 when I sent it off to another forum member here. And that got moved into at least four different cases over the years. I used it actively for 10 years before I shelved it (not enough memory for modern web), and then I made sure it still worked before shipping it off.
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If you want to roll that way go for it.

Like I mentioned, you can even degrade things doing that and they would still be operational.

I was just trying to point that out, as a safety tip more or less.

You're free to do with what you buy of course, how ever you see fit.
 
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