Anti static wrist strap worth or not..?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
E

Elezen

Honorable
Jun 12, 2014
82
0
10,630
Well its been a while since i clean my pc but when i do it i just remove all cable and put the case outdoor then use air can on it....but i just got a good deal on the Metro ED500 and was wondering if i should buy a anti-static strap to make sure i dont break anything lol...
 
Solution
Karadjgne
Here's the thing with a vacuum (obviously with a hose) there's absolutely no need to go outside. If you use the bristle brush attachment, it's great for large surface areas like the top of the psu, doors etc. But mainly you just hold it an inch or so above what you want dusted, and use a small paintbrush with the long fine bristles (not the cheap thick kind) and just swish it across any components. This stirs up the dust, which is then sucked in by the vacuum. The advantage of this over compressed air is that the air blows the dust off the components, only to stay in the case or settle elsewhere. The vacuum acts just like a dustpan. This method allows cleaning of fan blades very well, heatsinks, corners, between ram, pretty much...
Sort by date Sort by votes
Having built and worked on around 500 computers, I've never needed an anti-static wrist-wrap. Unless you wear wool socks on a carpet you don't need it.

Saying that do I have one? Yes. Do I always use it? No. Again never done a ZZZZZT on a component, maybe just lucky, but 500 PC's later still waiting for static discharge death.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If you are careful and ground yourself to the case .. PSI plugged in but switch in OFF position, you should be fine.

Here, I just take a ShopVac in the room and leave it on w/ suction near the PC ... then I use an air compressor to bow everything out ... dust in the air gets sucked in before it has chance to settle anywhere.

Take it outside ? ... that's how ya get bugs !

https://thenextweb.com/shareables/2013/09/18/the-very-first-computer-bug/#.tnw_dcePg5MQ
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


That's exactly what I do as well, a shopvac is a very handy thing to have.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
As long as you touch exposed metal on the case before anything else inside, there is no need for a wrist strap. The strap is mainly there so you don't need to remember.

Handling loose components can be a little trickier when there is no obvious ground or power surface to touch first (mounting holes, IO brackets, shielded connectors, power connector, etc.) to avoid accidentally zapping something more delicate.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


You clean ur tower outside too? Do you use the anti static strap?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote


Cant realy do that for me XD i dont want all those dust to go everywhere in the house lol that why im going outdoor to clean it ^^ but i was wondering if i need a static strap... and since im outdoor the pc isnt connected to the "ground" thing on the power bar
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If you are outside the strap is useless if it's not connected to anything. We use a ModMat mainly because I like the build surface and information on it that it provides.

http://www.modright.com/products/11391/pad-310/ModRight_Xtreme_Super_Large_Anti-Static_Mod-Mat_Work_and_Assembly_Surface_Over_47_x_23_in_Size_-_Patent_Pending.html?tl=g61c11s1279

In addition, a wrist strap is kinda a PITA case when I am working inside the case, it gets caught on everything. The Mat has two flexible cstraps and this is how I use it ..

a) 3-prong plug connects case to house electrical system ground, which is till connected even with PSU OFF
b) The case is sitting on the ModMat and one of those straps goes from the case to the attachment point on the electrically conductive Modmat.
c) The 2nd strap goes from the Mat to my ankle.... as my feet aren't repeatedly going in and out of the case, it never gets in the way or caught on anything.
d) All the components are placed on the mat when taken outta the box and are already grounded when I (also grounded) pick them up.

I was building PCs for 25 years w/o a wrist strap before I got the ModMat so, even tho it serves no real purpose,I still touch the case instinctively before touching anything else.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote

You can connect it to the case. The whole point of having a strap is to ensure that your body's electrostatic potential is the same as that of what you are working on. While this is usually achieved by referencing everything to Earth ground, grounding yourself to the same floating ground as everything else you are working on is also valid: as long as everything is at the same relative potential, there is no difference to equalize and no discharge.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Here's the thing with a vacuum (obviously with a hose) there's absolutely no need to go outside. If you use the bristle brush attachment, it's great for large surface areas like the top of the psu, doors etc. But mainly you just hold it an inch or so above what you want dusted, and use a small paintbrush with the long fine bristles (not the cheap thick kind) and just swish it across any components. This stirs up the dust, which is then sucked in by the vacuum. The advantage of this over compressed air is that the air blows the dust off the components, only to stay in the case or settle elsewhere. The vacuum acts just like a dustpan. This method allows cleaning of fan blades very well, heatsinks, corners, between ram, pretty much everything. Just rest your forearm on the frame and go to town cleaning. Totally eliminates the need some feel to stick grubby fingers into gpu fans to dislodge chunks accumulated between the fan and heatsink. A major cause of gpu fan breakage.

Here's my issue with anti-static straps. You are now tethered to the case. This makes flipping the case changing angles, moving around to the back side, tilting the case for better angles etc all but a pain in the ash unless you have a very long strap, which then gets tangled or drooped through the pc, quite often getting hung up on large air cooler heatsinks or fan blades, gpus etc. I find it generally more of a hassle to have one than a simple precaution of just very often or constant contact with the case/frame.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution


Its better but it doesn't qualify as a full ground.... for example, when connecting data loggers to transducers, a full ground is required ... you and the case are the same potential but you and the case can pick up a charge while using a vaccuum , compressor wiping dust off with a rag.... and then you reach for that component that you layed down 20 minuted before you did all that and you and the case are at a different potential

Here's my issue with anti-static straps. You are now tethered to the case. This makes flipping the case changing angles, moving around to the back side, tilting the case for better angles etc all but a pain in the ash unless you have a very long strap, which then gets tangled or drooped through the pc, quite often getting hung up on large air cooler heatsinks or fan blades, gpus etc. I find it generally more of a hassle to have one than a simple precaution of just very often or constant contact with the case/frame.
Click to expand...

Doesn't happen when ya put it on ya ankle :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote

Hm, no.

>> grounding yourself to the same floating ground as everything else you are working on

If your set-aside part is at a different potential, then you didn't lay it down on something connected to your floating ground.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom