Question How much static electricity from clothes will give pc a system shock?

[Antisthenes]

A brutal winter in Europe this season, so I’m going to wear a lot of clothes made of wool, to reduce my electricity bill, but wool creates static electricity, so how far from my computer screen and pc cabinet must I stay to avoid that this static transfers electricity to my expensive hardware?

Can wool clothes damage my gaming mouse and noise cancelling headset?

Is there any way to discharge the static while wearing wool clothes? By touching metal now and then for example?

 

[Lutfij]

Why not touch a faucet or a metal object that is known to be grounded, at regular intervals, become your routine?

Can wool clothes damage my gaming mouse and noise cancelling headset?
I doubt that's going to happen unless you make contact with the wires inside the peripherals mentioned which is highly unlikely considering they'll be in a sheath/insulation(the covering outside of the wires of said peripherals).

By touching metal now and then for example?
Yes.

 

[emitfudd]

When I was a kid I had a Commodore 64. My parents had to take it to be repaired at least 3 times I can remember because of static shock when I turned on the power switch. It shorted out something so it wouldn't turn on. Slippers, carpet and electric heat in the winter with low humidity.

One thing that may help is running a humidifier in that room. Get a hygrometer and see what your humidity is. You might be surprised by how low it is. I keep mine at as close to 50% humidity as possible. I use the Vic's steam vaporizer. It runs a solid 12 hrs plus before you have to refill it and the steam is sterile unlike cool mist humidifiers that have potential for mold. They're only about 20 bucks and last a year or two before needing to be replaced.

 

[Antisthenes]

I feel sorry for that Commodore, and now got even more worried!

Maybe I buy a metal rod or pole standing on the ground next to my stressless reclining chair. (I’m very laidback now because of chronic illness). My main worry is that when I get up from my chair and sit down I get like maybe 5-10 inches from my 4K IPS monitor. Can static electricity from wool clothes damage the screen when for a few seconds being 5-10 inches away from it ?

 

[emitfudd]

I would think it depends on how much static electricity is present in the room. Adding humidity really will help. Just monitor it because mold can grow above 55% humidity.

 

[Antisthenes]

Will any type of metal rod or pole be grounded by just standing on the floor? Will it help if I let my wool clothes touch the rod/pole before getting up from my reclining chair (during which I briefly can’t avoid getting close to the monitor)?

Does a humidifier work without electricity? (Electricity is getting expensive!)

 

[dwd999]

Will any type of metal rod or pole be grounded by just standing on the floor? Will it help if I let my wool clothes touch the rod/pole before getting up from my reclining chair (during which I briefly can’t avoid getting close to the monitor)?

Does a humidifier work without electricity? (Electricity is getting expensive!)

If you look on amazon there are at least 2 easy ways to mitigate static electricity. One is the wrist strap; you don't actually have to wear it on your wrist, you can just lay it flat on any convenient surface with the metal node facing up so that you can touch it whenever necessary. The other is a mat type surface which can be placed in any location or even trimmed for a specific spot where it would be easy for you to touch it. Both of these come with coiled cords which can be clipped onto a metal grounding object or which clip onto plastic plugs where 1 prong on the plug goes into your grounded outlet. Hopefully you do have grounded electrical outlets in your room.

 

[Antisthenes]

If I take a 3 meter long metal wire and connect it to the faucet, which is properly grounded I assume even when living 7 meter above Earth ground in my apartment block, and then touch the wire before getting up from the reclining chair next to my computer screen, will that sufficiently discharge the static in my wool clothes?

Edit; faucets may not be grounded I just discovered:

https://www.quora.com/Is-the-kitche...re-connected-to-the-ground-except-the-outlets

 

[dwd999]

If I take a 3 meter long metal wire and connect it to the faucet, which is properly grounded I assume even when living 7 meter above Earth ground in my apartment block, and then touch the wire before getting up from the reclining chair next to my computer screen, will that sufficiently discharge the static in my wool clothes?

Edit; faucets may not be grounded I just discovered:

In construction where copper piping is used throughout from the faucet in your apartment to the underground water main, then the faucet might be grounded. But so much pvc piping is used in some construction that it is not guaranteed. You would have to examine every inch of the piping from your faucet down to the ground. Alternately, you could use an electrical circuit tester (the kind that lights up when a circuit is connected) to see if you get a positive circuit from an electrical outlet to your metal wire you connected to the faucet. DO NOT try sticking the wire connected to the faucet into the electrical outlet since that will blow the circuit. If you have grounded outlets then a plastic plug where only the ground prong is metal would be more appropriate.

https://www.amazon.com/Industries-T...8&sr=1-2-4c1442dc-e644-4a05-a0d0-ff1b45d55b2f


https://www.amazon.com/KooMall-Grounding-Sensitive-Antistatic-Bracelets/dp/B09ZXGT7YH/ref=sr_1_24?crid=2AY60EUAJPQVW&keywords=static+electricity+wristband&qid=1662854852&sprefix=static+electricity+,aps,121&sr=8-24

 

[Antisthenes]

I stick with cotton clothes, less static