Earthing Dust Extraction Pipes

[Bigbadmarky]

Bonjour All,
I've got a small dust extraction system running under one of my benches in my workshop and I'm quite please with it to be honest. I used 68mm downpipe for most of it with a cut up bike innertube holding it together. I even managed a few blast gates from MDF. While it does get blocked from time to time, its does a pretty decent job. The only downside is the static. I've been shocked more times than than a priest in strip club.

How do I go about earthing it? Do I need to run copper inside the pipes? Where do I earth it to (FYI I don't have 240v in the workshop yet)?
Many thanks,
BBM

 

[sunnybob]

How is the pipe fixed to the wall?
Assuming its a brick or cement wall and If you use metal pipe clips, just put wide washers between the clip and the wall. Bear in mind that all wall plugs are plastic and will insulate the screw.

Thats all you need. a metal bond between the outside of the pipe and either a brick wall, or a metal rod hammered into the ground.
But every rubber joint is an insulator, so you will need to run a wire from piece to piece or earth each section seperately.

 

[Rorschach]

Aluminium flashing tape on the outside of the pipe works well.

Where to earth it could be the issue though, where is your power coming from at the moment?

 

[MikeG.]

.......I've got a small dust extraction system.........(FYI I don't have 240v in the workshop yet).......

This has me confused. Have you got a child or small dog running in a ferris wheel to power your extractor? :lol:

 

[Rorschach]

.......I've got a small dust extraction system.........(FYI I don't have 240v in the workshop yet).......

This has me confused. Have you got a child or small dog running in a ferris wheel to power your extractor? :lol:

I'm gonna blow your mind here Mike, there are these called extension cords that can run from one place to another. But if your extension cord isn't long enough then they make these amazing portable things called generators that will create power literally anywhere.

Rumour has it they are working on something called a Battery? Who knows if that will ever take off though.

 

[Bm101]

.......I've got a small dust extraction system.........(FYI I don't have 240v in the workshop yet).......

This has me confused. Have you got a child or small dog running in a ferris wheel to power your extractor? :lol:

Ah. The well known Vernepator Cur.
An actual breed of dog at one time.
Just when you thought you knew about dog breeds.
And I quote: 'To train the dog to run faster, a glowing coal was thrown into the wheel, Bondeson adds.'
We have it tough these days eh?
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/20 ... epator-cur

 

[Trevanion]

I'm gonna blow your mind here Mike, there are these called extension cords...

Extension Cords... Cords!? In this here land of Her Majesty, we call them extension LEADS.

 

[Bigbadmarky]

.......I've got a small dust extraction system.........(FYI I don't have 240v in the workshop yet).......

This has me confused. Have you got a child or small dog running in a ferris wheel to power your extractor? :lol:

I'm gonna blow your mind here Mike, there are these called extension cords that can run from one place to another. But if your extension cord isn't long enough then they make these amazing portable things called generators that will create power literally anywhere.

Rumour has it they are working on something called a Battery? Who knows if that will ever take off though.

This is not far off the mark:
Lights, radio and some small stuff runs of a leisure battery charged from my solar panel. I drag an extension down from the house for everything else. If that fails I've got an exuberant toddler and a hamster wheel.

The pipes are fixed to the underside of the work bench and are completely isolated from the wall (plastic mounting clips + timber work bench).
I'm guessing I'll have to run some kind of earth wire along the length of the pipe (outside) and attach it to the brick wall of the workshop. Would that suffice? Any particular considerations of where I should connect it to i.e. below the dpc?

 

[Rorschach]

Since you are presumably running the dust extractor using the extension cord/lead/wire/rope/ribbon/string/gimp/thread (i ran out of ideas here)
then you can use the earth on that.

 

[Bigbadmarky]

Since you are presumably running the dust extractor using the extension cord/lead/wire/rope/ribbon/string/gimp/thread (i ran out of ideas here)
then you can use the earth on that.

Extension lead is a sealed unit and I'd be loathed to break it open for my half baked attempt at earthing the static. I'd rather have a fixed earth point (until I get 240v sorted down there).

 

[Rorschach]

Since you are presumably running the dust extractor using the extension cord/lead/wire/rope/ribbon/string/gimp/thread (i ran out of ideas here)
then you can use the earth on that.

Extension lead is a sealed unit and I'd be loathed to break it open for my half baked attempt at earthing the static. I'd rather have a fixed earth point (until I get 240v sorted down there).

You don't need to break it open.

The hack way would be to simple wrap a thin wire around the earth pin of the plug on the vacuum. A neater way would be to take a spare plug and wire the earth from that onto a wire and attach that to your pipes.

 

[Bigbadmarky]

Since you are presumably running the dust extractor using the extension cord/lead/wire/rope/ribbon/string/gimp/thread (i ran out of ideas here)
then you can use the earth on that.

Extension lead is a sealed unit and I'd be loathed to break it open for my half baked attempt at earthing the static. I'd rather have a fixed earth point (until I get 240v sorted down there).

You don't need to break it open.

The hack way would be to simple wrap a thin wire around the earth pin of the plug on the vacuum. A neater way would be to take a spare plug and wire the earth from that onto a wire and attach that to your pipes.

Cracking idea. Thanks for that.

 

[Lons]

The hack way would be to simple wrap a thin wire around the earth pin of the plug on the vacuum. A neater way would be to take a spare plug and wire the earth from that onto a wire and attach that to your pipes.

Cracking idea. Thanks for that.

Please don't wrap a wire around the earth pin of the vac :roll:
Imagine, you trip over the lead reach out and grab the duct to break your fall and get a rather nasty shock because the thin wire has slipped across the live as the plug has been pulled. Not sensible advice at all!

 

[Rorschach]

Please don't wrap a wire around the earth pin of the vac :roll:
Imagine, you trip over the lead reach out and grab the duct to break your fall and get a rather nasty shock because the thin wire has slipped across the live as the plug has been pulled. Not sensible advice at all!

I did say it was the hack way, which is rarely the safe way to do things. That being said, the circumstances required for your scenario to happen are very remote, requiring you to be suitably earthed at the exact moment the wire brushes against the live pin while being ripped out. But of course as you know it's basically impossible for the live pin on the plug to be exposed while live.

 

[Lons]

I did say it was the hack way, which is rarely the safe way to do things. That being said, the circumstances required for your scenario to happen are very remote, requiring you to be suitably earthed at the exact moment the wire brushes against the live pin while being ripped out. But of course as you know it's basically impossible for the live pin on the plug to be exposed while live.

Hack is exactly what it is and as you well know nothing's impossible. If that's the way you want to do things, and it explains rather a lot about you then it's your choice but IMO you really shouldn't be advising others on a open forum especially as it's highly unlikely you know the OPs level of competence or circumstances and even worse you don't know who else is reading your posts.

I've no intention of letting you develop yet another of your pathetic arguments so will just leave it to others to judge for themselves.

EDIT: Anyway what happened to your pledge not to reply to my posts? :wink:

 

[Rorschach]

EDIT: Anyway what happened to your pledge not to reply to my posts? :wink:

I'll make exceptions to point out your lack of knowledge on plugs :wink:

Anyway the reply wasn't so much for your benefit, it was for the OP.

 

[mindthatwhatouch]

Don’t go messing about with a 13amp plug and trying to wrap something round the earth pin.

Take a piece of copper wire (or aluminium tape) wrap it around the pipe and earth it, wherever is easiest. Behind a washer screwed into the brick work, a bit of exposed metalwork any where (metal strap) or a piece of metal buried in the ground. Earthing it at two or three points then even better.

 

[Lons]

EDIT: Anyway what happened to your pledge not to reply to my posts? :wink:

I'll make exceptions to point out your lack of knowledge on plugs :wink:

Anyway the reply wasn't so much for your benefit, it was for the OP.

OK I'll make an exception as well to say that you have absolutely no idea of my level of competence on electrical wiring so it's another of your know it all assumptions. Anyone who suggests wrapping a wire around a pin on the plug of a vac has a screw loose somewhere, what's your next little tip, silver paper around a blown fuse? :wink:

I'll end my participation in this argument with the observation that in Jeremy Clarkson's words " you must be very well endowed to be such a huge pr+ck" :twisted:

 

[Rorschach]

There is a purpose made device if you go the non hack route (which you should really)

As you can see though, making your own from a spare plug would be very easy, just remove the live and neutral pins and wire only to the earth.

 

[Daniel2]

Hi,
With all due respect, if your knowledge of electricty is really that low (meant in the kindest possible manner, none of us can know everything about everything), I would strongly recommend you getting someone around who knows what they are doing.
Even if it's only a mate, so to speak.
It's one thing to play around with hacks and bodged systems if one has some inkling of what one is doing. It's quite another animal if you don't. Personal safety, that of others and fire risks should not be underestimated.
Any earth is there primarily for safety. Akin to fixing up a safety net, yet clueless about knot tying.
Please don't be another statistic, and enjoy your workshop safely.
Sorry for the preaching, but you're running a high risk.

All the best,
Daniel