Electric Shock Treatment

[Rich76_911s]

Since it has been stated before that any question can be answered on the OT forum, I figured I would throw this one at ya:

At my apartment I get nearly electrocuted about 80% of the time I switch on or off the lights at all of the switches. I live in a particularly dry part of the country and my apartment is all carpet, but I am getting like 1 inch long arc's from the switch to my finger. It has gotten to the point where I carry a book with me and hit the switch with the book to avoid electrocution. Could there be an electrical problem like a bad ground or a short somewhere that would cause this? Or is it that due to increased neurological excitement from reading the OT board I create way too much energy? I am guessing it is just a lot of static electricity. If that is the case is there anything I can do to minimize the static electricty?

Rich

[legion]

Have you told this to whoever manages your apartment?

[Rich76_911s]

Nope, I have just thought that it has been static electricity.

[Rot 911]

Get a humidifier.

[legion]

Is it a constant arc until you move your hand away from the light, or a quick arc?

Does it get worse when you wear fuzzy bunny slippers?

Really, I'm stumped, but curious.

[dhoward]

What Kurt said.
It does prove that the switch has a pretty good ground. What's arcing is not the switch, but the screws holding the cover plate on.

[Tobra]

Carry a penny or key in your pocket, and use that to discharge the static charge. Touch the screw holding the switch plate on with the key or coin, voila, no shock

[Rich76_911s]

It is a quick arc. I've not noticed a change from my bunny slippers to sneakers or bare feet it seems to happen regardless. But the more I think about it the more likely that it is static electricity. Because even when you walk into the kitchen in bare feet you get zapped by the metal bar that seperates the tile from the carpet. Although not to the same degree you get at the switches. I always fear that I wake up the neighbors when I get zapped late at night and profanities come blurting out. The humidifier is probably a good idea. As is the key/coin idea which I read after posting.

And just so you know I always touch the wall to ground myself to that first. There is typically a small zap then. But even after that the switch/screw nails ya pretty good.

[gaijindabe]

Remember those rubber strips that used to hang from bumpers? Maybe the J.C. Whitney catalog could help you out??

[targa911S]

would you like hang those from your a$$?

[dhoward]

When you pee?

edit: Dammit Targa!

[Tobra]

Originally posted by gaijindabe
Remember those rubber strips that used to hang from bumpers? Maybe the J.C. Whitney catalog could help you out??

rubber would not work, but that is the idea.

The key/penny thing is a trick I used to like to do, scuff your feet on the carpet to build up a charge, and touch your sister on the tip of her earlobe

[KNS]

It gets very dry here in Prescott during the winter. I get zapped on just about everything I touch, it drives me nuts! It's nice to know that I'm not the only one (like some electrical freak) and that I won't blow up if drive to close to the Power Plant.

[cstreit]

Man some days I feel like I'm a walking electrical storm. The weird bit is this never happens to my wife who traverses the same carpets I do...

I used a key to ground myself before touching something... However they make anti-static spray for your carpets that help a LOT, in addition to more humidity...

[nostatic]

immeditately put yourself for sale on eBay. You have hybrid power...

[dhoward]

Heh,heh, heh.....nostatic.......heh, heh....... get it? heh, heh.....

[targa911S]

Ya beat me on that one!

[jorian]

You need the Clapper. Bill it to your landlord.