Grounding by touching a ground lead

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    Ground Grounding Lead
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of grounding oneself by touching the negative lead of a wire from a power supply. It explores the effectiveness of this method in achieving sufficient grounding, considering various conditions and practices related to electrical safety.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether touching the negative lead of a power supply wire once is enough to achieve sufficient grounding.
  • Another participant asserts that continuous connection is necessary for grounding and emphasizes the need for an Earth ground.
  • A different perspective suggests that environmental factors, such as wearing a wool sweater on a dry day, can lead to recharging after touching the ground lead, impacting the effectiveness of grounding.
  • It is mentioned that using a large value resistor, like 1 MegOhm, is a good practice for grounding to minimize shock risk if connected to another voltage.
  • Another participant raises the concern that the negative lead from the power supply may not be grounded and could be "floating."

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the effectiveness of grounding by touching the negative lead, with no consensus reached on the adequacy of this method or the implications of environmental factors.

Contextual Notes

There are assumptions about the grounding conditions and the state of the power supply that remain unresolved, such as whether the negative lead is indeed grounded or floating.

rasen58
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Is it possible to sufficiently ground yourself just by touching the negative lead of a wire coming from a power supply once?
 
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No you need to stay connected to be grounded, and it needs to be to Earth ground.
 
rasen58 said:
Is it possible to sufficiently ground yourself just by touching the negative lead of a wire coming from a power supply once?

If you are wearing a wool sweater on a dry day, you will charge back up within a few seconds of moving around after touching the ground lead. If you're not doing anything that charges you back up, it will take a while for any charge to build up on you again.

BTW, it's good practice to ground yourself though a large value resistor like 1 MegOhm. This reduces the possibility that you can get shocked badly if you happen to be connected to some other voltage. ESD control wriststraps, for example, contain such a current-limiting resistor.
 
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Plus, the negative lead from the PSU may not be grounded ( ie. its " floating")
 
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