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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: tp4tissue on Sun, 03 August 2014, 05:51:19

Title: Groundin'
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 03 August 2014, 05:51:19

So.... lets say... the whole house is 2 pin..

If I want ground for computer..   Can I just  Solder a wire to the ground pin.. And clamp that around some steel water pipes ??

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: feizor on Sun, 03 August 2014, 07:59:06

Quote from: tp4tissue on Sun, 03 August 2014, 05:51:19

So.... lets say... the whole house is 2 pin..

If I want ground for computer..   Can I just  Solder a wire to the ground pin.. And clamp that around some steel water pipes ??

Make sure your waterpipes actually go into the ground...

1 meter earthspike is probably better.

*trained electricians please add comment.

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: fohat.digs on Sun, 03 August 2014, 08:53:25

There will be something, somewhere, or else the entire building situation is dangerous.

If the house is decades old, you may have to go all the way back to the fuse box to find it.

Any electrical engineer will tell you that grounding can be a tricky and arcane scenario, but things do need to be grounded.

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 03 August 2014, 14:07:44

There is no ground for sure... even at fuse box..


So.. Earth Spike...  1 meter is enough?

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: fohat.digs on Sun, 03 August 2014, 15:31:27

Quote from: tp4tissue on Sun, 03 August 2014, 14:07:44

1 meter is enough?

You are trying to make an electrical connection with the Earth itself.

A small short thing will do it in firm wet soil, but it will take a lot more contact if the soil is loose and/or dry.

One meter of good solid spike driven down hard into firm soil is generally considered adequate. If you can find a naked metal pipe running into the ground, that is probably easier and more reliable.

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: Hundrakia on Sun, 03 August 2014, 15:49:34

You're best using a ground clamp on that ground rod, you can connect your ground cable to it way easier, with just a few set screws. Just drive it in bro! That also means likely that you should go run a loomex (generic brand household wire) from your newly grounded box to your computer mains,  and ground that socket. There's also power conditioning to consider, if you want to go nuts and your power isn't the best.

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: Hundrakia on Sun, 03 August 2014, 15:51:55

Inb4 all of that, contact a licensed electrician since you can die, etc.

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: paicrai on Sun, 03 August 2014, 17:47:14

ob niioo domr turr a hoel in urs spoyc teim ****yuum nioo


anyways, tp4, just do like you always do: use a long word itll probably fix everything

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: tp4tissue on Sun, 03 August 2014, 19:22:23

Quote from: Hundrakia on Sun, 03 August 2014, 15:51:55

Inb4 all of that, contact a licensed electrician since you can die, etc.

Are you sure...? this is ground , so it's the excess static from PC, can't be much power


So.. 

No place to easily drive an earth spike.. at least not an 8 foot one..


Back to the water pipe idea...   yes no??  (http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/onion-head/confused-onion-head-emoticon.gif?1292862495)

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: Hundrakia on Sun, 03 August 2014, 19:37:14

Quote from: tp4tissue on Sun, 03 August 2014, 19:22:23

Quote from: Hundrakia on Sun, 03 August 2014, 15:51:55

Inb4 all of that, contact a licensed electrician since you can die, etc.

Are you sure...? this is ground , so it's the excess static from PC, can't be much power

If you're running new wires to your outlets from your fuse panel, probably.

Water pipe idea could be plausible. Basically you want any power that is where it shouldn't be to have a direct source to ground. Lightning strikes being a big one! But DC static charges can build up from AC (apparently) in large enough amounts to really **** your rig.

P.s., this seems fairly accurate http://amasci.com/amateur/whygnd.html (http://amasci.com/amateur/whygnd.html)

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: katushkin on Sun, 03 August 2014, 19:39:16

BS 1363 master race checking in

(http://www.imo.net/imc2010/plug.png)

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: paicrai on Sun, 03 August 2014, 19:47:23

Quote from: katushkin on Sun, 03 August 2014, 19:39:16

BS 1363 master race checking in

Show Image

(http://www.imo.net/imc2010/plug.png)

weirdo

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: fohat.digs on Mon, 04 August 2014, 07:35:59

I think that I read somewhere that there is an average 50,000 volt difference in charge between the earth and the upper atmosphere.

Conversations with old-timer electricians or electrical engineers will yield some surprising stories about static, grounding, and the way electrical charge can move around in most unexpected ways.

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: Oobly on Mon, 04 August 2014, 08:54:44

You can use a cold water pipe as a ground connection... IF it is actually grounded and IF you hook the wire up within 5ft of where it enters the building.

You can check by using a multimeter on AC setting and connect it between a "Neutral" terminal of your socket and the pipe. If it shows zero or close to zero volts (less than 3v), you're good. Copper pipes are best, but it should still work with steel.

Title: Re: Groundin'
Post by: tp4tissue on Wed, 06 August 2014, 08:28:31

Hey gUys..

Is there like.. a Diode... that's lightning proof?

Say I wire up the ground of my PC to the lightning rod...   can I put a Diode between the ground and the rod...


I want to make sure the current can't flow toward the PC..