I wear UGG boots in winter because it’s fucking cold.
I also wrap myself in a blanket on the couch, and have a lovely area rug so I don’t have to walk on a cold floor. All these things are necessary to survive the winter; my house isn’t well insulated.
The problem with all this, is that I build up a static charge. So when I go to pat my beautiful sweetheart of a dog, I zap him. It’s audible and I’m sure, quite unpleasant. Often on the head. He obviously doesn’t like that, I think he’s taking it personally, and I feel awful. It completely cancels out the affection I’m trying to show him.
So the question for the Lemmy community is:
How do I discharge the static before I pat my dog? I have started shocking my partner (which he doesn’t like, but accepts over the alternative), before patting my dog. But as he’s out tonight, I have no human vessel to offer as tribute?
What can I touch in my house before patting my dog so that he doesn’t receive a shock?
Edit: standard Australian house and furniture
Another edit: I’m all the sheets to the wind so the engineering advice is not sinking in. But I’m loving the immediate response that I’d never have gotten on Deaddit.
Again: I can’t stop giggling at how helpful everyone is being and how short m, drunk and silly I am, in a house with apparently no metal
And again: I should probably take me and my baby to bed now, but a big thank you to everyone who replied. You’ve all been lovely. Lemmy is really a different space to ask these questions! I’ll be trying out many of your suggestions over the weekend; big thanks from me and my boy x
Final: thanks to everyone who responded. I did try the kitchen tap again last night and this time it worked! Mustn’t have built up enough charge when I tried the night I posted. I will still primarily zap my partner’s leg as it’s usually closer and doing it makes me laugh. It’s important he understands where he fits in the household hierarchy as well. I also learnt that American houses are very different (screws and radiators everywhere!) so that was interesting too.
You can look for ESD heel & shoe straps. They are relatively cheap and help you discharge while walking around or buy shoes that are ESD rated in the first place.
Internet says to touch the screws on a light switch panel.
They’re covered by plastic as standard here
They are screws holding the plate on, usually two flathead screws above and below the switch or paddle that them connect to the junction box which is how they ground you.
Covered in plastic
Covered in plastic how? Mine all look like this https://imgur.com/a/9EBDjPS
There’s these little white plastic plugs over screws, or an entire plastic panel over the top
Replacement covers are like $1.25 at the hardware store. If you’re renting, you can save what’s there in some closet and put them back when you move out.
Damn, I was going to suggest this, I do it all the time. Perhaps shuffle around and touch everything in sight until you find something that zaps and therefore discharges you. Once you find something grounding (zappy) touch that before you touch your dog.
Why do you wear boots on the couch? Or indoors at all?
UGGs boots are slippers :)
Ah, that makes more sense^^ Never heard of that brand or the term.
Invented by Surfers I believe. An interesting history with many fights over the IP
Oh man, I feel this one. I moved to a colder climate with my cat in winter and every time I pet her, if I got close to her ears… zap. She was always like ??? About it.
One day it just stopped happening one day and I’m not sure why. So I don’t really have any advice.
You could try rubber soled footwear instead?
UGGs are the key to survival in a Canberra winter climate I’m afraid.
Do you have access to those super thick insulated socks? Could allow you to wear those house slippers with a rubber sole.
I live in Canada and those socks are too hot in the dead of winter for me.
I should’ve mentioned I’m super unco with bad knees, so the stability of the UGGs is one of the only reasons I’m upright/not dead
Ah! Darn. I’m sorry.
Hope you figure something out!
You’re great. Have an excellent (insert your time of day/night)
Ah! Darn. I’m sorry.
Hope you figure something out!
There are other insulated shoes/slippers that are not UGGs. I have some Sorel slippers with wool lining and leather on the outside.
On the plus side, your dog must be convinced that you are a wizard. You need something to ground yourself on.
I always get zapped when touching anything metal during the winter, so what I do is touch the drywall first before touching something I know will trigger the charge. Seems to work for me.
I do have walls… I’ll try that
Two suggestions: run a humidifier. Preferably use a steam one with distilled water. The ultrasonic cool mist ones introduce any minerals and bacteria that are in the water into the air.
The easiest suggestion is to change your blanket. I’m guessing you’re wrapping yourself in a fuzzy fleece blanket. Synthetic fibers like polyester transfer way more static charge than natural fibers. Try looking for a cotton or wool throw. Or for something fuzzy, find a sheep pelt with wool on it. Even using a cotton sheet between you and your current blanket should reduce the amount of charge buildup.
A side benefit of changing blanket materials, is that any blanket that generates a lot of static charge also holds loads of dust and pet hairs. A less static generating blanket will stay cleaner longer.
The easiest way to discharge is to touch a metal faucet. If you have copper pipes, they’ll be grounded, but even just the tap water is conductive enough to dissipate most of the charge.
How about a chain, mate? You can get one at Bunnings by the metre. You can place this somewhere convenient and touch it with the quarter as another commenter said. Not sure if carrying one in your pocket and casually dragging it on the floor would work.
Alternatively just stick a fork in a plant pot, that’ll do for grounded metal I hope
A fork in a pot is definitely not a grounded earth connection. The electrical circuit needs to go back to the actual planet Earth.
A copper cold water pipe coming into the house from outside is a good choice, as are ground terminals on electrical equipment.
Hahaha this is the most confusing comment yet. Where are you???
Straya for sure
Sydney I hope
No quarters in Canberra!
Neither here, try the house keys or any coin then, something’s gotta work
I too live in a hilariously dry climate in the winter and become a human lightning rod for several months at a time. Here’s what helped me: a quarter! I carry a quarter in my pocket all winter to touch to metal (I deeply hate getting shocked myself, especially the huge static charges). You’ll need something made of metal that is grounded, though. We have metal shelves or the aforementioned light switch screws. You can also look for screws on your washing machine, doorknob, dishwasher, sink, etc. Anything with a little metal should work. Then - touch the quarter to it, hear (but don’t feel) the zap, and enjoy your dog with no fear. Hope you can find something metallic somewhere in your home!
None of my things have accessible screws!! I’m in Australia so no quarters… And I’m not sure I even have physical currency in the house (Australia is pretty cash free these days (.
Fuck, I am just loving these responses. Everyone is so lovely.
I guess you’ll have to build a giant metal effigy in the center of your home at this point. Or become a wizard to better channel your new magical energies. It’s really your call now.
Bless you. Go with noodles
You could also get a DIY power cable (the type where you screw the plug to the leads yourself). There you only connect the ground contact and not the live and neutral contacts. Now strip the end of the ground wire and place it where ever you want to be able to discharge yourself.
Alternatively, you can do about the same by just connecting a wire to any unpainted part of your radiators.
Jesus fuck… That’s a lot of science
No radiators
We don’t do proper heating in this cuntry
What about water pipes? Got any of them somewhat near to your couch?
You could also just buy a metal-cased lamp and maybe ask at the shop whether the metal casing is grounded. Usually it is.
Noop. My house is made of fabricated nonsense and plastic
Then the only grounded location that I can think of is the ground pin of an electric outlet.
Do you have a somewhat technically minded friend? Making a cable like the one I suggested is literally as simple as screwing in a handful of screws. So if you know anyone who’d be willing to make it, it’s not much effort at all.
If you really don’t have anything metal in your house (metal sinks or any appliance with an outer metal shell that should be grounded), grab an extension cord, cut it and completely remove any cable that is not the yellow and geeen one, that is the earth cable (assuming in Australia that is the correct color scheme), expose that wire and touch it to discharge. Make sure the other cables are in no way exposed. If yoy want to be extra safe, buy a plug and only connect the earth cable.
/s of course, don’t do that unless you know your way around AC power
I’m so nervous reading this
No point in being nervous. You can just touch the earth prong on a plugged in extension cord, the cutting part is pointless unless you plan to stick something metal down one hole.
On australian sockets the earth is not exposed, so not as easy
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Anything conductive and grounded. For example, a lamp with a steel or copper body.
Hmm all cheap lamps in this basic bitch’s house
Yeah they might be cheap, but there is a grounding law here in Australia, so legally those cheap Canberra lamps are required to have a ground. Personally I would recommend your front door, but knowing Canberra your pot plant might be more accessible.
Dryer sheets and fabric softener will reduce the potential for stadic electricity in your fabrics.
That’s very American advice I’m afraid. Here we just put our washing out until it catches on fire
Our air quality is so bad most Americans (even if they have the space for a clothing line) can’t hang their clothes to dry. They’ll come out smelling.
I’ve lived in Denver for the past 15 years or so, this is a problem I relate to. If you live in a house or apartment with drywall, it turns out that the corners are made of metal under the plaster. For years I have discharged myself by bumping my forearms against the corner of a wall before flipping a light switch to avoid a painful shock on the tips of my fingers
Yeah wall corners are often metal and the paint on it seems to soften the discharge.
A stove, washing machine or other large electrical appliance with a metal case and grounding pin on the plug should work too. The chassis is connected to an earth ground.
Simple, just touch the ground. That’s what your dog conducts to. Just take the dog out the equation.
I like him in the equation though?
What ground? The floor? Carpet?? Do I have to go outside? It’s raining
This sentence made me lol!
On a more serious note: when i remember to do it, i take my keys - which are always in my pocket - and touch a metal door knob with them.
Or the tap
Tap didn’t work, but I have metal door handles… But my keys aren’t usually in my pocket when I’m drinking on the couch watching Germany defeat USA in the basketball
Whatever the dog is standing on when it gets shocked, if u touch that u discharge directly instead of going though the dog.
Hold your key’s metal part and touch some other metal that is earthed to discharge yourself.
By holding the key, you provide a way bigger surface area for transferring the charge, so it won’t hurt you.
