Static Electricity

Moonlite37 · Mar 21, 2016

It seems to me that in time past there was more concern for static charges. Gasoline delivery trucks would have a small chain dragging on the road, rubber tired tractors doing belt work would have some means of grounding. Combines would have a small chain dragging in thought it would prevent bean dust from settling on the cab windows, and gasoline cans would be filled on the ground rather than in a bed of a truck. which are myth and which are fact?

Bob · Mar 21, 2016

Around here, "gas trucks" that go to the farm deliver little if any gasoline. I'm sure the modern "anti-static" (conductive) hoses do a better job of dissipating static than ancient ones as soon as they touch the ground before they get near a tank.

Also, tires today are probably more conductive than pure natural rubber tires of old.

As to combines, static is still a problem in extremely dry conditions, and it's NOT uncommon for guys to install "drag chains".

Those HUGE plastic side panels can get lots of stuff stuck to them under dry conditions and literally change the color of the combine.

JF in MI · Mar 21, 2016

And, in the day of nylon bias-ply tires, there used to be a grounding wire you ran over on entering a toll booth.

Married2Allis · Mar 21, 2016

The risk of fire is a fact when filling a gas can sitting on a truck bed liner. The liner acts as an insulator preventing the static charge generated during filling from grounding.

oldtanker · Mar 21, 2016

Some states it's illegal to fill a can unless it's setting on the ground. I've never seen that law enforced.

Rick

Blackhole49 · Mar 21, 2016

Go to Mears MI (Silver Lake Sand Dunes) and try to fill a can in the back of your truck. They'll turn the pump off on you.

Russ from MN · Mar 21, 2016

When they ran a major pipeline through N MN I noticed a lot of vehicles with ground straps dragging on the ground, many of them had welders in the back. Must of been a requirement for any vehicle connected to the pipeline construction.

Oregon Tractor Jack · Mar 21, 2016

Few years back we had a local self-service gas station go up in flames because of static electricity. Hot, dry day and the owner of a lawn service company pulled up to fill two five gallon plastic containers with gas. Left them in the back of his pickup. He had one of them either full or partially and kaboom. I always put mine on the ground before filling.

John Deere D · Mar 21, 2016

When I was changing any ELECTRONIC parts, (CARDS etc)in the control panels of the 25,000 HP and 15,000 HP (Prime Movers on a Natural gas pipeline) Class Engines, I always placed a Silicone mat on the floor, to stand on, as well as a grounding strap around my wrist to a designated grounding point. If you let the Smoke out of these sensitive Components, they tend NOT to fusion.....

Bob..

Old weldor · Mar 21, 2016

Does a plastic gas can really ground?

old · Mar 21, 2016

Yep static discharges can be a problem and yes will cause fires. I bet it you where to watch a guy doing the big rig gas truck and him filling a gas tank at a station you would still see him do things to make sure there was not a discharge when he was doing his job

FBH44 · Mar 21, 2016

Wife and I learned to ground ourselves hand-to-hand in the winter-time, before a passing smooch, to avoid the sparks.

Mike(NEOhio) · Mar 21, 2016

Static charges reside on the outer surface. They don't need a conductor. You also need to be careful with gas cans in a plastic bed liner.

jeffcat · Mar 21, 2016

If you buy a real Eagle plastic safety can they do. Have a bolt for a grounding clip. Have a couple of them.

Dune Country · Mar 21, 2016

Spent some time sandblasting and painting H2O and fuel tanks on ships.
My boss was also a paint supplier,
Had a new paint and sold it to one of our competitors, they were painting a bow tank at the docks where my dad worked.kaboom when the firemen went in all they found were red walls, my dad freaked not knowing whether it was me or not.
They found that it was static from dragging the paint hose on the deck! I quit the next day

Also when I paint a rig I always hook a chain or jumper cables from the frame to the ground to help keep the dust off.

bill mart · Mar 21, 2016

static from copter
copter static

504 · Mar 21, 2016

Two weeks ago a fuel truck put the driver in the burn unit with 60%to 70% burns.(Still in critical condition) They are saying static electricity. Where he was makes me think it was diesel, but the paper just says fuel. Quincy IL

mj · Mar 21, 2016

(quoted from post at 08:31:58 03/21/16) Few years back we had a local self-service gas station go up in flames because of static electricity. Hot, dry day and the owner of a lawn service company pulled up to fill two five gallon plastic containers with gas. Left them in the back of his pickup. He had one of them either full or partially and kaboom. I always put mine on the ground before filling.

Yeah and if you've got a bed mat or such in your truck it's double important to have a metal can grounded with a chain or wire to the ground. Plastic cans had better be set out on the ground to fill. As an aside - if you have bad static on a CB radio that comes in as you build speed add a bit of powdered graphite to the front hubs to get rid of it.

4play · Mar 21, 2016

I still see the ground stingers on some fuel trucks around here, not that I try to notice so not sure if they all have them. Static electricity is also why you shouldn't get back in/out of a vehicle while fueling up.

Static Electricity

Moonlite37

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Bob

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JF in MI

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Married2Allis

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oldtanker

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Blackhole49

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Russ from MN

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Oregon Tractor Jack

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John Deere D

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Old weldor

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old

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FBH44

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Mike(NEOhio)

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jeffcat

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Dune Country

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bill mart

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504

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mj

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4play

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