I have recently been getting slight shocks from different things . I noticed it from a Photographic Flash Unit that has a metal body and again from the fixing screws on light switches when I accidentally touched it instead of the rocker . If I touch these items immediately after there is no repeat until sometime later . The light units have been recently PAT tested . I presume this is static emanating from somewhere but is there anything I can do to prevent it ?. tia Stuart
Static is a brief high voltage shock, just as you first touch an item. If you touch the same item again imediately, you will not receive a shock if it is static discharge.
It can be caused by walking over nylon carpets plus similar, in a very dry environment and made made shoes.
If not the above, get things checked out as a matter of urgency.
One thing that can help a lot is to hold onto something metallic, like a key, and offer that up to door handles etc. You can sometimes see the static jump quite a distance. The use of a key (etc) tends to remove the problem as the discharge takes place over a larger area of your skin.
Solutions to the problem can include the following.
1) You may be wearing nylon clothing (underwear etc). Change to something else.
2) The soles of your shoes may be non-conducting (rubber for example). You can hang a small wire out of the back of your shoe, similar idea to those anti-static straps that are available for car bumpers. Alternatively change to different footwear. The wire basically earths the static as you walk along. Walking in unshoed feet you probably will never have the problem - it's you that's charged up, not the door handle.
3) You may have a very dry atmosphere, in which static breeds. Can be helped a lot by adding some moisture to the air. Open some windows etc.
PoP
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