Static electricity concerns using R-13 for sound insulation

J

jcorro

New member
I'm in the midst of sound insulating my DC unit. I'm almost done w/ the closet, but need to handle the exhaust pipe which goes outside of the closet and out my basement window. I'll have some extra R-13 faced insulation that I was thinking I could use. My initial thought would be to wrap the R-13 around the pipe and wrap it up w/ plastic painter's disposable tarp (to minimize exposure to the fiberglass insulation). If that doesn't provide enough sound insulation I was thinking I could then use 8" chimney pipe as another outer layer.

My question is, should I have any fears about fiberglass insulation in the presence of static electricity? When I had my DC unit just standing out in the open I noticed a definite field of static a few inches around the cyclone and PVC pipes when I was actively sucking up dust. The static field eventually faded when I stopped sucking up dust.
 
Static

Static

Not entirely clear from your post, but what I think you're saying is you'll be using PVC pipe for your exhaust. If, instead, you were using flex duct, then the internal wire can form the basis for a ground as it is. All you'd need to do is connect a ground wire from the flex's wire to a suitable ground.

Though I have not completed my ducting yet, after reading other threads and seeing some of the things others have done to combat static, I'll be heeding Ed's advice and running a small grounding wire along the piping, and affixing it with sheet metal screws every couple of feet or so. I found some rather thin, uninsulated copper wire at Lowe's, but not in the wire department. Rather, it is being sold in 25 ft lengths in the picture hanging hardware area.

I did find that with my Mini's installation, static was greatly reduced by running a light chain from that metal lid on my barrel, simply letting it dangle and drag on the concrete floor of my shop.

Fiberglass, being glass, shouldn't be affected by static, but it also depends on the backer for what you have. If it is aluminized, then perhaps all you'd need do is provide a path to ground. But I still think the wisest course of action would be to provide a more positive ground path, as Ed recommended elsewhere.

Regards

DWD
 
We used the foil tape Bill Pentz talked about to ground our system. Taped down all the pipes covering over the screws we used to connect them together and taped over a ground wire to the ground on our band saw which was close to one end of the pipe. We were getting nasty shocks from the system due to all the fine dust from the side grinder prior to using the tape. After the tape, no shocks at all. It is quick, easy and cheap, so I would say to try that first and if it doesn't work for you, then go the route of the wire and screws. It sure worked for our system.
 
I haven't had a problem with Static with insulation being wrapped around the pipe or blower housing. Well the only problem is that it didn't provide any noise reduction:( .
As far as the static you feel that's normal and you shouldn't be getting shocked even if you touch either the cyclone or the pipe while sucking up dust as they are insulators but the wire in the hose will get you pretty good and that need to be grounded and as denise and dave have already said a few screws and small wire will help to take the charge off the dust as it passes by if you find it necessary.

Matt
 
Go with the foil tape.

Go with the foil tape.

I used foil tape in the set up where I work. We ran a strip on the inside and one on the outside of each run and blted through to connect both circuts. I forgot to ground it and connect all the bolt but I have never been shocked. I do a lot of ripping. The Cyclone build up static but the pvc never has.
 
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