Replies

1. 
   Dave45 | Apr 11, 2009 07:25am | #1

   For a first post, you picked a real doozey - lol. Grounding DC systems and the reasons for doing it have been the subject of numerous threads on here.

   If you're grounding to avoid an explosion in your DC, save yourself the hassle. There's no evidence that a spark has ever touched off a DC.

   Grounding to avoid a nasty shock from the static buildup on the DC piping might be a good idea if you have that problem in your shop. I rarely see any accumulation of dust on my DC piping so my system isn't grounded.

1. 
   jonnieboy | Apr 11, 2009 07:31am | #2

   That is just classic me! I've been researching this topic on and off for days! Thank you for a straightforward answer. I might just get to like this stuff.

1. 
   Dave45 | Apr 11, 2009 04:20pm | #3

   Oh, I'm sure that someone else will chime in with a horror story about an ungrounded DC that exploded or caught on fire. Usually, however, these stories are anecdotal and involve someone's neighbor's, cousin's, ex-wife's, former boyfriend. - lolAs I said before, I rarely see any accumulation of dust on my metal and plastic DC piping, but I do see it on the shop vac hoses and tools when the weather is right. I suspect that is due to the much higher air velocity in the shop vac. Most of that drops off as soon as I shut off the vac.

1. 
   jonnieboy | Apr 11, 2009 05:25pm | #4

   I know what you mean about the static build-up on the shop vac. I've seen that this winter. I'l let you know how the dc installation goes. And thanks again.

2. 
   forestgirl | Apr 12, 2009 06:22am | #7

   Click here for an oft-cited (by me and others) presentation on "Grounding PVC and Other Dust Collection Myths."  Just to wrap up your research, LOL.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   jonnieboy | Apr 12, 2009 09:20am | #8

   That is so excellent! Wow. I had never heard of this article. It fully answered my questions. Now I won't be working down in my shop tomorrow thinking, "Okay, but what about if the dust is from walnut versus oak?"

    

    

1. 
   forestgirl | Apr 12, 2009 06:23pm | #9

   Now I won't be working down in my shop tomorrow thinking, "Okay, but what about if the dust is from walnut versus oak?"  Too funny!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

2. 
   mikeddd | Apr 11, 2009 05:50pm | #5

    I hooked up DC system in my one man shop last year with PVC pipe, there is lots to read about your question. What I learned was it depends on how dry of a climate you live in, if you hook up your DC system and you never get a shock from your planer or other tools I would not worry about grounding it. Myself in central Alberta I could get an arc over a inch long off of the handle on my planer, not much fun, I wrapped grounding wire that I bought at a local hardware store (cheap stuff)around the outside of the PVC and hooked it to the wire that runs through the flexible hose and then from the flexible hose to each machine, I have never had a problem with static since a ran the ground wire. I would not run a wire inside the PVC though it is just something for dust to collect on and plug up the lines. There are people that say you must run a wire on the inside and the outside and drill holes and put screws through to attach the two wires every so far, I never bothered with any of that and have not had a problem. It is easy to run the ground wire after you have everything together. No mater where you run the wire you can not ground plastic.

1. 
   jonnieboy | Apr 11, 2009 06:14pm | #6

   Thanks Mike!

3. 
   dynamwebz | Apr 12, 2009 08:53pm | #10

   I have had my Grizzly dust collector hooked up to 4" PVC pipe for 3 years. My house is stiil here and I have never received a shock from any equipment.

   But, sawdust can ignite with some serious explosive results.

   Unless you plan on tossing a lit flare into the PVC pipe, I would not be overly concerned.

   But if you want to see what happens to sawdust when mixed with a high volume of air and an open flame, check out the Myth Busters video! Wicked cool!

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRw4ZRqmxOc

1. 
   jonnieboy | Apr 12, 2009 11:12pm | #11

   Thanks! I'll watch the video. Forestgirl forwarded the url of an exhaustive paper on the subject. It was very good.

2. 
   jonnieboy | Apr 12, 2009 11:14pm | #12

   Whoa! That's quite spectacular!