Dust Collector Ground

[Robert Newton]

How many use a ground cable run through the dust collector pipes and where do you hook the end to be grounded. Do you have a problem with pieces getting hooked to the wire? Most of the pipes are the flexible plastic and plastic elbows.

[Anthony Whitesell]

I have a ground line run through my duct. The only time it gets clogged is when I use the floor sweep on hand plane shavings or take medium sized bites on pine boards. The NEC states the ground wire shall not be used for static control or discharge. I am sure one of the reasons for the rule would be to prevent the discharge from fouling up GFCI breakers. Since I don't have a GFCI breaker on the DC circuit, I connected the ground wire to the outlet cover screw on the box. I installed the 4" ABS dust work before I knew better (ie., before I learned f the creek).

[Bob Wingard]

None for me ... never found it to be necessary.

[glenn bradley]

No need for the wire to be in the pipe. No need for the wire to be bare. The charge is making it through 1/8" to 1/4" of plastic; another thin skin of wire insulation isn't an issue. All you are trying to do is create a path to ground that is easier to get to than (usually) your body. I wrap stranded 12ga insulated wire at about 1 turn per foot. Grounded to the shops electrical ground at one location and alligator clipped to some foil tape on the cement at another. No static problems whatsoever. I put wire nut "junctions" at key locations where I may want to add on to the system. This has come in handy twice so far.

[paul cottingham]

My system is not grounded at all. Never had a problem, other than shocking myself when planing. Not really worried about a dust explosion. I may ground it someday, (wrap it with wire) when I get tired of being shocked, but I am rather doubtful.