Gasoline hand crank pump and static electricty.

[Dave Zellers]

I bought a 15 gallon poly gas storage container and it's corresponding hand crank. It comes with a small metal clip on a wire that goes back to the metal parts of the pump, that I believe they say to attach to something metal to arrest any static spark that might happen. If I were to pound into the ground a 1/2" copper plumbing pipe say 12-18 inches would that do the job and maybe provide even better protection?

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I think it needs to be connected to what you are pumping into. An additional connection to earth is a good idea too.

[Dave Zellers]

So that's what they mean. So when I'm filling a metal can, I clip this to the can? But when I'm pumping directly to the car, it won't reach. I know the risk here is small but I'd like to do whatever I can to prevent anything from happening.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Maybe add a longer wire for the car. SMC has some contributors that are more knowledgable than me about such things.

[Bill Dufour]

Before pumping gas at a station touch the metal part of the nozzle to pump body bare metal then the metal filler neck. To equalize any charge so no sparking.
Bill D

[Rich Engelhardt]

I bought a 15 gallon poly gas storage container and it's corresponding hand crank. It comes with a small metal clip on a wire that goes back to the metal parts of the pump, that I believe they say to attach to something metal to arrest any static spark that might happen. If I were to pound into the ground a 1/2" copper plumbing pipe say 12-18 inches would that do the job and maybe provide even better protection?

Grounding rods usually go in about 6'.

[Jason Roehl]

Don’t overthink this. The ground clip is to discharge the small amount of static charge that migrates from the poly tank to the pump parts, and from the pumping action. You could clip it to a chain laying on the ground—just like fuel trucks have grounding chains that drag along the ground.

As for gas station gas pumps, the nozzle sits in a metal cradle, and I’ve never managed to insert one in the fill neck of my vehicles without touching any of the neck’s metal parts. There are a LOT of really dumb people who get gas regularly. If there were some non-obvious part of the procedure that would be dangerous without its inclusion (touching this or that to discharge static charge buildup), we’d hear of a LOT more gas stations going up in a blaze.

[Bill Howatt]

I think it needs to be connected to what you are pumping into. An additional connection to earth is a good idea too.

I think this is the answer. You want to have your container and the receiving container at the same potential so there is no chance of a spark. If they are both at ground then that achieves the same thing.
Plastic is perhaps a problem since you cannot ground an insulator, however, given the number of approved plastic containers there are for gas I think the risk is pretty low but the recommendation seems to be to put the can on the ground for filling (don't leave it in the vehicle). This allows any charge to dissipate and the charge is often on the bottom from the cans sliding around in the vehicle.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

When taking on fuel from a fuel barge to the ship connecting the ground was a big deal. The connection had to be to bare metal. The Captan and Chief Engineer of both vessels had to sign off on the preliminaries before the fuel hose could be passed over.

[Jim Koepke]

I think this is the answer. You want to have your container and the receiving container at the same potential so there is no chance of a spark. If they are both at ground then that achieves the same thing.
Plastic is perhaps a problem since you cannot ground an insulator, however, given the number of approved plastic containers there are for gas I think the risk is pretty low but the recommendation seems to be to put the can on the ground for filling (don't leave it in the vehicle). This allows any charge to dissipate and the charge is often on the bottom from the cans sliding around in the vehicle.

One big problem is pick-up trucks with a plastic liner. They can build up a static charge that can be a problem if people leave the gas can in the bed of the truck when filling it.

Back in the days of toll takers at bridges and such many of the toll booths would have wires sticking up to discharge vehicles so toll takers and drivers wouldn't be getting zapped from static charges all day.

jtk

[Dave Zellers]

Thanks all. Now I understand much better. I knew it wasn't a huge deal but this is in a shed with a plywood floor so no ground contact. It's the equalizing of the charge in both parts that fills in the blanks for me.