eliminate static electricity from my burr grinder

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Lenp
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Re: eliminate static electricity from my burr grinder

Post by Lenp »

I saw an updated post here so if the OP is not using to instant coffee by now, maybe this will help.

Possibly, changing the power cord to a grounded cord, and lining the inside of all plastic parts with conductive foil that is connected to the ground may help.
I had issues in a counter top factory with the millings off an edging machine that clumped together and blocked the dust collector. It was metal pipe, grounded and still it clogged daily. We wound up using an anti-static gun that sprays an ion cloud towards the cutting area to discharge them as soon as possible.
It worked pretty good, but still, there was the occasional clog! Another gun may have helped but the added expense was not considered.

It's kind of like lightning...It does what it wants!
Len

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a big pile of junk.” (T. Edison)
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haklesup
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Re: eliminate static electricity from my burr grinder

Post by haklesup »

most of these solutions seek to dissipate the charge deposited on the cup by grinding and that should have some effect but you may also look at reducing the charge generation in the first place. The grinder itself seems to be charging the coffee grounds as it tosses them into the cup, this may be a design flaw or a manufacturing defect (more likely a design defect from using too much molded plastic and not better materials like metal). I would expect by use these parts would become coated with coffee oils and that soil would do the job eventually but maybe not. Misting the grinder components and cup with vegetable oil might work but at the possible expense of a messier machine. The appliance is likely double insulated so a grounded cord won't have much metal to connect to.

If it weren't a food processing machine, I would have recommended antistatic sprays instead. Food oils and even soap film are generally conductive enough to dissipate static.

Holding the cup over steam will also tend to do the job if dissipating static, you may have some if the brewer is running.
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Lenp
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Re: eliminate static electricity from my burr grinder

Post by Lenp »

[quote="Lenp"] "and lining the inside of all plastic parts with conductive foil that is connected to the ground may help."

Guess you missed this part. When they get plastic to replace the motor winding, metal will be history in appliances.
Len

“To invent, you need a good imagination and a big pile of junk.” (T. Edison)
"I must be on the way to success since I already have the junk". (Me)
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haklesup
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Re: eliminate static electricity from my burr grinder

Post by haklesup »

"When they get plastic to replace the motor winding, metal will be history in appliances."

non metallic motors; I suppose we can put Shop air in our kitchens and use Pneumatic appliances (LOL). If we had plastic that conductive to make a motor, ESD would not be much of a problem but efficiency would probably plummet (we still have to use Faraday's law to make the force and that requires current flow). As it is now, the manufacturer could have used dissipative plastic or coated with with metalized plastic. However I suspect it is a very low cost tool (just a grinder right, not built into a coffee maker). Like I suggested, don't keep it so clean.
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gunter
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Re: eliminate static electricity from my burr grinder

Post by gunter »

Perhaps get one of those wrist grounding straps, put it around the grinder and ground to the outlet. It sounds dumb even saying it lol.
Always treat every repair as if it was your own.
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gunter
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Re: eliminate static electricity from my burr grinder

Post by gunter »

Back in the day we didn't have these problems, they were designed by engineers who gave much though to the design, many of their designs still work today and will continue to work for 20 more years.
Always treat every repair as if it was your own.
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