Is My Static Eliminator Working?

Winter is settling in on us, slowly but surely, here in Cincinnati. As I write, it’s 39F and overcast outside…not nearly as harsh as it’s going to get, come mid-January. With the dropping temperatures comes a decrease in humidity levels, especially inside, where our heaters inconveniently rob our air of its moisture content. This leads to chapped lips and dry skin for us, and a higher propensity for static charge to build up on non-conductive surfaces. It’s then that we find ourselves at the onset of “Static Season,” when the volume of calls regarding our Static Eliminator product line (and, hopefully, sales of said products) increases.

A good number of those calls come from existing users, too, which is great, because we’re genuinely interested in problem-solving, and making sure that folks get the most out of our products. A popular question is, “How do I know if my Static Eliminator is working properly?” There are a few ways to determine this:

The easiest, quickest, and most sure-fire way is to measure the actual level of static charge, “before and after,” with EXAIR’s Digital Static Meter. It’s a convenient, hand-held, battery-operated instrument that indicates the surface voltage and polarity when held 1” away from the object.

Another easy and quick method to check for proper operation of a Static Eliminator is to sniff for the presence of ozone near the device’s emitter point(s). With the compressed air source turned off (for safety, of course, but for no small measure of comfort as well), you’ll be able to smell the distinct odor of ozone – it’s been described as pungent, sweet, or metallic. It’s the same smell around your copy machine after a load of copies.

If you’re handy with a multi-meter, you can also check for proper voltage at the emitter point(s). We have a step-by-step guide to show how it’s done; contact an Application Engineer to get a copy.

If any of the above trials point to a problem with your Static Eliminator, the step-by-step guide also walks you through the procedure for a thorough cleaning of your device. Additionally, we’ve made some handy videos that we hope will help too:

Ionizing Bar Cleaning & Maintenance

Ion Air Gun Cleaning & Maintenance

Even with a properly functioning Static Eliminator, there may be installation or operational issues that are limiting its effectiveness. If this is the case, give us a call…like I said before, we’ve got a genuine interest in problem-solving, and we’re eager to help.

Russ Bowman
Application Engineer
EXAIR Corporation
(513)671-3322 local
(800)923-9247 toll free
(513)671-3363 fax
Web: http://www.exair.com
Blog: http://blog.exair.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/exair_rb
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