I’ve started to experience a lot of static shocks on my vacuum hose that I use for dust extraction on power tools in my workshop.

I’ve got a little Festool vac, running a 2.5m hose and the hose is wrapped with a non-catching sleeve made by Hosewrap uk.

So yeah, getting pretty high levels of shocks from it presumably caused by static build up from the hose dragging on things and the dust and stuff shooting through.

Anyone know what I can do to help stop this?
I’ve briefly read about wrapping the hose with copper wire or something.

It’s blummin annoying and painful.

Just ground the hose? One of those antistatic bands that you’re supposed to wear in factories and the like?

Oh yeah? What’s one of them then?

Hoover bare foot.

I’ve had this with sanders. The advice is to plug the tool into a separate socket on its own, not into an extension lead, and not into a multi-socket with other stuff plugged in. Belt sander is the worst, and the palm sander seems to do this as well. Don’t ask my why this happens, I have no idea, but the advice seems to be good, from my own experience.

That sleeve will wear through in no time. Ask me how I know this…

My sleeve has lasted about a year and a half so far 🤔

The power tools (I’ve noticed it with my orbital sander and biscuit joiner) are plugged into the Festool vac. It has a power take off.

Does it matter which nipple you attach that crocodile clip to?

Middle of course.

I’ve got a little Festool vac, running a 2.5m hose and the hose is wrapped with a non-catching sleeve made by Hosewrap uk.

Festools own hoses are supposed to have their own antistatic properties when used with their vacs I thought – have you tried it without the additional wrap thing. Also.. aren’t festool’s hoses anti-snag anyway – or do the make one than one type?

Ah, well actually the Festool hose that came with it was a bit short so I’m using a Mirka one that’s longer, but ribbed, hence the wrap.

Ah- the festool ones are conductive to prevent static but only work with their one extractors because the socket they plug into grounds them.

that said – a bit of wire between your hose and sleeve then tucked into the hose connection might solve your problem

I’ve been looking into this. We have a large flat bed printer (3m x 2m) and have been having issues with static recently. I have looked at grounding options and it seems you need a chunky earth band and it will need to be onto something which is attached to an earth rod or in our case I was going to fix it to the steel mezzanine. We have just installed a humidifier which which seems to have reduced the static so far, but that may be down to a change in the weather!