Earthing GRP tank in GRP boat?

So static electricity can pass through plastic now? All these new regs, I cant keep up with it.

 

Ok Frosty, Now we know what you were doing during science class in school. You definitely weren't paying attention. Do you remember the teacher rubbing a glass rod on fur and then giving someone a static shock by touching them with the glass rod? Or were you dreaming about girls? (LOL)

Electrons can be induced to build up on the surface of things that are considered insulators, such as glass and plastic. No it doesn't pass through it. It stands on the surface of it, but when a conductor touches it, zap! you get a static discharge. This is why you get a shock off door knobs and other things when it is cold and dry. Damp air is a good conductor and dissipates the charge. Dry air is not. In fact, this build up of static on a surface is the basic principle behind numerous electronic components.

When a fluid rushes through a pipe it tends to generate a static charge. On a metal pipe this is no problem. But on a plastic pipe or a rubber hose it is. A simple metal clamp with a wire attached and wrapped around the hose will discharge the static. And you thought that clamp was there to keep the hose from leaking, didn't you?

New regs? What new regs? The need to ground tanks, metal fittings, and fuel fills has been around forever, at least since the forties as an industry standard, and the 80's as a regulation? Don't tell me you are older than that! (OMG! how old are you? chuckle, chuckle)

Ther endeth the lesson.

 

Are there any new regulations for Fiberglass Tanks ?

 

Regulations? No.

 

Only gas permeation, shock loading and the rest of the standard rules for tanks ?

 

The only thing new for gasoline tanks on boats, whatever they are made of, is the EPA evaporative emission requirements, which went into affect January 1, 2012. Otherwise the rules have been pretty much that same since the mid 80's. See http://newboatbuilders.com/pages/fuel.html.

 

Oh dear --so much to answer. No I was probably not paying attention . Yes I would be thinking about girls. No I have never had a shock off a knob.

Mind you getting a shock of your knob with friction would not cause a combustable spark and isnt that more important than sticking a balloon to say---your underpants.

If you could 16 year old boys would be all burned up.

It would appear that stuff is far more combustible in America.

Ive never exploded or be burned to death in my life.

 

knob? Whatever do you mean? Poor choice of words on my part. (LOL)

 

Talking of static,. the missus gets a shock off super market trolley's. Its a common occurance in any supermarket, Approx 4 times per hour (yes she is a slow shopper).

Me ? I never get a schock at all, must be too thick.