Recently
I have been getting loads of electric shocks from my car. It doesn't happen to anyone else, and it's when I get in the car as well as when I get out.

Most of the stuff about it on the internet bangs on about it being to do with building up a static charge between my clothes and the car upholstery but as it happens when I touch the car to open the door and get in this is not the case.

Anyone got any ideas?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:36, 158 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

You're possessed.
Or it's a build-up of smugness.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:36, Reply)

I've been less smug recently
so possession is the only logical answer
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:38, Reply)

My dad reckons that if you touch it with your foot first you don't get a shock
He said nurses kick hospital beds for the same reason.
I don't know if this works. He's a bit loopy.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:40, Reply)

I've tried that sort of thing
and it just makes it more surprising when I get shocked

last night for instance, I got out of the car, got shocked in the leg that touched the door sill, shocked in the hand that shut the door, and then most surprisingly shocked again, harder, when I opened the boot.

It's amusing when I get in the car without touching it, give the mrs a kiss and shock her.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:42, Reply)

Haha you little bastard!

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:46, Reply)

You're a mutant
and Spider-Man is coming to get you.
( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:40, Reply)

Stop licking the battery

(LongJohnBaldry, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:42, Reply)

Is the discharge painful?

( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:43, Reply)

It's static electricity.
Man up.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:44, Reply)

I'm not saying it hurts
it's kind of amusing. was just after a better explanation than those I found by googling it.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:49, Reply)

I get static shocks a lot as well.
maybe you've got a nervous habit of stroking your beard a lot or cloth in general. I did hear a remedy once, something about grounding your car. I'll try to remember
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:44, Reply)

Is it "ground your car"?

(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:45, Reply)

it could well involve that

( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:46, Reply)

The idea of grounding your car is based on the theory
taht as the car tarvels through the air it picks up a charge from the air and dust particles rushing over the surface causing friction and consequently a static charge.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:45, Reply)

Is that why people used to have those little things hanging under their cars in the 80s?

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:46, Reply)

dingleberries?
They weren't cars, and you were in Wales
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:47, Reply)

You made me laugh
in front of my public
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:49, Reply)

:)
be a bit hard to explain that one
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:54, Reply)

Yes it is exactly this

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:49, Reply)

They made me laugh.
A small strip of rubber to ground the car against lightning strikes? As opposed to the four fucking massive bits of rubber already in contact with the road?!
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:49, Reply)

I think the rubber dangly things have metal running through them
don't they?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:51, Reply)

So do tyres.
But yeah, I was being shit.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:52, Reply)

the metal on tyres doesn't normally poke out that
and yes, yes you were
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:54, Reply)

I think there was a strip on metal contained within the ribber

The rubber gave flexibilty.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:52, Reply)

Do you also stroke your beard a lot?

( Davros' Granddad a voice of calm reason in a world of spastics., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:50, Reply)

yes

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:51, Reply)

It's the teflon coating you had added to your balls

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:44, Reply)

you can build up the charge on almost anything
could be the type of clothes you're wearing, the carpet in your house etc... if you're wearing rubber soled shoes then you'll get the shock as soon as any charged part of you comes into contact with a grounded object, such as your car.

yo can get round this by creating tinfoil grounding strips that attach to your legs drag along on the ground, ensuring you never build up a charge; you will look like a bit of a 'tard though.
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:46, Reply)

Cars aren't usually grounded though.
The wheels are rubber.
(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:47, Reply)

very true, but the negative terminal is attached to carrs bodywork, so you could discharge into that.
The reverse can also be true, where you car builds up the charge and then uses you as a grounding strip. you can get grounding strips for your car from any car type shop
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:48, Reply)

doesn't happen to anyone else on my car
and I'm fairly sure it's happened on other cars as well

so it must be me, but as I said below, it's been all different sorts of clothes and shoes.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:50, Reply)

Your car's not earthed
but it is a large conductive object which is at a lower potential than you are, if you've been walking around in rubber soled shoes, and with a sufficiently larger capacitance than you, such that when you touch the metalwork, a current flows from you to the car.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:56, Reply)

why should it happen to me loads
and not to other people anywhere near as much. I wear pretty ordinary shoes.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:58, Reply)

It happens to me a lot too
Always has done. I was quite a curiosity at school because of this!

Some people just hold a charge better than others.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:59, Reply)

plus
not to be faectious, but long haired/ bearded people seem to hold a charge better. I've got long hair and I'm pretty much walking static on a hot day
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:01, Reply)

I've got short hair
and am clean shaven for the most part. But I can understand your logic.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:02, Reply)

I get a lot, I put it down to all the shell suits I wear
eh, eh, eh...
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:03, Reply)

so basically what you are saying
is that we are better than most other people?
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:12, Reply)

Yes.

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:13, Reply)

I suspected as much

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:14, Reply)

As an undergraduate
during one afternoon lab, I managed to blow three electronics experiments with my massive static charge.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:16, Reply)

one of my mates
zapped the headphones on a listening station in WHSmith and broke it

I saw the spark. it was awesome.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:25, Reply)

Impressive.

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:34, Reply)

yeah
on account of our sparky goodnature, shocking sense of humour and grounded personality.

I make no apology
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:14, Reply)

it's been with all different types of clothes
and shoes as well

and has only been happening for the last month or so
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:48, Reply)

Drive naked

(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:49, Reply)

last month or so...
has the weather changed in the past month, e.g. sunny and dry?
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:49, Reply)

it's been pretty sunny and dry for most of the winter
however, the weather is the only thing that seems to correlate with it happening.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:51, Reply)

Damp weather
is more likely to dissipate the charge which you've built up. Low humidity makes for lots of sparks!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:57, Reply)

easiest solution
is to get a grounding strip/strap for your car... you've probably seen then about, they're plastic looking strips that hang down from the rear underside of the car, some have strips of lightning on them.
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:06, Reply)

Are they the ones with a strip of metal running down the inside?

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:08, Reply)

yeah
sometimes you can find them as just a kind of woven metal thread... but they're way less cool than the plastic lightning strips.
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:12, Reply)

www.b3ta.com/questions/offtopic/post695299
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:13, Reply)

I can scroll up you know
I just ignored them for being wrong.
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:18, Reply)

Ignore me, I was being shit again.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:21, Reply)

ha!

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:26, Reply)

wouldn't it be easier to just say
"look up"
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:20, Reply)

What - and split his infinitive?

( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:22, Reply)

Much, but less shit.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:23, Reply)

Pixies.
It's definitely the work of mischievous pixies.
Rubbing their balloons and touching you invisibly.
You know you love it.
(porkylips looks better as the sun goes down., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:50, Reply)

shave your pubes off.
works a treat.
( Donkey Gums @mattcomedy, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:51, Reply)

way ahead of you

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:52, Reply)

monkeyface!

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:21, Reply)

I will try that on you
soon.
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:25, Reply)

surely you realise that as soon as I see your shaven scrotum I'll suspect something

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:27, Reply)

I'll use bum fluff instead
then you'll smell more like a monkey as well.
(wiggy5 3 goats and a midget, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:30, Reply)

hahaha

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:25, Reply)

Unless you subsequently sit on a sheep or poodle

then you'll be stuck until shearing season
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:53, Reply)

It's the electrostatic anti-smug system,
designed to prevent dangerous levels of smug building up while driving.

Every single Prius has one.
(wellgroomedwookiee is a filthy-minded hobgoblin, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:52, Reply)

quiet you
I don't drive a Prius
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:55, Reply)

The Prius drives you.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:12, Reply)

Does the shock seem worse in dry weather?
There is a small chance - no more than 15% or 20% - that the static will ignite vapour from the fuel system, or acid fumes from the battery. This would create a brief fireball effect within the car, and in extreme cases might cause the vehicle to explode into a raging inferno. Try to be prepared for this.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:53, Reply)

it does
my car is diesel. hopefully that should minimise the fireball risk.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:54, Reply)

Unless you are in a very high pressure environment
such as if you were on a day trip to Venus, but then again the atmosphere is mainly Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen so combustion would be all but impossible.
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:57, Reply)

Is that what rats and moles breathe too?
Edit: bastard.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:59, Reply)

I'd think that if I were on Venus
then my car fuel tank exploding would be the least of my problems
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:59, Reply)

Where's your sense of adventure?
There might be women with three boobs!
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:00, Reply)

Get your ass to Mars.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:01, Reply)

That's on Mars you numbty. Cuh! It's been on telly and everything.
Mindpiss.
(porkylips looks better as the sun goes down., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:03, Reply)

I know, but I've already booked my ticket to Venus and was hoping it was a general humanoid alien thing

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:04, Reply)

I can't wait to see Uranus.
*obligatory planet quip*
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:08, Reply)

ooh let me get that soap for you

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:17, Reply)

*moons Noel*

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:18, Reply)

Magnesium and titanium
would both still burn though, if you got them hot enough to get started.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:01, Reply)

Serious reply - it happens to all cars, but not predictably.
It is static, more noticeable in dry,hot weather. Wet weather reduces the build-up and also eases discharge.
The clothes you wear much a large difference, as does the seat cover material. I have not noticed any difference dependent on shoe soles.
I have a theory that car paint finishes contribute to this.
Grounding strips do reduce the build up. If you find a permanent cure tell the internet.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:04, Reply)

the thing is
it's not the car, because it doesn't happen to others
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:11, Reply)

Does it ever happen at night?

( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:13, Reply)

I don't recall
probably not
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:15, Reply)

I've noticed that over the years.
Only on very hot, dry, nights do I get a discharge*

I suspect your clothes (and I'm sure others do too) are causing some of the problem. Probably those purple nylon y-fronts you favour.

More importantly - where do you camp in Cornwall? Ever wild camp?

*Joke recycled as no-one even tittered before.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:19, Reply)

is that a dogging request?

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:22, Reply)

Just the call of the wild.
'Something in the wind knows my name'.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:24, Reply)

you are probably right
I get most shocks on sunny dry days though

I usually camp at Porthcothan in Cornwall. The site we got to is as lacking in amenities as possible. it has toilets and showers (20p a go) and that's it. costs £2.50 a night off peak, and about £5 in mid-summer.

There is a lovely lagoon just a few fields walk away.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:23, Reply)

Nice place.
This is a good one too and near some great beaches, and good walks. Not so good for nearby pubs.

There's another I'm keen to get to at Polly Joke. I have their phone number but can't recall the site name. Fantastic location.
Here you go
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:28, Reply)

I've camped at polly joke
at a great location. had to go through a number of gates to get there, surrounded my little hills, short walk down a path to the beach and the toilets had a fig tree near them. same one?

what I like about porthcothan is that the site allows fires, they don't give a shit about noise.

I've seen someone arrive there in a helicopter
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:36, Reply)

That's the place. But no fires allowed. I must remember that.
Fires, Good.
Helicopters, I can live without. (Unless it's an air ambulance.)(Or AirSea rescue.)
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:40, Reply)

won't let me look at your second link
says invalid country

my work internet goes through the netherlands
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 13:00, Reply)

So it does. Odd.
The site is called Franchis (say Franky's) on the Lizard.
Bit of a hike.
www.franchis.co.uk Edit - disregard. Bad link was for Polly Joke which site you know.
Aren't you just itching to get out there? I've had a new Vango Tempest since last November and not used it yet. It has a mesh skylight to watch the stars. I'm camping this weekend by the Thames, but it will be hard work. But at least it's under canvas. Yay!
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 13:38, Reply)

I think it's your beard.

(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:55, Reply)

pffft
I think it's your beard
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:55, Reply)

It's three votes
for your beard as the cause at the moment
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 11:59, Reply)

I wish it was.
that would be awesome - considering I'm in Aus and I don't actually don't HAVE one. Nor can I grow one. :(
(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:04, Reply)

That's a lie
you spend an inordinate amount of time trying to stop people seeing it.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:08, Reply)

Stop trying to unmask my facial hair!

(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:09, Reply)

Facial hair?
For a minute there, I thought Al was talking about your fanny.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:10, Reply)

It's an anal beard

(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:13, Reply)

On her face

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:14, Reply)

Now *I'm* confused.
Way too confused. I think alcohol will solve this.
(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:19, Reply)

alcohol waxing
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:20, Reply)

well it's certainly less painful when I'm drunk.....

(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:22, Reply)

But patchier I suspect

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:23, Reply)

Depends
whether it's self-waxing, or done by someone else.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:25, Reply)

Everyone is drunk there is nothing else to do
except worrying lizards
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:26, Reply)

well judging from the last drunken self wax, I'd say it doesn't work hugely well.

(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:27, Reply)

Did you wax your face instead of your fanny?

(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:28, Reply)

nah me legs.
Just didn't do it very well.
(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:34, Reply)

Sorry, but I've got to say...
POIDH.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:28, Reply)

No you really, really don't

(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:30, Reply)

I only did it
because you hadn't said it first.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:33, Reply)

There is a reason I didn't say it.

(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:36, Reply)

And I thank you for not saying it.

(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:37, Reply)

Which is...?

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:37, Reply)

he's a bender

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:40, Reply)

*touches nose*
*points at Vipros*

Got it in one you homophobic child abuser.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:44, Reply)

Ah, so that would explain
why he wouldn't want to see nudey pics of a young* Australian girl then.

Makes sense.

*but old enough
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:47, Reply)

Your car's getting jealous because you're a
BUS WANKER
( fuck shit up the best you never had, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:15, Reply)

The popular page has gone all weird again.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:17, Reply)

Looks ok to me

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:19, Reply)

A disproportionate number of light bulbs blow when I flick the switch, could this be the same thing?
Or am I Raiden?
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:19, Reply)

No
This is probably due to some problem with your electrical supply.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:23, Reply)

Happens in all houses, I am electric Sabbra Cadabra and the bulb is gone!

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:25, Reply)

In a couple of years
this will cease to be a problem, seeing as the EU has consigned us all to a life of gloom by insisting that we use these energy saving CFL lamps.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:28, Reply)

This is excellent for teenage emo's who like to spend their life in perpetual gloom and misery

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:30, Reply)

Especially if you use
the cheapo 8 watt ones that are given away free by power companies and newspapers. When you first switch them on you're rewarded with a faint brown glow, which improves over time to something akin to candlelight.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:31, Reply)

Yeah, they are shit
plus they look ugly. Wickes do nice looking bulbs, and they aren't that pricey.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:35, Reply)

They aren't gloomy
just ignore the 11 watts is equivalent to a 60 watt bollocks and buy a 14 watt bulb instead (or whatever the numbers are, I don't know exactly). Job done. I really don't see what people's stupid attachment to horrifically inefficient methods of lighting are. A tungsten bulb is only about 5% efficient, they are better as heating elements than as lights.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:30, Reply)

People are stupid.

(PsychoChomp, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:32, Reply)

You're stupid

(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:33, Reply)

I quite agree
But the 25W ones (which give out about as much light as a 100W filament bulb) are rather expensive.

Anyway, I think LEDs are the future of lighting. CFLs should only be a stopgap for the next few years.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:33, Reply)

They do LED equivalents
of the halogen bulbs I have in my living room, which I haven't tried yet, but if they work it'll be excellent, they must use bugger all power.
(Bazongaloid, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:34, Reply)

They're still expensive
and they are directional light sources, so they're not ideal for ceiling lights etc at the moment. But once the technological problems of heat dissipation and longevity of large single-die LEDs have been solved, they'll be the dog's bollocks.

Dimmable, available in lots of colours, more efficient than CFLs and they come on instantly.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:36, Reply)

have they made a decent "natural light" looking LED yet?

( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:41, Reply)

They're getting there
There are two main ways of making 'white' LEDs.

The first is to combine multiple dies into one device, each emitting a different colour. So you would have a red, green and blue trio in a single enclosure, and by careful selection of the relative outputs of each, to the human eye the output is white light.

The other way is to use an ultraviolet, or at least deep blue, LED, and coat the inside of the enclosure with phosphors which will fluoresce and emit (usually) yellow light. Normally, the phosphor coating is applied sufficiently thinly as to allow some blue light through, so the blue-yellow mixture gives a whitish light.

With both types though, the colour rendering index is poor, due to the single spectral lines which are used, rather than the continuous spectrum of a tungsten filament lamp. This can be improved though by the use of more colours in a multiple-die device, or a range of phosphors in a fluorescent type.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:45, Reply)

I think it was the phosphors approach that I was reading about a little while ago
thanks
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:48, Reply)

Sensible post of the day winner

( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:50, Reply)

Dat's interesting
We are looking at LEDs for the office, and have seen ones with differnt white colours.

I think the phosphor variant will be cheaper but the phosphor will probably wear over time, and change colour.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:52, Reply)

Phosphors have improved markedly
due to research into CRT technology (which unfortunately became obsolete around the same time as the technology reached a highly advanced stage!). So they're less likely to change over time as they were say 20 years ago.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:56, Reply)

cheers

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:58, Reply)

And LEDs are improving every day
For example:

this press release details a new product to be launched this autumn.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:59, Reply)

all
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:37, Reply)

The car hates you and is trying to kill you

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:21, Reply)

Like Christine!

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:22, Reply)

haha
she's inside the house! RUN!
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:30, Reply)

goodness, gracious, great balls o' fire!

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:40, Reply)

Have you changed your footwear recently?
It may be you building up the charge, not the car.

Try tying a dog chain round your ankle and let it trail along the ground. Or stand in a bucket of water just before you leave the house.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:35, Reply)

I always get shocked on the treadmill at the gym.
But I thought that was because I look so hot in lycra.
( girlinthehole, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:39, Reply)

Probably caused by excessive dryness

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:42, Reply)

Nah! I sweat like a navvy.

( girlinthehole, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:42, Reply)

So, is the shock getting onto, or falling off the treadmill?

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 12:48, Reply)