Static or electrostatic charges occur every day. Almost everyone has been shocked by static charges and many have witnessed nature's lightning storms, which are magnificent displays of the power behind static electricity. So what is an electrostatic charge? An electrostatic charge is an electrical charge which is built up on an insulator or a material which is non-conductive. The word static means not moving or sitting still. Static electricity is considered a charge and not a current because the electrons are stationary. Nuisance static charges typically cause you, the conductor, to go Ouch! Static charges can build up on automobiles, clothes from a dryer or even friction between a carpet and ones socks.

During the winter static charges typically get worse. Heating systems in most dwellings remove moisture from the air and cause the air to have low humidity. The dry air combined with insulating materials provides an excellent setting for the accumulation of static charges. A condition which can be easily eliminated with the installation of a whole house humidifier!