# Static Electricity from TV

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electricity-from-tv/562166>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 28, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electricity-from-tv/562166 "2010-11-28T15:40:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Redfishhunter930](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Redfishhunter930](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redfishhunter930)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electricity-from-tv/562166/1 "2010-11-28T15:40:00Z")

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I have an older Sanyo tube tv from the 90’s. It’s great tv for the kitchen but when it’s dry or the screen has a large dust build up on it,it produces a large, loud, eye watering static discharge when you come in contact with it or even spray window cleaner anywhere on it  
Does anyone know how I can prevent this ? Thanks

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electricity-from-tv/562166/2 "2010-11-28T17:23:48Z")

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yes, don’t plug it in.

the circuit inside to prevent that no longer working well. annoying but not harmful.

clean dust from screen before it is turned on and after it has been off for a while and no static discharge.

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**Author:** ![Redfishhunter930](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Redfishhunter930](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redfishhunter930)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electricity-from-tv/562166/3 "2010-11-28T23:40:16Z")

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Thanks for the reply. I guess I should have been a bit more specific in my question. This is no ordinary static electricity. The discharge will happen with tv on or off plugged in or not. It will discharge even with freshly cleaned screen. It’s very annoying

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**Author:** ![spenczar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@spenczar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spenczar)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electricity-from-tv/562166/4 "2010-11-29T01:47:09Z")

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> [@Redfishhunter930](#):
>
> The discharge will happen with tv on or off plugged in or not.

Are you sure it happens with the TV unplugged, not just turned off? Those are very different.

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electricity-from-tv/562166/5 "2010-11-29T04:19:46Z")

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the static charge can be held on the screen for hours after it has been on even when it is unplugged.

cleaning the screen after it has been off for hours will make the cleaning easier.