Getting shocked by a leaf blower is not an uncommon occurrence. Many people who use leaf blowers regularly have felt the surprising shock of a leaf blower. Chances are you’ve found this article because you want to know why your leaf blower shocks you.
There are a few reasons why you may get shocked while using a leaf blower. Static shock, faulty spark plugs, or a damaged ignition coil are three of the most common. Luckily, all of these issues can be remedied with a little effort from yourself or a professional.
If you’re tired of being shocked by your leaf blower, stick around. Please keep reading to learn the three reasons your leaf blower shocks you, as well as what you can do to prevent it from happening again.
Your Leaf Blower is Shocking You Because of Static
Static electricity is all around us and regularly rears its ugly head with painful shocks. Your leaf blower is all geared up to generate static electricity, and there is an apparent reason why this happens.
As dry dust builds up and rubs against the inside of the leaf blower’s tube, static electricity is generated, and this can produce a shock to you when you make contact with the leaf blower.
How to Reduce the Risk of Static Shock
There are a few ways that you can reduce the risk of static shock. If you use the blower on a more humid day, that will reduce the chances of static shock. Unfortunately, we can not control the weather, so you’ll be happy to learn about other remedies for static shock.
You can also try spraying the inside of the leaf blower’s tube with a Static Guard spray, that you can find here on Amazon (or any other static-reducing spray). Also, some swear by rubbing a dryer sheet on the inside and outside of the blower’s tube. Rubbing the inside of the tube will be a bit tricky, but it may be worth a shot.
Another way to reduce static shock while using your leaf blower is to use a leaf blower that has an anti-static wire. Cheaper leaf blowers often don’t come with an anti-static wire- if yours doesn’t have one, don’t worry, because there are resources out there to help you install one yourself.
To find out how to install an anti-static wire on your leaf blower, do a google search for “anti static wire installation” + the exact make and model of your leaf blower. Resources specific to your leaf blower should appear in the google search results.
If you don’t see any relevant results, you can always call the company that you got your leaf blower from and ask for help with static shock.
If you haven’t bought your leaf blower yet, that’s great! Make sure that you purchase a leaf blower that has an anti-static wire included. This way, you won’t have to worry about shocks stemming from static electricity.
Your Leaf Blower’s Spark Plug is to Blame
For your leaf blower to operate at its optimum level, and without shocking you repeatedly, the spark plug needs to be in good shape. Not only could it be the spark plug that’s shocking you, but the spark plug wires could also be to blame.
If there is any damage to the spark plug wires or the spark plug itself, and the leaf blower is powered on, the electricity running through the wires or the plug can shock you.
How to Reduce Spark Plug Shocks
Luckily there are some ways around spark plug mishaps. Continue reading below for some remedies!
Regular leaf blower maintenance requires you to do the following to keep your leaf blower shock-free:
- Disconnect your spark plug
- Check your spark plug for corrosion or other damage.
- Reconnect your spark plug if it is in excellent condition
- Repeat these steps every single week while your leaf blower is in use.
According to Leaf Blower’s Direct, your blower’s spark plug may need to be replaced at the start of every fall or after every 25 hours of use.
Also, to protect yourself when performing maintenance on your blower, make sure that you wear pants, long sleeves, and heavy-duty work gloves for maximum protection as you service your leaf blower. Also, you want to make sure that the blower is powered off before doing any work on it. Having it on while you tinker with things increases your risk of shock.
The Ignition Coil Is Shocking You
A quick explanation would be helpful here to keep everyone on the same page. There are three parts of a leaf blower engine:
- Flywheel
- Spark plug (mentioned earlier)
- Ignition coil
In this section, we’ll look at the ignition coil. The ignition coil has the purpose of generating electric sparks which are used to ignite the gas used to make the leaf blower work.
Unfortunately, when there is a short in the ignition, the electric sparks can leak from the coil and make their way out. At that point, you can be shocked.
Note: Each of these issues is compounded when you are using a leaf blower that isn’t double insulated or an extension cord that isn’t double insulated.
How to Test and Fix a Defective Ignition Coil
If you are a DIYer, you’d be happy to know that there are ways that you can take care of a faulty ignition coil by yourself. That’s not to say that the process is accessible by any means. Also, there are lots of steps to go through to test your coil and even more steps to fix it.
General Steps to Test Your Ignition Coil’s Functionality
As a quick reference, here are some step by step instructions to test the function of your ignition coil.
You will need to:
- Use a screwdriver to open your leaf blower’s motor.
- Without cutting any wire, separate the spark plug from the motor’s other parts.
- While holding the insulated part of the wire from the spark plug against the chassis, crank the engine and see if the wire produces any spark. If there are any flashes of light, the ignition coil is functioning correctly.
This is the most common way to test the ignition coil, but it is by no means the safest or most natural way. Another way to test the ignition coil is to use an ohmmeter.
Fixing an Ignition Coil Issue
If there is a problem with your ignition coil, it may need to be replaced. Always check with the manufacturer for any replacement parts, so you won’t have any issues with the parts fitting or working correctly.
Also, it’s essential to know that most parts of your leaf blower’s ignition system could produce an electric shock. So, keep in mind that the ignition coil is just one issue out of very many that could be wrong with your leaf blower.
The Importance of Using a Professional
You’ve found this article because you aren’t a garden tool repair technician, and you haven’t been trained in how leaf blowers work, and that’s okay. If you haven’t found the solution to the shock from your leaf blower, it’s reasonable to enlist the help of a professional in your area.
They will be able to diagnose and repair any issues quickly. Also, if you’d like, you can call the maker of your leaf blower and let them know about the issue. Chances are they will have some tips for you to reduce the chances of electric shock.
Now you know three reasons why your leaf blower is shocking you and several tips to reduce your chances of electric shock. And, at last, you’re well equipped for some painless leaf blowing action!