If living in an apartment building, what difference does this make ?

They don't have grounding? Talk with the housekeeper!

They might have grounding, and again : I am the utter layman... Are the same steps you mentioned valid ?

Basicly yes. All you need is to get a cable connected to the maybe existing Grounding. Again, contact the Housekeeper for the Info where is grounding is located at your building!

Okay, thanks !

When I asked the condo management in our building about grounding, they looked at me like I had three heads.

I ran a wire to the the "utility closet" outside of our condo and clamped it to the steel water pipe, figuring that the heavy steel pipe would eventually reach the ground outside where it enters the building.

Is this a decent / workable solution, or am I deluding myself?

When I asked the condo management in our building about grounding, they looked at me like I had three heads.

I ran a wire to the the "utility closet" outside of our condo and clamped it to the steel water pipe, figuring that the heavy steel pipe would eventually reach the ground outside where it enters the building.

Is this a decent / workable solution, or am I deluding myself?

It's not ideal, but it's far better than nothing. If you have a Saf-T-Cut / ELCB / GFI / RCD it will certainly do the job of dropping the trip in the event of a line-ground fault (I wouldn't recommend this grounding scheme if you don't), it will also stop you getting that tingle off your PC that so annoying and potentially damaging.

If living in an apartment building, what difference does this make ?

They don't have grounding? Talk with the housekeeper!

They might have grounding, and again : I am the utter layman... Are the same steps you mentioned valid ?

Basicly yes. All you need is to get a cable connected to the maybe existing Grounding. Again, contact the Housekeeper for the Info where is grounding is located at your building!

Okay, thanks !

When I asked the condo management in our building about grounding, they looked at me like I had three heads.

I ran a wire to the the "utility closet" outside of our condo and clamped it to the steel water pipe, figuring that the heavy steel pipe would eventually reach the ground outside where it enters the building.

Is this a decent / workable solution, or am I deluding myself?

Check the power with an Power meter as I've described before, it gives you an excat result!