sedorox
join:2006-06-23
Williamsport, PA
clubs:
| Proper Grounding?
So with all this talk about improper grounding, what is proper grounding for cable and telephone? I've seen a ton of pictures of bad, but never any good. Makes me wonder if I've done my setups wrong, or how I can at least improve them.
P.S. I don't know if this is better asked attached to this news piece, or in another forum, like Home Repair & Improvement. |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| The proper way is designed grounding point on ONT to approved grounding point in house electrical system. This could be a ground terminal the the breaker box, attaching it to the grounding rod with approved fastener, etc. The NEC is fairly clear on what's approved and what's not. |
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Bobcat
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ | reply to sedorox
My cable is grounded to a water faucet. That's not allowed? |
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sedorox
join:2006-06-23
Williamsport, PA
clubs:
| reply to cdru
So I guess it follows NEC Code? I should probably read up. Right now the cable at my parents house it grounded to the cold water pipe, which is about 20ft from entrance, where the electrical system is grounded to. When I redid our cable in the house (went from all sorts of mis-matched cables to RG6-Quad shield), I just kept it grounded to the same location that Comcast originally had it, except I sanded the pipe a bit more to get a better contact.
Also, if you have multiple splitters (like in the last picture in the article), each of them needs their own, separate, bond? |
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Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
 ·Comcast
 ·Embarq
|  reply to Bobcat
 It is important to remember that if the ground block is connected to a cold water faucet, your plumbing must be a conductor (Copper). Plastic pipe (PVC or CPVC) just won't do. If you have plastic plumbing, run a Ten gauge stranded wire, insulated wire is OK, from the grounding block where your cable drop terminates to the ground rod where the electrical service entrance is grounded.
I learned about proper grounding the hard way. When my cable was installed many years ago at another residence, the cable installer drove in a Six Foot Ground Rod and tied the grounding block to that ground. The service entrance was about 50 feet from the grounding block. There was no connection between the ground block and the service entrance ground. During an intense thunder storm, lightning struck nearby. A flash over occurred between a splitter I had installed between the Cable connection, TV and VCR and a splitter installed between the Antenna, TV and VCR. The power supply for the antenna amplifier was destroyed. My neighbor experienced a flash over at the same time between the cable outlet and the power outlet damaging their television. I checked with an electrical inspector and found that the grounding block must be bonded to the service entrance ground. |
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Sammer
join:2005-12-22
Canonsburg, PA
| reply to Bobcat
said by Bobcat  :My cable is grounded to a water faucet. That's not allowed? Probably not, it has be very close to where a metal water pipe exits the house underground and travels at least ten feet underground. To use other metal plumbing locations they have be bonded (with the appropriate wire) to such a location. |
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SteveCon
IBEW 2222 Boston, MA
Premium
join:2004-09-02
Burlington, MA
2 edits | reply to Mr Matt
Actually, *all* grounds *must* be bonded together. Further, the neutral (a.k.a. grounded) conductor of the electrical service must be connected to the grounding electrode(s) or rod(s) to become part of the ground system. Under most circumstances, multiple ground systems are not permitted. Any rooftop antenna, satellite dish, CATV, TelCo and Electric Company grounds must *all* be bonded together.
This means multiple ground rods (where employed) must be bonded together. If a cold water pipe or gas pipe (where permitted) is to be used as a ground or grounding electrode, those pipes too, must be bonded (if not already - with approved clamps designed for the use) to the ground system.
As mentioned earlier, the pipes must not be made of PVC, or other non-conductive materials if used for ground. |
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Telcoguru
Premium
join:2005-08-22
Fresh Meadows, NY | reply to Bobcat
It needs to be grounded within 5ft of where the water main enters the building with 10 gauge wire. Assuming the water main is a copper pipe of course. |
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Bobcat
Premium
join:2001-02-04
Bedminster, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | All my water pipes are copper. They're bonded to the electrical ground (which has a ground rod) and there's a jumper across the water meter. But the cable is grounded to an outside faucet quite a distance from where the water line enters the house. |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to Mr Matt
I was lucky when AT&T originally did my wiring (before Uverse)... SoCal Edison's 16kV line. It melted the wiring and charred the insulation at the grounding block.
If the grounding block wasn't there, my house might have went up like my one of the trees did.
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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jplove71
IBEW 113
Premium
join:2001-03-16
Colorado Springs, CO
| reply to Telcoguru
said by Telcoguru :It needs to be grounded within 5ft of where the water main enters the building with 10 6 AWG copper. Corrected.
NFPA 70: NEC
Section 250.66(A)
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Rakkasan! |
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Pathfinder
Dazed Confused
Premium
join:2000-03-26
Mount Vernon, NY
1 edit | I'd like to see that section. AFAIK the ONT is to be grounded with 10AWG but the water main has to be 6AWG to the electrical ground.
EDIT: Spelling |
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Telcoguru
Premium
join:2005-08-22
Fresh Meadows, NY | reply to jplove71
I was told you only have to use 6 gauge wire to bond grounding rods together not when grounding to the water main. |
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