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Big_Daddy
join:2008-01-10
hohoho

Big_Daddy to rascal60

Member

to rascal60

Re: [Ultra/Lite] Serious Equipment Damage- ungrounded Rogers Cab

Same thing happend to me my computer was damaged ( beyond rapair ) during a lightning strike but the modem was not

I had the computer/modem/TV/Home phone unplugged during the storm

The Rogers tech that was here told me that the technician who was origionally here did not ground the cable outside

he said thats a common mistake.

I eventually replaced my computer Bought a UPS Backup and usuing the old computer as a foot rest.

anon user
@teksavvy.com

anon user

Anon

wait so you think lightning hit the cable line -> jumped to the ethernet (broke xbox) -> then jumped to hdmi (broke HT receiver)

if your house didn't burn down from this, all of the plastic in these devices should be puddles of melted plastic.

In my knowledge, the ground wire only helps with static electricity on the line. It might only help in the smallest of surges.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

said by anon user :

In my knowledge, the ground wire only helps with static electricity on the line. It might only help in the smallest of surges.

Bingo. They're useless for direct lightning hits. If the cable wire gets hit it's going to destroy everything along its path regardless of whether it's connecting to a grounding rod or not.
rascal60
join:2012-08-08
Kanata, ON

rascal60 to Big_Daddy

Member

to Big_Daddy
Did Rogers provide any compensation, or was it deny and obfuscate?
westom
join:2009-03-15

westom

Member

said by rascal60:

Did Rogers provide any compensation, or was it deny and obfuscate?

Bottom line - you are responsible for the one earth ground that makes surges irrelevant. It must be a single point ground.

Principles are quite simple. A lightning strike far down the street to AC mains is a direct strike incoming to every household appliance. Are all appliances damaged? Of course not. To have damage means both an incoming and another completely different outgoing path. First a surge is flowing through that appliance (including open switches). Something (typically one part) in that path fails much later.

Once that surge is permitted inside, then nothing can avert a destructive hunt for earth. Every wire inside every incoming cable must connect low impedance (ie 'less than 10 feet') to single point earth ground. Yes, every word has important electrical consequences. If a wire is not earthed directly (ie cable TV, satellite dish), then it must be earthed, just as short, via a 'whole house' protector (ie telephone, AC electric).

What is the most commonly damaged part? On the outgoing path. Many see that damaged part. Then mistakenly assume that was the incoming path. Another example of why so many make bogus recommendations because they did not first learn over 100 years of well proven science.

Was an unearthed cable the reason for damage? Or was the cable actually earthed by some unintentional ground? Maybe that was in the incoming path. But the most commonly struck wire and incoming path is AC electric. AC electric wires even protect the cable from lightning.

Now, did you provide the 'always required' single point earth ground - the most critical component in every protection system? Does every incoming AC wire connect low impedance (ie connecting wire has no sharp bends or splices) to that single point earth ground? If not, then damage was directly traceable to a human mistake. And yes, low impedance is another critically important concept.

Protection is always about where energy dissipated. Either harmlessly outside so that it never enters a building. Or during a hunt for earth destructively via appliances - because it was all but invited to go hunting. Only you make that choice. Either you have installed earthing that both meets and exceed National Electrical Code requirements. Or superior protection that comes inside every appliance was your only protection.

A destructive surge occurs maybe once every seven years. A number that can vary significantly even within the same town. Do nothing and have no damage to any appliance for another six years. Because existing protection makes most all surges irrelevant. But the informed homeowners learn from their mistake. Upgrade the earthing. And install a 'whole house' protector at the service entrance. Either at the meter or in the breaker box. So that superior protection already inside every appliance is not overwhelmed.

Again, you are responsible for providing the best earth ground. They are only responsible for connecting to it. You are responsible for maintaining that connection.

disagree
@videotron.ca

disagree to Big_Daddy

Anon

to Big_Daddy
said by Big_Daddy:

he said thats a common mistake.

If it's common, then this is a common Rogers training fault, and negligence on their end.

I know here with videotron, and I've had a couple of installs, they don't over-look this. They even have to strain-relief the cable loop it in a certain fashion for rain to drip away and so forth. Then at any time they have an inspector who will come to your door to check the work performed and verify ever little detail (such as strain-relief). Any and all faults discovered will go against a tech.

Is it common? No, not at all. However, it might be common for this Rogers company only due to negligent training, negligent requirements, and zero quality or inspections to code.

It is not common. It is negligent.

hm
@videotron.ca

hm to westom

Anon

to westom
said by westom:

They are only responsible for connecting to it.

Which is the point here. You wrote a nice story, BUT, Rogers did not connect to it and perform their obligations to code. The rest is all gravy.

As a person further up stated, "this is common for Rogers not to ground".
aereolis
join:2003-06-12
Brampton, ON

aereolis

Member

said by hm :

said by westom:

They are only responsible for connecting to it.

Which is the point here. You wrote a nice story, BUT, Rogers did not connect to it and perform their obligations to code. The rest is all gravy.

As a person further up stated, "this is common for Rogers not to ground".

Not really, it's uncommon. As it happens, reasons for houses being ungrounded usually are
1. because the hydro company opened the meter, removed the grounding bracket and left it ungrounded (the newest ground brackets don't have this problem anymore and meters can be opened without having to disconnect the ground)
2. hydro meter relocated and cable never re-grounded
3. cold water pipe disconnected or relocated and never re-grounded
4. having the cable grounded actually caused problems with the cable system. i.e. hum or other issues which means that it needed to be disconnected for the rogers services to function normally
5. the length of a ground wire is >40% the length of the drop hence making the grounds useless so none was run or one was run and the existing ground is useless
6. neglegence on rogers' technicians
7. pex piping inside and technicians not knowing and grounded to a cold water pipe
8. grounded inside the house to a cold water pipe - but - disconnected inside the house behind drywall and can not be viewed hence assumed it is grounded

There are a few more i'm sure - special circumstances but these are the major reasons.