Directv grounding problems
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Did you look at the answer I gave to your other post which had essentially the same question?
It's supposed to be, but if your reception is bad with it connected and good without it, there is something wrong with your wiring, most likely. That's why I recommended having an electrician look at it.
The ground wire is important if the dish is struck by lightning or if it builds up a static charge. Without a ground the electricity tries to find its way to one and the shortest route is probably through your directv receiver.
If you're having problems when the ground is connected, that suggests that the ground is not actually a ground or there is a ground loop (more than one ground tied together to the same system).
You may run the system without a ground, and many are set up that way because the installer didnt or couldnt tie it to a ground. It'll work but you may have problems.
Unless you're an electrician or a trained directv installer, you probably wont be able to figure out what the problem with the ground is and resolve it. And that ground problem could be causing you other electrically related issues in your home, so its a good idea to get it resolved.
And no, having a light (or anything else) in your house on shouldnt put anything on the ground.
Thats the long, non vague answer. The short answer is you should hire an electrician, because you have an electrical problem in your home or in whatever ground location the dish was attached to.
I guess its also a good idea to ask what you mean when you say "dish attached to home ground wire"? The dish should have a wire running from it to the grounding rod in your home that should be in or near the main electrical panel, cable tv wiring, phone wiring, etc on the side of your home. It may also be connected to outside subpanels like the electrical box for an air conditioning compressor. Local codes vary.
If you're having problems when the ground is connected, that suggests that the ground is not actually a ground or there is a ground loop (more than one ground tied together to the same system).
You may run the system without a ground, and many are set up that way because the installer didnt or couldnt tie it to a ground. It'll work but you may have problems.
Unless you're an electrician or a trained directv installer, you probably wont be able to figure out what the problem with the ground is and resolve it. And that ground problem could be causing you other electrically related issues in your home, so its a good idea to get it resolved.
And no, having a light (or anything else) in your house on shouldnt put anything on the ground.
Thats the long, non vague answer. The short answer is you should hire an electrician, because you have an electrical problem in your home or in whatever ground location the dish was attached to.
I guess its also a good idea to ask what you mean when you say "dish attached to home ground wire"? The dish should have a wire running from it to the grounding rod in your home that should be in or near the main electrical panel, cable tv wiring, phone wiring, etc on the side of your home. It may also be connected to outside subpanels like the electrical box for an air conditioning compressor. Local codes vary.
Thank you cfb. Best answer I've got yet.
To answer your last question, The wire coming from the dish to the four-way spitter, the tec. installed a green wire from spitter to my house ground wire. His green wire is the one he disconnected.
I'm calling a electrician to check it out
Thank you for the great reply.
To answer your last question, The wire coming from the dish to the four-way spitter, the tec. installed a green wire from spitter to my house ground wire. His green wire is the one he disconnected.
I'm calling a electrician to check it out
Thank you for the great reply.
What do you mean by "house ground wire"? Is it to the grounding rod near the electrical panel on the side of your house or to the ground wire in an electrical outlet somewhere inside or outside the house?
If they did the latter, thats wrong.
If they did the latter, thats wrong.
If that were true, a 10 gauge cable wouldnt be required and local building code folks wouldnt care at all about it since there would be no safety issues.
The grounding also protects from a lightning strike that puts juice into any metallic components of the dish and its wiring, drawing it away from following to the house frame or down the wire.
Of course, in the event of a direct hit by lightning on your house, the ground wire wont do you a whole lot of good. You're also extremely unlucky.
The grounding also protects from a lightning strike that puts juice into any metallic components of the dish and its wiring, drawing it away from following to the house frame or down the wire.
Of course, in the event of a direct hit by lightning on your house, the ground wire wont do you a whole lot of good. You're also extremely unlucky.
From the directv installation manual:
"Grounding the satellite system to the central building ground helps
protect it and other components from lightning damage. Different
brands of satellite systems may have special grounding requirements.
However, dish installation should comply with local codes and the
National Electrical Code (NEC). Refer to your satellite system’s user
guides for any other additional grounding information. Grounding the
satellite system is something you can probably do yourself. But if
you’re not sure, you should contact a qualified electrician."
"Grounding the satellite system to the central building ground helps
protect it and other components from lightning damage. Different
brands of satellite systems may have special grounding requirements.
However, dish installation should comply with local codes and the
National Electrical Code (NEC). Refer to your satellite system’s user
guides for any other additional grounding information. Grounding the
satellite system is something you can probably do yourself. But if
you’re not sure, you should contact a qualified electrician."
one thing you want to do is be certain that the house is actually grounded....
this might help you ... go to the hardware store & get a circuit tester... it will tell you if your wires are connected to the outlet correctly ... & let you know if your outlet is grounded...... it is a three light system & is easy to use ... you simply plug it into the outlet & read the lights lit.... ... you probably have no gnd or reverse wiring...... you need to check all your outlets.... also posible you might have extensions used incorrectly ..... the main problem is .... you can be hurt if it is not corrected....
Everybody gets an opinion.
During periods of lightning, near strikes can send significant but not lethal amounts of electricity into nearby structures, and its got a particular affinity for metal. A ten gauge strap is perfectly satisfactory for handling those zips and zaps. Its conservatively good for 55 amps and can probably do 70. Thats far more than a dish is capable of conducting in the first place.
Thats why the manufacturers and all building codes require the grounding. Whether its practical or likely to help you in most cases is another matter.
Everybody gets an opinion.
During periods of lightning, near strikes can send significant but not lethal amounts of electricity into nearby structures, and its got a particular affinity for metal. A ten gauge strap is perfectly satisfactory for handling those zips and zaps. Its conservatively good for 55 amps and can probably do 70. Thats far more than a dish is capable of conducting in the first place.
Thats why the manufacturers and all building codes require the grounding. Whether its practical or likely to help you in most cases is another matter.
Yes, we all get an opinion! And you are just as entitled to yours as I am mine.
First off, 10 gauge wire is rated for 30 amps, not 55. Will it carry more? Sure, but I wouldn't bet my house on it. The build up you talk about from nearby strikes is the static build up I am referring to.
I guess one mans static is another mans electric discharge that needs a place to go.
In my thinking, the static buildup requiring a drain is generally from wind and low humidity and a build up on the dish that needs a place to go before it builds up enough strength to jump the wire.
But I guess if you're going to describe static as any electric potential regardless of source, then we're in violent agreement! Lightning is just really impressive static.
As far as the amps rating, most people with an electrical engineering background or related experience knows the difference between a carry load and a ground load. The carry load for a 10g wire is 30 amps. The ground load is 55. Both are quite generous and conservative. In fact, I'd trust a 10g wire to carry a 70-75 amp ground load from a lightning strike. Which is about what you could get if something got hit within 30-50 feet of your house.
Not to mention that electricity has a tendency to like to keep going in the direction its already moving in. So even if your ground wire smoked off, the surge would probably jump the gap rather than try to turn around and go in a different direction.
The downside to not having the ground would be a probably loss of your lnb, your switches, the receivers connected to them, and perhaps some other attached gear. If the hit was close you'll probably lose the lnb and maybe the switch regardless...
That having been said, a piece of wire is dang cheap. If I were a house-betting man in an area with a predilection towards lightning, I'd rather have a crappy 10g wire in place than none at all and letting the charge find its own path to ground. If you're that nervous, put a piece of 2/0 in or a 20-30' copper rod driven in 8'.
In my thinking, the static buildup requiring a drain is generally from wind and low humidity and a build up on the dish that needs a place to go before it builds up enough strength to jump the wire.
But I guess if you're going to describe static as any electric potential regardless of source, then we're in violent agreement! Lightning is just really impressive static.
As far as the amps rating, most people with an electrical engineering background or related experience knows the difference between a carry load and a ground load. The carry load for a 10g wire is 30 amps. The ground load is 55. Both are quite generous and conservative. In fact, I'd trust a 10g wire to carry a 70-75 amp ground load from a lightning strike. Which is about what you could get if something got hit within 30-50 feet of your house.
Not to mention that electricity has a tendency to like to keep going in the direction its already moving in. So even if your ground wire smoked off, the surge would probably jump the gap rather than try to turn around and go in a different direction.
The downside to not having the ground would be a probably loss of your lnb, your switches, the receivers connected to them, and perhaps some other attached gear. If the hit was close you'll probably lose the lnb and maybe the switch regardless...
That having been said, a piece of wire is dang cheap. If I were a house-betting man in an area with a predilection towards lightning, I'd rather have a crappy 10g wire in place than none at all and letting the charge find its own path to ground. If you're that nervous, put a piece of 2/0 in or a 20-30' copper rod driven in 8'.
I guess one mans static is another mans electric discharge that needs a place to go.
In my thinking, the static buildup requiring a drain is generally from wind and low humidity and a build up on the dish that needs a place to go before it builds up enough strength to jump the wire.
But I guess if you're going to describe static as any electric potential regardless of source, then we're in violent agreement! Lightning is just really impressive static.
As far as the amps rating, most people with an electrical engineering background or related experience knows the difference between a carry load and a ground load. The carry load for a 10g wire is 30 amps. The ground load is 55. Both are quite generous and conservative. In fact, I'd trust a 10g wire to carry a 70-75 amp ground load from a lightning strike. Which is about what you could get if something got hit within 30-50 feet of your house.
Not to mention that electricity has a tendency to like to keep going in the direction its already moving in. So even if your ground wire smoked off, the surge would probably jump the gap rather than try to turn around and go in a different direction.
The downside to not having the ground would be a probably loss of your lnb, your switches, the receivers connected to them, and perhaps some other attached gear. If the hit was close you'll probably lose the lnb and maybe the switch regardless...
That having been said, a piece of wire is dang cheap. If I were a house-betting man in an area with a predilection towards lightning, I'd rather have a crappy 10g wire in place than none at all and letting the charge find its own path to ground. If you're that nervous, put a piece of 2/0 in or a 20-30' copper rod driven in 8'.
i guess if that is the case .... then really by grounding your ant. you are setting a potential to attract lightning.....?????????????????????
I guess one mans static is another mans electric discharge that needs a place to go.
In my thinking, the static buildup requiring a drain is generally from wind and low humidity and a build up on the dish that needs a place to go before it builds up enough strength to jump the wire.
But I guess if you're going to describe static as any electric potential regardless of source, then we're in violent agreement! Lightning is just really impressive static.
As far as the amps rating, most people with an electrical engineering background or related experience knows the difference between a carry load and a ground load. The carry load for a 10g wire is 30 amps. The ground load is 55. Both are quite generous and conservative. In fact, I'd trust a 10g wire to carry a 70-75 amp ground load from a lightning strike. Which is about what you could get if something got hit within 30-50 feet of your house.
Not to mention that electricity has a tendency to like to keep going in the direction its already moving in. So even if your ground wire smoked off, the surge would probably jump the gap rather than try to turn around and go in a different direction.
The downside to not having the ground would be a probably loss of your lnb, your switches, the receivers connected to them, and perhaps some other attached gear. If the hit was close you'll probably lose the lnb and maybe the switch regardless...
That having been said, a piece of wire is dang cheap. If I were a house-betting man in an area with a predilection towards lightning, I'd rather have a crappy 10g wire in place than none at all and letting the charge find its own path to ground. If you're that nervous, put a piece of 2/0 in or a 20-30' copper rod driven in 8'.
A violent disagreement over a piece of wire?
I do agree about the need for a ground wire, how about that? BTW, as long as an additional grounding rod is bonded to the main ground, it is fine, but it must be bonded.
That may in fact be the case, although at least the current has a place to go rather than trying to find its own.
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