Surge protectors can not protect against the spike created by a direct lightning strike. They do help in some circumstances, but the can also interfere with you signal coming in from the dish (especially with the new sats signals.)
Grounding a new installation
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Surge protectors can not protect against the spike created by a direct lightning strike. They do help in some circumstances, but the can also interfere with you signal coming in from the dish (especially with the new sats signals.)
Of course no one is saying any of those can do anything in a DIRECT hit. Run for your life if it is the case, never mind your electronics
But my point of not grounding the dish itself was that, to reduce the chance of a direct hit. If the big metal object is connected to the ground, and since the lighting will try to find the pass of the least resistance to touch ground, you are basically saying come on hit me please!
Of course your neighbor who has that 50 feet flag pole smack in the back yard ruining your perfect panoramic view, will be very grateful of your sacrifice. But sometimes you need to think for yourself first.
Grounding Question
Grounding Question
My Dish is on the exact opposite corner of the house that the house ground is located.
However there is small breaker box enclosure that only services my heating an air less than 10 feet away of where my dish is and cables go in.
Can this be used as an acceptable ground?
Grounding Question
My Dish is on the exact opposite corner of the house that the house ground is located.
However there is small breaker box enclosure that only services my heating an air less than 10 feet away of where my dish is and cables go in.
Can this be used as an acceptable ground?
Not likely. Here in CT you must ground to the water service within 5 feet of where it enters the house. There are other options, but they are complicated.
Is that a state law, because it's not the NEC? What about the houses that have PVC water piping?
Here is D*'s list of acceptable grounding points in order of preference:
1) #4 or #6 Ground wire from meter box to electrical services ground using split bolt
2) Electrical services ground rod
3) The panel box or breaker box ground lug
4) Metal conduit on the customer side (bottom) of the power meter using ground strap
5) The grounded metal Frame of a building or trailer
6) Metal service conduit after ensuring continuity all the way back to the house ground
7) A grounded metal cold water pipe that passes the volt ohm test
I don't think it's law. In fact, it may be only my town's building code, although I know of other towns that have the same code.
OK after some very in depth research, it appears my only solution for proper grounding is a second ground rod bonded to the main ground with #6 copper wire.
I only have one remaining question on this and I should be all set for install.
I see that it can be buried and it seems there is no restriction in the length of the bonding wire between the rods for this situation.
I can't seem to find anything that addresses any real specifics on the running of the #6 jumper other than a Directv installers manual that suggest to run it under the house or bury it if it is a slab foundation. But nothing really says how you should not run it.
Are there any restrictions on how/where the #6 copper jumper between the ground rods be run?
For instance, could I run the Copper jumper through the attic to get to the ground or under the roof over hang behind the lip where my gutters are attached?
I only have one remaining question on this and I should be all set for install.
I see that it can be buried and it seems there is no restriction in the length of the bonding wire between the rods for this situation.
I can't seem to find anything that addresses any real specifics on the running of the #6 jumper other than a Directv installers manual that suggest to run it under the house or bury it if it is a slab foundation. But nothing really says how you should not run it.
Are there any restrictions on how/where the #6 copper jumper between the ground rods be run?
For instance, could I run the Copper jumper through the attic to get to the ground or under the roof over hang behind the lip where my gutters are attached?
The #6 copper wire needs to be outside the structure. The purpose here is to create a low impedance ground path that charges will take in favor of entering the premises. If you run the ground wire through the house, you defeat that purpose. If a charge (say a power line drops on top of the dish) were to enter the house, not only could it kill someone if they happen to touch the receiver, but it is likely to start a fire in the home structure.
thus you must ground the lines prior to entry into the home in some manner.
The NEC states that you must use a #6awg ground wire when bonding to your service ground but it doesnt dictate how it should be run. But I agree it must stay outside your structure. You can run it along the house foundation, perhaps under the lip of the lowest piece of siding. Or you can bury it, and there is no minimum depth specified for this (I'd do 12" if can). My first choice of wire would be stranded #6 green insulated copper. Second would be #6 bare solid copper.
Another grounding question ….
My electrical service ground rod is on the complete opposite side of the house from the dish ( pole mount ) and the RG6 entry into the house. To run a ground wire would require a 150-175 foot run around the garage and front of the house. The problem is that there is a triple wide driveway that would have to be traversed.
To run the opposite direction would require at least a 500 foot run due to a swimming pool and large lanai.
My dilemma ….
The first option listed above would be extremely difficult due to havine to go under the very wide driveway. The second option is simply out of the question.
It would be relatively easy to enter the garage from the service ground rod and run the ground wire along the side of the concrete block garage and out the front side to the dish and cable entrance.
Is this possible?
Thanks for any advise ….
My electrical service ground rod is on the complete opposite side of the house from the dish ( pole mount ) and the RG6 entry into the house. To run a ground wire would require a 150-175 foot run around the garage and front of the house. The problem is that there is a triple wide driveway that would have to be traversed.
To run the opposite direction would require at least a 500 foot run due to a swimming pool and large lanai.
My dilemma ….
The first option listed above would be extremely difficult due to havine to go under the very wide driveway. The second option is simply out of the question.
It would be relatively easy to enter the garage from the service ground rod and run the ground wire along the side of the concrete block garage and out the front side to the dish and cable entrance.
Is this possible?
Thanks for any advise ….
In your case I'd rather not ground the dish at all than running the grounding cable inside the structure.
I have the same predicament as you, luckily I have one spot near the house panel that MAY have line of sight, if not I will have to install on the opposite side in which case I will not ground the dish at all.
I have the same predicament as you, luckily I have one spot near the house panel that MAY have line of sight, if not I will have to install on the opposite side in which case I will not ground the dish at all.
If there is absolutely no ground point of any type, another possibility would be to spend some money and have an electrician come out and drop another ground point.
The garage option sounds promising as long as the #6awg bare ground wire isn't in contact with anything flammable along its route. Is there gasoline in the garage?
Here's the scenario you're trying to avoid. There's a lighting strike on your pole mounted dish. The lighting will follow the coax connection INTO YOUR HOUSE unless you have provided an easier route for it to follow which is the #6awg ground wire. The question is, when a bazillion volts of lighting follow that #6awg ground wire to the electrical service ground rod, what will it encounter along its route.
But, it doesn't make any difference what I think. Get a licensed electrician or your local electrical inspector to at least advise you if not do the work.
Dana
Surge protectors protect from voltage spikes like jacmyoung pointed out(static and lightning).
Bonding the sheilding of the cable to ground reduces the chance of induced noise or currents into the signal of the cable.
The voltage of lightning is something like 50,000 to 500,000 volts.
Consider yourself luckier than a lottery winner if you get hit.
I have spent more on lottery tickets than on my satellite system with no such luck yet.
Consult a local electrician but ALL systems within a dwelling/house should ground/bond back to one point, I think. It has been some time but something about noise loops.
Bonding the sheilding of the cable to ground reduces the chance of induced noise or currents into the signal of the cable.
The voltage of lightning is something like 50,000 to 500,000 volts.
Consider yourself luckier than a lottery winner if you get hit.
I have spent more on lottery tickets than on my satellite system with no such luck yet.
Consult a local electrician but ALL systems within a dwelling/house should ground/bond back to one point, I think. It has been some time but something about noise loops.
I have said earlier grounding the dish itself with a drop straight to the common ground will indeed increase the chance of a direct hit, it was confirmed by a contractor who did 1,000s of such commercial installs only a few were grounded due to specific requirement. The majority of the dishes he did were not grounded, yet the few he did had direct hits in the past needed replacement. In fact one of the hit occurred on a building roof with another dish he installed nearby but not grounded, that dish was still working fine. The lighting apparently took out that grounded dish as an easy prey.
He agreed the cables should be grounded before entering in the structure. One way to reduce impact from lighting is using a loop at least 12" in diameter near dish. Lighting likes to take straight route not making turns.
He agreed the cables should be grounded before entering in the structure. One way to reduce impact from lighting is using a loop at least 12" in diameter near dish. Lighting likes to take straight route not making turns.
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