Still no ground

[Jimbo]

Thats probably okay but not to code for electrical safety, but its not at all suitable for the ground for the dish. Fine for static dissipation, but if you get a near lightning strike the ground will pass all that current through the water pipe, under the house, where it'll arc to any other nearby metal on its way to the front of the house.



Nope, I just use the one that came with the house.



Who are 'they'? Problems with a shorter ground rod are that corrosion can reduce the effectiveness over time. The 8' length is usually good for 50+ years, and the NEC still calls for it. But I guess some folks are just shooting for what'll work for a couple of years and then becomes someone elses problem.



Usually one digs a hole or uses an auger. Unless the house foots on solid rock, its not that big of a job. I mean, its only the safety anchor for the entire homes electrical system and a point for a lightning drain. Hardly any big deal

[quoteWhen the POWER company uses a 8' ground, then I'll consider it again.

The power company should be using methods that comply with the NEC and local code. If they arent, then they arent doing a good job and they're putting the homeowner at risk. That doesnt make it 'right', it just makes them lazy.

If Joey the power company guy jumped off a bridge, would you? [/QUOTE]

So you think the whole city grounds thier power wrong ?

You go ahead and tell them that.
YOU know better than the POWER company, nothing personal, but I'll go with the power companys recommendations.

 

[cfb]

Hey Jim, it'd be easier to comment if you'd pick a position and stick with it.

If your power company is ignoring NEC standards and local building codes, then someone should call the building inspectors and let them know. How many of these grounding rod installations have you supervised or examined, anyhow?

I think when someone asks a question, its a pretty good idea to give them answers that coincide with established code, process and procedure rather than suggest they take some sort of short cut. Let them take the information and decide if they want to do something less or what you think the power company in your town does, even though that may not even be in the same part of the country as the guy asking the question.

As far as the other guy who thought burying the pipe 8' horizontal, that only works if the ground stays unfrozen and wet. Otherwise the 8' length isnt buying you much. And the grounding is for lightning as well as static. Obviously a ground wont do much for a direct hit by a bolt, but if one hits in your yard or on a nearby building, you'll want all of that charge in the air to go someplace besides down the coax ground and into your receivers or arcing off the dish and onto your house.

I like the idea about the hammer drill. I have an air hammer and a big compressor that does a nice job of setting things into the ground. In the winter when its wet anyhow. In the summer I have to put a chisel bit on the air hammer and chip the ground away.

Your best bet overall is to have an electrician put in the ground if your house doesnt have one.

 

[Jimbo]

Hey Jim, it'd be easier to comment if you'd pick a position and stick with it.

If your power company is ignoring NEC standards and local building codes, then someone should call the building inspectors and let them know. How many of these grounding rod installations have you supervised or examined, anyhow?

I think when someone asks a question, its a pretty good idea to give them answers that coincide with established code, process and procedure rather than suggest they take some sort of short cut. Let them take the information and decide if they want to do something less or what you think the power company in your town does, even though that may not even be in the same part of the country as the guy asking the question.

As far as the other guy who thought burying the pipe 8' horizontal, that only works if the ground stays unfrozen and wet. Otherwise the 8' length isnt buying you much. And the grounding is for lightning as well as static. Obviously a ground wont do much for a direct hit by a bolt, but if one hits in your yard or on a nearby building, you'll want all of that charge in the air to go someplace besides down the coax ground and into your receivers or arcing off the dish and onto your house.

I like the idea about the hammer drill. I have an air hammer and a big compressor that does a nice job of setting things into the ground. In the winter when its wet anyhow. In the summer I have to put a chisel bit on the air hammer and chip the ground away.

Your best bet overall is to have an electrician put in the ground if your house doesnt have one.

So .... have you been there when the Electricians place the ground rod for the power coming into the house ?

You said you have never placed a 8 ft ground rod, so I know you have never placed a ground rod before.

So, what your saying is that the whole country is grounded WRONG, if they don't have a 8 ft ground rod .....
Do you have proof that 8 ft is what they are using across the country ?

We place 5 foot ground rods if the Power ground is no wheres to be found, however, NORMALLY we set our stuff up next to the power and use thiers, but that doesn't ALWAYS work as we can't always use that location.

 

[wildbill129]

To address CFB and Jimbo's discussion, the size of a ground rod in a residential electric service depends on the size of the wire of the incoming service and if the rod and incoming service is copper or aluminum. It can be as little as 4' and as long as 8'.

 

[wildbill129]

To the OP, your house doesn't have to be up to current NEC because it was built before the current regulations. Only if you do a major remodel will you have to upgrade some or all of your electrical service. So, you can put a ground block where the cable comes into your house and run a ground to a cold water pipe since that is your ground connection at your house. You could also run a ground from the splitter (if there is a ground screw) to the same cold water pipe. It would achieve the same thing except it might be a longer path to ground.

 

[ryotgz]

To the OP, your house doesn't have to be up to current NEC because it was built before the current regulations. Only if you do a major remodel will you have to upgrade some or all of your electrical service. So, you can put a ground block where the cable comes into your house and run a ground to a cold water pipe since that is your ground connection at your house. You could also run a ground from the splitter (if there is a ground screw) to the same cold water pipe. It would achieve the same thing except it might be a longer path to ground.

Thanks. Yea it was ran from the splitter which would only be about 1 -2 feet further than if there was a ground block outside the house. The splitter is right inside the basement wall and the water pipe is right next to it.

 

[cfb]

So .... have you been there when the Electricians place the ground rod for the power coming into the house ?

About a million times. My brother owns a construction company.

You said you have never placed a 8 ft ground rod, so I know you have never placed a ground rod before.

Never stopped me from actually understanding and communicating the well published code, nor from advising others to check their local building code and any applicable national standards, then follow them because they were made by people who know more than you and I do.

So, what your saying is that the whole country is grounded WRONG, if they don't have a 8 ft ground rod .....
Do you have proof that 8 ft is what they are using across the country ?

Dang dude, do you even read the stuff before whipping out the strawmen?

 

[Jimbo]

About a million times. My brother owns a construction company.



Never stopped me from actually understanding and communicating the well published code, nor from advising others to check their local building code and any applicable national standards, then follow them because they were made by people who know more than you and I do.



Dang dude, do you even read the stuff before whipping out the strawmen?

You are my HERO !!!!!!