Where To Ground To?

[Mikey11]

where is best to ground an OTA antenna? do i run a wire to an indoor copper water pipe or gas pipe? or the electrical panel ground? what size wire should i use?

 

[boba]

Best place is to the electric service ground rod at the outside of the building.

 

[Mikey11]

Best place is to the electric service ground rod at the outside of the building.

thanks, there is no ground rod though, the electrical service is grounded to a water pipe where it enters the home, so i guess i should ground to the same spot?

 

[Mr Tony]

you can ground it to the cold water pipe.

 

[harshness]

Proper grounding involves connecting things to be grounded to "bonding points". Ground zero of the bonding points is the rod in the ground for your electrical service. It may not be right at the meter (especially if you have a concrete floor) but there WILL BE a ground rod and it should be shown in the house plans.

Water pipes are well down the list of places you should start looking to ground to as most modern water installations (and remodels) use a lot of PVC and PEX instead of copper and steel. To be considered a ground, steel pipe must run for a least 10' underground. It hasn't been safe to assume that steel pipe was used all the way to the meter for more than 50 years. Natural gas lines are the same story.

For what many consider the definitive work on the subject of electrical codes, visit Mike Holt

 

[Mikey11]

thanks for the info....

if my electrical service/panel is grounded to the water pipe, is it not safe to assume i can ground the antenna there also?

 

[djacobson]

The copper ground wire that comes out of your electrical box will go to your copper water pipe AND go outside to your ground rod. I find the case that the bare copper ground is in the pvc from the electrical box to outside then to your ground rod which of course is burred. 1st choice is to find the ground rod (you might have to dig) and the copper wire from it and use a split bolt from that your ground block.Your ground block is outside then. If you cannot find the rod then run your ground wire to a split bolt to the bare copper wire coming out of your electrical box.It is best to have the ground block outside but I think you may be ok with it inside at this point.Don't clamp on to the water pipe.

 

[rogerduncan100]

Interesting.How thick does a ground wire have to be to carry the lightning bolt?

 

[lownote2]

Contrary to popular thought, the grounding isn't for lightning. You take a direct hit and lightning goes wherever it wants.

Does discharge static though.

Not sure what NEC is for an antenna. I'd think 12 gauge would be fine considering you have no voltage running through the coax. 10 gauge is good too. It's what the satellite companies use.