Grounding options.

ShadowEKU

Expert in the Making
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Jul 13, 2004
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Frankfort, KY
Ok so I have the installer coming today... 3 and 1/2 hours... gulp.. anyway the main house ground is nowhere near where the dish will be or where it comes into the house... there are no cold water pipes near it either... the house shares one wet wall which has all the cold water and such in it and its almost all the way across the house from the point of entry... what are my other options for the installer grounding it... if they have to pound another spike (legal in KY) will they do that or do i have to? is there anything that i am missing... Im not going to have 2 dvr's fail on me becasue static can build up in the line.
 
They can use a grounding block in-line with your cable runs. The dish itself does not need to be grounded. Do your runs go near any cold-water pipes?

I got the spiel from the guy that teaches the techs about grounding.
 
fortunately the very longest run does go near a cold water pipe.. BUT it is in the center of the house and a good 20 feet from soil... Odd question but is the POTS (phone) system grounded... The entry point is about 2 feet from the Telephone NID.
 
It's my understanding that the dish itself DOES need to be grounded, in order to help dissipate static electricity buildup thus reducing the chance for a lightning strike.

Am I wrong?

--Matt
 
Thats what I read... however.. when i installed Directv we grounded the dish to the same place we grounded the grounding block then grounded both of those to the closest CODE ground.... but that was 4 years ago and codes change.
 
Tweakophyte said:
They can use a grounding block in-line with your cable runs. The dish itself does not need to be grounded. Do your runs go near any cold-water pipes?

I got the spiel from the guy that teaches the techs about grounding.

As a tech trainer I can tell you your tech is wrong. You need to ground the dish to the ground block to prevent static build up. Get enough and it will pop the switch like it was a 9601 LNB. I always ground my dishs to the ground block using the messenger wire.
 
Too far

Go to Lowes/Home Depot and get a 8' copper grounding rod and drive it into the ground as close to the dish as you can,ground RG6 to that,and yes,the Dish needs to be grounded also not only for lighting but also static build-up
 
The Directv installer, from Kentucky mind you, grounded my dish from the mounting mast over to my grounding junction.
 
OH NO, not this again. Scott maybe you should make a permanent forum just for this subject....
 
I have a question. I have replaced my DP-Twin lnb three times because they keep going bad. This last time, my installer said that sometimes the reciever puts to much voltage to the switch and fries them and that if it does it again, he will get me a new 811. I have never heard of this before and asked him if this could actually be a grounding issue since it is curretnly just grounded on the cable block and not on the dish and he said no, the cable block is enough. What do you guys think?? Have you ever heard of the reciever frying the lnb?
 
My system

Hello all
I have a double question. 1) My dishes (D500, 110/119: D500, 61.5) are mounted to a tree. The RG 6 goes underground for about 15 feet then into the house to my DP34. No where in that run is there a grounding block. I understand code says I should have it, but do I really need one. My dishes are hooked to a oak tree with a good root system. Then my RG6 is buried in the ground. I know it should be in there, and I have thought about adding a set in and tyeing it inside the house to a cold water bond. Question 2) I have DP34, I have ground it to the cold water bond, but when I added the wire to lug on the DP34 the screw was missing. Does anyone know what size screw it is and where I can find one ? Thanks all
 
Tweakophyte: You're wrong - as pfef98 & others said, the dish MUST be grounded.

ShadowEKU: There MIGHT be a suitable ground available at the telephone network box - it just depends on when/where/how it was installed. Definitely check it out - because you are right to consider that grounding needs to be very close to cable point of entry, and not way across the basement.

ken: Yeah - you've certainly got a point there! :)

dispatcher_21: It would take a VERY sick receiver to provide enough voltage to fry an LNBF. On the other hand, static discharges can easily hit many thousands of volts - and thereby fry the delicate LN amplifiers.

NHdishowner: Have your system reworked - your @$$ is hanging out for several reasons.

blockisle9: You shouldn't state things that you don't know to be true. Maybe licensing is required where YOU are, but that's only one place.
 
slvrgnsprman said:
As a tech trainer I can tell you your tech is wrong. You need to ground the dish to the ground block to prevent static build up. Get enough and it will pop the switch like it was a 9601 LNB. I always ground my dishs to the ground block using the messenger wire.

My guy is a trainer, too. In fact he might be a train-the trainer person. Proper grounding was an issue he specifically pushed.

I am not wrong... I am just repeating him...
 
Grounding

As I understand that current issue of NEC did not saying no need to ground the dish, while some installers don't think the dish need not be ground because there difference make of materials to the dish. One non qualified installer even told me that the 3 plung plug should do the grounding.

Unless the book stated we need not be, then we have the choice but now we should follow by the book.
 
SimpleSimon said:
Tweakophyte: You're wrong - as pfef98 & others said, the dish MUST be grounded.

ShadowEKU: There MIGHT be a suitable ground available at the telephone network box - it just depends on when/where/how it was installed. Definitely check it out - because you are right to consider that grounding needs to be very close to cable point of entry, and not way across the basement.

ken: Yeah - you've certainly got a point there! :)

dispatcher_21: It would take a VERY sick receiver to provide enough voltage to fry an LNBF. On the other hand, static discharges can easily hit many thousands of volts - and thereby fry the delicate LN amplifiers.

NHdishowner: Have your system reworked - your @$$ is hanging out for several reasons.

blockisle9: You shouldn't state things that you don't know to be true. Maybe licensing is required where YOU are, but that's only one place.




Wow my topic was dredged up from weeks ago.. I actually ended up grounding it myself... the NID for the phone has a ground connection off of it to its own ground rod... it was right next to the lines... problem solved... I just had to do some sleuth work through some rose bushes... ouch.
 
Good job! As you already know, it's working just fine. :)

Another example of the multiple ground rod method that some relatively uninformed people say is not legal. Just note there is a big difference between multiple unbonded grounds for low-voltage and no-voltage systems vs. the house's 120VAC electrical system.
 
SimpleSimon said:
Good job! As you already know, it's working just fine. :)

Another example of the multiple ground rod method that some relatively uninformed people say is not legal. Just note there is a big difference between multiple unbonded grounds for low-voltage and no-voltage systems vs. the house's 120VAC electrical system.


the houses ground is so far away it wouldnt have been a problem anyway here in kentucky where we dont have dirt we have clay.
 
Great...now I think I may be in a world of hurt..

Just had an install yesterday, and the installer said he couldn't ground the dish because the house is brick. Huh?? Is he right?? How do I ground the dish on my own? Should I report him? If I do, I really don't want HIM coming back to fix it...
 
Yes, you should report him.

Did he install ground block(s) on the feed cables? If there's any switches involved, they can take the place of ground blocks. Either way, are THOSE grounded? What type of installation is it? We need to know all details you can think of in order to recommend solutions. That means dish type(s), switches if any, receiver types and count, how the cable(s) are routed - and how many, anything and everything you can think of.
 

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