Why would Spectrum cut ground wire?

[CuriousInMichigan]

Background: at the end of August I got AT&T 5G wireless home internet and discontinued all my Spectrum services

My single family home has a simple Spectrum install. There is a neighborhood line running underground along the street and Spectrum ran an underground line to my house. The Spectrum tech included a ground wire that connected to the main ground for my house. The main ground connection is outside on the side of my house and I just noticed the Spectrum ground wire has been cut.

Not being at all experienced with the install, I managed to get a self-described "indoor" Spectrum technician on the phone and was told this is common and not a safety problem of any kind.

Any reason why Spectrum would cut the ground wire they had installed? Thanks for any info!

 

[AZ.]

Background: at the end of August I got AT&T 5G wireless home internet and discontinued all my Spectrum services

My single family home has a simple Spectrum install. There is a neighborhood line running underground along the street and Spectrum ran an underground line to my house. The Spectrum tech included a ground wire that connected to the main ground for my house. The main ground connection is outside on the side of my house and I just noticed the Spectrum ground wire has been cut.

Not being at all experienced with the install, I managed to get a self-described "indoor" Spectrum technician on the phone and was told this is common and not a safety problem of any kind.

Any reason why Spectrum would cut the ground wire they had installed? Thanks for any info!

Strange yes, it effects nothing. Did they also cut the coax?

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

Strange yes, it effects nothing. Did they also cut the coax?

No, I just went out and checked inside the box. All the lines are normal.

 

[harshness]

Even underground coax must be "earthed" at the entry point.

I'm surprised that they would bother disconnecting anything at the house, as they usually do that at the branch connection in the hopes that there may be a connection in the future. Did Spectrum remove a grounding block, junction box, or splitter that would have been grounded?

 

[AZ.]

Even underground coax must be "earthed" at the entry point.

I'm surprised that they would bother disconnecting anything at the house, as they usually do that at the branch connection in the hopes that there may be a connection in the future. Did Spectrum remove a grounding block, junction box, or splitter that would have been grounded?

All I could think is they were worried about a ground loop, but they had it when he was hooked up then?
Dosent add up.

 

[harshness]

All I could think is they were worried about a ground loop, but they had it when he was hooked up then?

Earthing is a requirement when the cable is connected, but it may be a liability when the cable isn't connected.

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

Even underground coax must be "earthed" at the entry point.

I'm surprised that they would bother disconnecting anything at the house, as they usually do that at the branch connection in the hopes that there may be a connection in the future. Did Spectrum remove a grounding block, junction box, or splitter that would have been grounded?

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

I checked inside the Spectrum install box on the outdoor side of the house. All the cables are normal and the ground wire, which is green, is still connected. The cut is outside the install box between it and the connection points for the house ground.

I looked in the basement anyway, since there's no way whoever did the cut, was in the house. In the basement the two-way splitter is right there with both cables normal.

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

I checked inside the Spectrum install box on the outdoor side of the house. All the cables are normal and the ground wire, which is green, is still connected. The cut is outside the install box between it and the connection points for the house ground.

I looked in the basement anyway, since there's no way whoever did the cut, was in the house. In the basement the two-way splitter is right there with both cables normal.

Here's a photo

 

[jayn_j]

Is your house located near a power substation? I have seen instances where high voltage transformer grounding can cause a significant voltage potential against grounds that were referenced elsewhere.

A fundamental lesson in electronics is that ground is relative, and not an absolute.

 

[AZ.]

Is your house located near a power substation? I have seen instances where high voltage transformer grounding can cause a significant voltage potential against grounds that were referenced elsewhere.

A fundamental lesson in electronics is that ground is relative, and not an absolute.

I used to work at Firmi lab. They had 2 separated feeds at 350,000 volts coming in.( 2 different nuke plant feeds)
When the ring was running the amperage at the sub station,went from 8-80 amps, you could hear it. Get close to the fence, feel it. The fence posts were grounded every 4 feet around. And the chain link the same.( around 2 feet off ground then at about 6 feet.....Talk about intense!

 

[harshness]

The "right" thing to do would be to disconnect the red cable from the grounding block and walk away.

What does the green plastic tag read?

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

The "right" thing to do would be to disconnect the red cable from the grounding block and walk away.

What does the green plastic tag read?

One side is blank, the print side reads line-for-line and is all caps....

WARNING
DO NOT REMOVE
THIS GROUND WIRE
SHOULD IT BECOME LOOSE
OR NEED TO BE REMOVED
CONTACT LOCAL CABLE TV

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

I used to work at Firmi lab. They had 2 separated feeds at 350,000 volts coming in.( 2 different nuke plant feeds)
When the ring was running the amperage at the sub station,went from 8-80 amps, you could hear it. Get close to the fence, feel it. The fence posts were grounded every 4 feet around. And the chain link the same.( around 2 feet off ground then at about 6 feet.....Talk about intense!

I'm not aware of any nearby power substations. Copilot says the nearest is in St. Louis, Michigan about 30 miles away

 

[AZ.]

It may have been there to bleed off some voltage. You may have some high voltage close by? Transformer or switching box?

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

It may have been there to bleed off some voltage. You may have some high voltage close by? Transformer or switching box?

The Spectrum hook-up points along the road look like green stumps that are 2 feet high and about a foot in diameter. About every 200 yards there are green boxes that are about 3 feet high, 2 feet wide and 4 feet long. My place is about 80 feet away from the nearest green box.

 

[harshness]

It may have been there to bleed off some voltage. You may have some high voltage close by? Transformer or switching box?

As I noted earlier, whenever a cable enters the home, its "ground" part must be earthed. The question remains as to why it was cut, given that the Spectrum cable is still connected.

 

[AZ.]

As I noted earlier, whenever a cable enters the home, its "ground" part must be earthed. The question remains as to why it was cut, given that the Spectrum cable is still connected.

Im assuming its detached at the pedestal? But agree why didnt they keep the coax attached at the home? None of it adds up completely.

 

[harshness]

Im assuming its detached at the pedestal?

I also assume that is the standard procedure to prevent signal leakage from a cable that may or may not be terminated at the residence. This doesn't remove the Spectrum coax as a possible source of stray incoming current, and that's where this boggles.

But agree why didnt they keep the coax attached at the home?

They did. See the photograph.

 

[CuriousInMichigan]

Im assuming its detached at the pedestal? But agree why didnt they keep the coax attached at the home? None of it adds up completely.

The pedestal has a lock on it so I can't check that.