|
Posted by HorneTD on July 15, 2005, 5:50 pm
CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert wrote:
> SQLit wrote:
>
>>
>>> Well I spoke too soon. Yesterday I was on my computer when I saw a
>>> flash under my desk and heard a pop. Then I heard the rumble of
>>> thunder. It was immediately clear they were related. My wife
>>> downstairs saw something similar behind the TV.
>>>
>>> My computer froze (or so it appeared) and I turned it off and on again.
>>> it still worked but no internet. To make the story short, My router
>>> and cable modem in the basement had many of their network plugs fried.
>>>
>>> The cable modem had its only network plug fried, and my router had its
>>> WAN port fried, and 2 of 4 LAN ports were fried.
>>>
>>> The equipment is plugged into an outlet 1 foot away from my electrical
>>> service panel. No Surge protector. But an alarm next to it and a co2
>>> detector next to that were not damaged. After a bit of investigation I
>>> have come to believe the surge came in on the cable TV line. Went into
>>> my cable model, and out through the network cable and into my router.
>>> And out of the router into the computer I was on, and another one
>>> downstairs. (Neither computer was damaged)
>>>
>>> I went outside, lo and behold there is my cable grounding block sans a
>>> ground wire. IDIOTS!
>>>
>>> Do I need to call an electrician to ground this thing? Should I call
>>> the cable company and give them an ear full and the bill for my
>>> equipment? Is this a code violation?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Respectfully,
>>>
>>>
>>> CL Gilbert
>>
>>
>>
>> Ya it is a violation. Probably not much you can do about it now. When the
>> company installed my dish set up recently I checked to see if the
>> installer
>> had run the ground wires. He had not. So I queried him on it and he
>> said he
>> was not done. Later I checked and he had not scraped the paint away from
>> the clamp he had used. Back at him again.
>> Might be time to consider a whole house surge arrestor. And arrestors for
>> your phone and cable.
>>
>>
>
> Well I wouldnt mind having one. Where can I find one? But surge
> arresting and proper grounding are seperate issues right? I know the
> arresting requires a proper power system grounding, but is the house
> ground that goes to the water pipes and into the earth for
> surges/lightning?
>
Any Square D distributer can provide a Surgebreaker plus. That will
combine protection for your telephone, TV cable, and power in a single
unit that is installed at the service equipment and uses the electrical
service grounding electrode system.
A low impedance path to ground is essential to surge protection
function. All wire carried utilities that enter your home must be
grounded to the same grounding system. When separate electrodes are
used they must be bonded to each other to prevent surges from grounding
through the very equipment you are trying to protect.
--
Tom Horne
"This alternating current stuff is just a fad. It is much too dangerous
for general use." Thomas Alva Edison
| 
Yahoo! 
Google 
Windows Live 
del.icio.us 
digg 
Netscape 
XML Sitemap