Mike, you state:

"E) Run in Straight Line. The grounding conductor must be run in as straight a line as practicable. Author’s Comment: Lightning doesn’t like to travel around corners or through loops, which is why the grounding conductor should be run as straight as practicable."

So is this a mandate by the NEC or is it dependent on other issues. For instance, some home owners associations require specific satellite dish locations that require a longer run from the house main electrical box. Would this nec code require them to wave that policy and have the dish as close as possible to the main house box so as to have a strait and short a run as possible?

In my area., Satellite Dish installations are one of the more obvious examples of 110.12 violations if nothing else. I happened upon your newsletter while browsing for any shared concerns regarding their shoddy practices not knowing about the AP report from Minnesota. I agree with Fred Marion that the "NEC should address accessible ground for a multitude of services to be available outside of the residence".

Jeff Meuse Hooksett, NH

What's the most common problem, grounding?

I see this is a business opportunity for you Mike; you need to develop a class on how to install cable/satellite to meet code. As much as they charge for this stuff, they can afford to send their technicians.

Matt

Does this apply to all 50 states or just Minnesota. Thanks.

First as an Installer I meet the code, second finding a ground is next to impossible whith direct burial and PVC. Homes have stucco or rockery. Even the phone company isn't grounding many of their boxes in my area. I contacted LNI and ther attitude is that"We didn't say it would be easy".I really feel that the NEC should address accessible ground for a multitude of services to be available outside of the residence.

Fred

Even here in Erie, Pa. I see a lack of knowledge or mabe care about grounding of catv or even our phone supplier.

Ken

As a licensed Sound & Video Contractor in the State of Connecticut. I appreciate the article on Dish Network's installations. I have also seen many installs in my area that do not conform to code. Two in particular in the condominiums where I reside. I seems the installer was to quick to get the job done, and on to the next one. He mounted the the dish (Antenna) to the plumbing roof vent pipe which is PVC except where it protrudes thru the roof. When the owners of the condominium units in question start getting roof leaks I wonder who is responsible? I can understand why non conforming installs occur because the service providers only pays a flat rate on its installs usually to a sub contractor for the satellite service provider, who in turn wants to get the job done as fast as possible. This is what I refer to as the free installation provided by the satellite providers. Installers who are licensed and SBCA certified are given training and instruction on how to properly install a system. For my clients I explain what the free install is all about and inform them that I do not do free installs. I use better materials and perform the work to NEC standards and better. In closing I would also mention that I had reported the sites in question to the state electrical board over a year ago and they were going to investigate them. To date nothing has changed they are still on the plumbing vent pipes and most or all the installs at our condominiums are not grounded to the main building ground rod as required by code.

The NEC addresses this problem in Article 250.94

Ed

How can they say the repairs are to be made at "no" cost to the customer? Are they performing the repairs on their own time after regular business hours, no labor costs involved? These labor costs will be "rolled into" next years budgets which will hike up the operating costs. Then being disbursed to the customer thru rate changes. Hardly at "no cost to the customer" If these media companies had properly trained individuals and programs enabled to verify the integrity of the workmanship. Alot of these inadequacies might not exist. Cost cutting measures are killing the economy. Every aspect.....except the attorneys.

Thanks Ed, Seems this tidbit is overlooked by inspector if a final is required. During rough-in the bonding and ground rods are visible. In most cases the inspector signs off. When the house is finished and the Telco or CATV is installed, the ground is nowhere to be found. Another concern is the location of these interface boxes to the natural or propane gas line entering the residence.

That is another subject!

Fred

I find it disturbing that a state agency would scare the daylights out of consumers by telling them their house is at risk from lightening strikes by improperly grounded satellite dishes. Whether grounded or not, the same risk is there. There is no way to ground a dish to protect it from a lightening strike ! I have been on many a service calls where a properly grounded dish was hit by lightening and started a fire in the house, fried all connected electronics, etc. The MN letter is just a ploy to show that their liberal licensing requirements are justified. Total BS! They should appologize to the people!

The original article has a little bit different wording that shows how the state was using scare tactics to make consummers think their houses were at risk.

"Dish Network customers at risk for electrical fires"

"The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry is notifying 6,800 Dish Network customers from Rochester to the Twin Cities to St. Cloud that they could be at risk of an electrical fire during thunderstorms because of an improperly installed satellite TV dish. "

"No fires or injuries have been reported. However, the department randomly audited 100 Dish Network dishes installed in 2004 and 2005 by Galaxy 1 Marketing of Bettendorf, Iowa, and found 80 that failed to meet state electrical code requirements. Most failures involved improper grounding. "

"Dish Network's parent company, EchoStar Communications Corp. of Englewood, Colo., and Galaxy 1 Marketing did not return requests for comment Tuesday. "

"The risk of fire exists regardless of whether the antenna system is used, so turning off the system or having a dish that was never activated doesn't protect the homeowner, the department warned. "

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_km4466/is_200605/ai_n16394019

can you ground tv dishes directly to the ground bar, in an electrical panel thanks

I had a Dish Networks technician come to my Sacramento home in August of 2003 where he tried to install the grounding wire from the antenna to my furnace outlet ground in the attic. He argued briefly with me when I told him that connecting this ground wire to my electrical grounding system was not code ant that it needed to be run to a separate grounding rod beneath the antenna. I explained that lightening arrest is much different than fault clearance. He disconnected the wire at my request and then said that he had to speak to his supervisor about returning to run the ground to an electrode.

In hindsight, I should have called his supervisor. In fact I will call today because they never returned to install the ground.

Best regards,

Bill Quaglia Sacramento, Ca

I spoke with my Electrical Inspector about Article 250-94. He told me that it was up to me to make sure that the electrican provides access to grounding for CATV, phones, and etc. He wasn't going to worry about accessible grounding for other services.

As a side note I requested a # 10 ground wire for a residential interface from an electrician. He installed a #10 from an existing electrical outlet .

Sincerely, Fred Marion

I whole heartedly agree that the satellite industry needs a training book. I also agree that these system need to be properly grounded, but using scare tactics. Come on that\\\'s BS. For those of you like the State of MN that think grounding will prevent fires altogether (isn\\\'t that what they are saying) I\\\'ve got news it won\\\'t So telling people their house will catch fire, and their equipment will blow up is just another Government agency lying to it\\\'s citizens Shame on You MN. Tell the Truth that Grounding is for Shock protection, static bleed, and does have some affect at lightning arrest, but it doesn\\\'t guarantee you won\\\'t have damage due to lightning. But the burning house has a greater affect that\\\'s why they use it eh?

This is in response to Bill Quaglia's posting. Your grounding method of providing a separate ground rod will not meet code unless the dish ground rod is bonded to the main grounding electrode with a 6-AWG copper or equivalent, as per NEC 800.40 D. Separate ground rods not bonded to the main power grounding electrode will cause potential differences between their associated wiring systems. Which by the way may cause audible hum due to this condition.

Why am I not surprised that a sub-contract installer with very little training should fail to ground anything properly. I think 20% is very high, when you figure that those were probably accidental. I wish that we had time to inspect phone, satalite TV, & CATV installations. Since the City I inspect for doesn't require any of the above to be necessary for occupancy of a home, they are never installed at the time of the Final.