Grounding

[cf3]

My original dish equipment was installed in 1998. At some point Dish 500 was installed. Original installer did not ground the equipment. What's the best solution for grounding?

 

[skyviewmark]

It has worked since 1998. and now you want to worry about grounding it?? It won't work any better or worse... If it ain't broke, Don't Fix it..

 

[cf3]

Nope. Don't really want to do anything -except- last time a Dish contractor came out to troubleshoot a problem he said he couldn't work on the outside stuff unless it is grounded.

 

[skyviewmark]

Sounds like you got a lazy tech that just wanted to go home that day..

 

[stardust3]

Didn't know dish required customers to ground their own systems before a tech worked on it. That used to be the techs job.

 

[dakn2]

Grounding is just common sense for safety. Just ask anyone who's house has been struck by lightening (I actually know of two - one through a TV antenna (vaporized) and one via the rain gutter).

I had grounded my original installation 12 years ago; when it was upgraded by Dish for HD I later discovered that the installer clipped the ground wire. I called to complain and was told that it was to prevent ground loop issues. Talk about reading a script and having no idea what the heck you're talking about...

 

[skyviewmark]

Grounding Does Virtually nothing to stop lightning.. This is the great lie.. Grounding may help static electricity buildup from happening.. But for the most case it is just a liabilty issue and thus is written into the electric code.

Most everyones Phone lines and Power panels are grounded.. But the majority of lightning issues happen through the power and phone lines.. The Dish rarely gets hit.. And when it does, Grounding isn't going to stop the aftermath,

 

[papalittle]

I agree 100%

Grounding Does Virtually nothing to stop lightning.. This is the great lie.. Grounding may help static electricity buildup from happening.. But for the most case it is just a liabilty issue and thus is written into the electric code.

Most everyones Phone lines and Power panels are grounded.. But the majority of lightning issues happen through the power and phone lines.. The Dish rarely gets hit.. And when it does, Grounding isn't going to stop the aftermath,

 

[hudgreen]

I have had more then a few systems that wouldn't work correctly if grounded.
If the house has a non grounded 2 wire (fuse) electrical system then the coax becomes the ground for that leg or zone which can cause all sorts of problems
clipping the ground wire sometimes is the only way to get them to work reliably (short of having them modernize there wiring and panel)
also grounding to a seprate ground rod (that's not "bonded on" to the house wireing )is not a good idea and may have been why your tec cut your ground wire DAKN2

 

[Teehar]

Grounding Does Virtually nothing to stop lightning.. This is the great lie.. Grounding may help static electricity buildup from happening.. But for the most case it is just a liabilty issue and thus is written into the electric code.

Most everyones Phone lines and Power panels are grounded.. But the majority of lightning issues happen through the power and phone lines.. The Dish rarely gets hit.. And when it does, Grounding isn't going to stop the aftermath,

Always been a proponent of grounding,makes me feel better anyway.However last year we had a strike on the pole that the phone line comes in on,I have a dish500 mounted on that same pole and grounded according to code.That one strike fried the dsl filter on the outside service box,fried a quad lnb,fried one hdmi port of a 622 and vizio tv,fried the modem portion of our fax machine.Very tough lick.When the phone man came to repair he showed me the filter where the strike had hit and it was melted together!So imo the ground didn't do much,then again could have prevented a fire?Who knows.

 

[Neutron]

Our new system installed on the 17th isn't properly grounded either. The tech installed the grounding block but didn't run a ground wire to the ground. I talked with him the other day about this and he told me that due to the fact that the common ground is more distance away than the nearest receiver he said it would have been pointless to ground it there, and that the house acts as the ground in this case. He did say I could ground it myself by running a wire down the length of the house to the ground but that he wasn't allowed to do that.

 

[jwalt]

grounding prevents more problems than it incurs, do it everytime

 

[skyviewmark]

grounding prevents more problems than it incurs, do it everytime

Another one that Drank the Kool-Aid from Dish Propaganda..

Grounding IMHO actually creates more problems than it fixes.. Any outdoor connection is going to corrode. Which will create more problems than the ground helps..

 

[topcat5]

Our new system installed on the 17th isn't properly grounded either. The tech installed the grounding block but didn't run a ground wire to the ground. I talked with him the other day about this and he told me that due to the fact that the common ground is more distance away than the nearest receiver he said it would have been pointless to ground it there, and that the house acts as the ground in this case. He did say I could ground it myself by running a wire down the length of the house to the ground but that he wasn't allowed to do that.

Your installer had the right answer and it sounds as if he did a proper job. You don't want two grounds on a home as that can cause a grounding loop which can lead to numerous types of problems with equipment.

 

[upsss]

Our new system installed on the 17th isn't properly grounded either. The tech installed the grounding block but didn't run a ground wire to the ground. I talked with him the other day about this and he told me that due to the fact that the common ground is more distance away than the nearest receiver he said it would have been pointless to ground it there, and that the house acts as the ground in this case. He did say I could ground it myself by running a wire down the length of the house to the ground but that he wasn't allowed to do that.

Your Dish is automatically grounded (assuming the grounding block is electrically attached to the mounting foot/mast) when you attache the coax to the receiver and plug in the receiver into a properly grounded power outlet.

Grounding the Dish externally cannot hurt under normal conditions and may be required by local codes. In any case, grounding the Dish will not protect you from getting hit by a lightning nor protect your equipment from damage if you do get hit. If your receiver doesn't function properly because your Dish is externally properly grounded, that is a clear indication that you have a serious problem with your house wiring.

 

[rta53]

Another one that Drank the Kool-Aid from Dish Propaganda..

Grounding IMHO actually creates more problems than it fixes.. Any outdoor connection is going to corrode. Which will create more problems than the ground helps..

Satellite installers did not invent the requirements for proper grounding. This is established by the NEC. The very first article in the NEC states that its purpose is to safeguard persons and property from hazards arising from the use of electricity.

Proper grounding is a very important aspect of this protection. There are three basic reasons for grounding:

1. To facilitate the operation of overcurrent devices such as fuses and circuit breakers by providing a low-impedance path from the point of a ground fault to the electrical supply source.
2. To stabilize the voltage to earth during normal operating conditions which helps to maintain the voltage at one level relative to ground.
3. To limit the voltage caused by lightning, line surges, or unintentional contact with higher voltage lines.

Ideally you want to ground all equipment back to one location, ie at your electrical service main grounding electrode. New homes are actually required to provide what's called an intersystem bonding termination which is basically a grounding block that provides one point for CATV, satellite dishes, telephone equipment, etc to be bonded to the electrical system ground.

My main point here is to take exception to the poster's statement that grounding causes more problems than it fixes. A properly grounded electrical system will minimize problems and help to protect you and your property.