Got a nasty power surge, dead equipment

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

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?

[Choreboy]

I've been told telcos ignore the electrical code and avoid inspections by not getting work permits.

Today a neighbor told me that when he pointed out a code violation in the electrical service to his house, a power-company representive replied that the power company ignores electrical codes.

NEC 820.33 says your cable must be grounded as close as possible to its entrance. NEC 820.40 says the grounding conductor should be insulated

14 AWG copper no longer than 20 feet. If it's more than 20 feet to your main building grounding electrode, you drive an electrode for your cable ground, then connect that electrode to your main grounding electrode with 6 AWG copper.

I've read that it could cause problems for a cable company if their cable were connected to a household ground. What's required is an isolator (two baluns, for example) so that grounding your end doesn't ground the whole cable system to your electrode. I suppose an isolator costs a dollar or so, and the installer ignored the whole thing. Shocking!

At one time in Europe it was customary to display the detached heads of certain malefactors on poles. Problems with lightning damage from ungrounded CATV were not common in those days. Coincidence?

[SQLit]

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.

[CL (dnoyeB) Gilbert]

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?

[gfretwell]

Codes are minimal protection. The water pipe should still be supplimented with another electrode by code tho. If you are serious about protection you should build your own grounding system and bond it to the existing one with #4 solid copper. At a minimum I would drive two 8' rods, at least 6 feet apart, bonded together and to your panel where the water pipe is bonded... Then be sure EVERYTHING connects to the system Cable, satellite, phone. Then you can start think about buying protection devises.

BTW better is a buried copper ground ring that surrounds your house but that may be excessive if you are not in lightning alley.

[HorneTD]

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

[God]

They will determine this an "Act of God". All you can do is sue God. Have your lawyer send the bill to the following address.

God

1 Heavens Gate Heaven, Heaven (there is no zipcode).

Or send email

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