I am installing a structured media panel in my basement (unfinished). The instructions for the panel says "Establish an appropriate ground wire between the grounding screw and hte AC power ground point."
I am thinking of running a No. 10 bare copper wire from the ground screw on the box to a nearby outlet's ground wire. Is this OK to do?
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
that would be fine but i would use a shielded wire - not bare
According to :
At most, the outlet's wire is 12ga. 10ga is overkill.
I think you mean "jacketed" or insulated.
True, but first make sure the outlet box is grounded. It should be but may not be.
If your electrical panel is in the basement. I would run an insulated wire over to the ground on your electrical panel. If the panel isn't in the basement, then still see if you can run your wire to the ground connection going to the main electrical panel. Look at the gauge of the ground wire to the main panel and don't bother running anything bigger to your media panel.
I would not particualarly trust the outlet's ground. I'm assuming the media panel will have wires coming from outside the house, so lighting is a possiblity. So don't trust the outlet's ground for two reasons; 1. It may not really be ground and 2. If it is really ground, you don't want to be feeding a lighting hit through your electrical panel to get back to earth. Give it a direct path to earth.
Bernie
True, I lost a router and modem due to lightning voltage. They were on top of my panel. Problem is panel was grounded, cable line was not...
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