# CATV grounding



## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

I had cable installed at my house. old house last cable install looked to be 15 to 20yo.The installer ran his ground to a copper pipe, this pipe is bonded to the service,but it is plastic underground fed to the house.I am thinking that this is noncompliant, and that a seperate rod should be used.Any thoughts


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

reddog552 said:


> I had cable installed at my house. old house last cable install looked to be 15 to 20yo.The installer ran his ground to a copper pipe, this pipe is bonded to the service,but it is plastic underground fed to the house.I am thinking that this is noncompliant, and that a seperate rod should be used.Any thoughts


 Your right if the water pipe is plastic then you do not have a cable ground.


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## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> Your right if the water pipe is plastic then you do not have a cable ground.


 I"ll restate that, the in house water pipe is copper fed by a plastic underground pipe.MY question is, isint a ground rod required,even though the copper pipe is bonded to the service?


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

Perfectly legal to connect to interior copper pipe if that pipe is bonded. If it is not them you must use a qualifying electrode. See Art 800.100


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

reddog552 said:


> I"ll restate that, the in house water pipe is copper fed by a plastic underground pipe.MY question is, isint a ground rod required,even though the copper pipe is bonded to the service?




If you have a plastic water line coming into house then you should have an electrode of some sort. We typically install 2 rods.


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## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

*Thanks*

Thats the way i interperated it. Now if the pipe coming into the house was metal it wold meet the requirment correct? There is a ground rod installed.100 amp service #6 wire 1 ground rod. located 35' from cable entrance.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

reddog552 said:


> Thats the way i interperated it. Now if the pipe coming into the house was metal it wold meet the requirment correct?



It would be legal to connect to it if it qualified as an electrode but a qualifying water pipe used as an electrode still needs a supplemental electrode to be code compliant.

*(2) Supplemental Electrode Required. A metal underground
water pipe shall be supplemented by an additional
electrode of a type specified in 250.52(A)(2) through
(A)(8). If the supplemental electrode is of the rod, pipe, or
plate type, it shall comply with 250.53(A). The supplemental
electrode shall be bonded to one of the following:
(1) Grounding electrode conductor
(2) Grounded service-entrance conductor
(3) Nonflexible grounded service raceway
(4) Any grounded service enclosure
(5) As provided by 250.32(B)*
Exception: The supplemental electrode shall be permitted
to be bonded to the interior metal water piping at any
convenient point as specified in 250.68(C)(1), Exception


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## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

What I am getting at is a bonded water pipe not used as a supplemental ground because it is plastic under ground. Cannot be used for grounding CATV. If it was a supplemental ground(being metal burried 10' or more underground) it could be used for grounding? thanks for input.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

reddog552 said:


> What I am getting at is a bonded water pipe not used as a supplemental ground because it is plastic under ground. Cannot be used for grounding CATV. If it was a supplemental ground(being metal burried 10' or more underground) it could be used for grounding? thanks for input.



As I said in my first post if interior is bonded to service IMO it can be used. Read 800.100. 


EDIT: I now think a ground rod would be required.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

reddog552 said:


> What I am getting at is a bonded water pipe not used as a supplemental ground because it is plastic under ground. Cannot be used for grounding CATV. If it was a supplemental ground(being metal burried 10' or more underground) it could be used for grounding? thanks for input.



Get your terminology correct first. The water pipe if it qualifies is an *electrode*. A rod would *supplement* the qualifying electrode.


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## reddog552 (Oct 11, 2007)

Maybe im seeing it wrong or interperting it wrong.I see the interior pipe as a bonded not grounded.Am I off on this.


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## jwjrw (Jan 14, 2010)

reddog552 said:


> Maybe im seeing it wrong or interperting it wrong.I see the interior pipe as a bonded not grounded.Am I off on this.



No you are correct. I was mistaken. You do need a rod to be code compliant. IMO it is grounded thru the "bond" from the service. I would not sweat it.


(3) In Buildings or Structures Without an Intersystem
Bonding Termination or Grounding Means. If the building
or structure served has no intersystem bonding termination
or grounding means, as described in 800.100(B)(2),
the grounding electrode conductor shall be connected to
either of the following:
(1) To any one of the individual electrodes described in
250.52(A)(1), (A)(2), (A)(3), or (A)(4)
(2) If the building or structure served has no intersystem
bonding termination or has no grounding means, as described
in 800.100(B)(2) or (B)(3)(1), to any one of the
individual grounding electrodes described in 250.52(A)(7)
and (A)(8) or to a ground rod or pipe not less than 1.5 m
(5 ft) in length and 12.7 mm (1⁄2 in.) in diameter, driven,
where practicable, into permanently damp earth and separated
from lightning conductors as covered in 800.53 and
at least 1.8 m (6 ft) from electrodes of other systems.
Steam or hot water pipes or air terminal conductors
(lightning-rod conductors) shall not be employed as electrodes
for protectors and grounded metallic members.
(


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