DirecTV Insllation Question - Please help.

[micahl98]

I had some installers come out about 2.5 yrs ago. They installed my dish on a short pole as requested, and then grounded to a ground rod by my Air Conditioner which is on the opposite side of my house from where my electric comes in.

I did not build the house, so I cannot say if that rod is connected to the house-ground; however there is a black wire connected to it that actually goes straight into the house. Is this connecting it to house-ground or simply routing up to the a/c switch above.... well I cannot say with certainty but I'd assume its connected to house-ground b/c why not?.

In any case, my pole rusted out yesterday and the dish fell over. DirecTV came out and refused to install a new one saying they had to use the ground by the main electrical intake box of the house.

If it is not good to use this ground rod why did they do it in the first place? I've never had nay problems with my service - no humming no anything. How can I determine if this is hooked up to my house ground? Is it typical to NOT install a dish ground to the ground near an a/c unit? Am I simplify misinformed entirely?

Many thanks as I have searched high and low for hours reading NEC codes - but I am lost at best.

 

[K8MHZ]

We are now required to have an intersystem bonding connector but that has not always been the case.
I can see the reluctance to connect to anything else, where 'back in the day' they (and CATV) they would just about use anything that looked like a ground rod or conductor.

 

[ceb58]

In any case, my pole rusted out yesterday and the dish fell over. DirecTV came out and refused to install a new one saying they had to use the ground by the main electrical intake box of the house

.

Tell them to get busy working and to be sure and follow 810.21 (2) since you don't have the intersystem bonding bridge.

(2) In Buildings or Structures with Grounding Means.
If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding
termination, the bonding conductor or grounding electrode
conductor shall be connected to the nearest accessible
location on the following:
(1) The building or structure grounding electrode system
as covered in 250.50
(2) The grounded interior metal water piping systems, within
1.52 m (5 ft) from its point of entrance to the building, as
covered in 250.52
(3) The power service accessible means external to the
building, as covered in 250.94
(4) The nonflexible metallic power service raceway
(5) The service equipment enclosure, or
(6) The grounding electrode conductor or the grounding electrode
conductor metal enclosures of the power service
A bonding device intended to provide a termination point
for the bonding conductor (intersystem bonding) shall not interfere
with the opening of an equipment enclosure.Abonding
device shall be mounted on non-removable parts. A bonding
device shall not be mounted on a door or cover even if the
door or cover is non-removable.

 

[Smart $]

If you (or the installers) use the electrode by your A/C, it has to comply with all of 810.21 except the moot subsections which I grayed out:

810.21 Bonding Conductors and Grounding Electrode
Conductors ? Receiving Stations. Bonding conductors
and grounding electrode conductors shall comply with
810.21(A) through (K).
(A) Material. The bonding conductor or grounding electrode
conductor shall be of copper, aluminum, copper-clad
steel, bronze, or similar corrosion-resistant material. Aluminum
or copper-clad aluminum bonding conductors or
grounding electrode conductors shall not be used where in
direct contact with masonry or the earth or where subject to
corrosive conditions. Where used outside, aluminum or
copper-clad aluminum conductors shall not be installed
within 450 mm (18 in.) of the earth.
(B) Insulation. Insulation on bonding conductors or
grounding electrode conductors shall not be required.
(C) Supports. The bonding conductor or grounding electrode
conductor shall be securely fastened in place and
shall be permitted to be directly attached to the surface
wired over without the use of insulating supports.
Exception: Where proper support cannot be provided, the
size of the bonding conductors or grounding electrode conductors
shall be increased proportionately.
(D) Physical Protection. Bonding conductors and grounding
electrode conductors shall be protected where exposed
to physical damage. Where the bonding conductor or
grounding electrode conductor is installed in a metal raceway,
both ends of the raceway shall be bonded to the contained
conductor or to the same terminal or electrode to
which the bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor
is connected.
(E) Run in Straight Line. The bonding conductor or
grounding electrode conductor for an antenna mast or antenna
discharge unit shall be run in as straight a line as
practicable.
(F) Electrode. The bonding conductor or grounding electrode
conductor shall be connected as required in (F)(1)
through (F)(3).
(1) In Buildings or Structures with an Intersystem
Bonding Termination. If the building or structure served
has an intersystem bonding termination as required by
250.94, the bonding conductor shall be connected to the
intersystem bonding termination.
Informational Note: See Article 100 for the definition of
Intersystem Bonding Termination.
(2) In Buildings or Structures with Grounding Means.
If the building or structure served has no intersystem bonding
termination, the bonding conductor or grounding electrode
conductor shall be connected to the nearest accessible
location on the following:
(1) The building or structure grounding electrode system
as covered in 250.50 [Refer to subsections (J) & (K) below.]
(2) The grounded interior metal water piping systems,
within 1.52 m (5 ft) from its point of entrance to the
building, as covered in 250.52
(3) The power service accessible means external to the
building, as covered in 250.94
(4) The nonflexible metallic power service raceway
(5) The service equipment enclosure, or
(6) The grounding electrode conductor or the grounding
electrode conductor metal enclosures of the power
service
A bonding device intended to provide a termination
point for the bonding conductor (intersystem bonding) shall
not interfere with the opening of an equipment enclosure. A
bonding device shall be mounted on non-removable parts.
A bonding device shall not be mounted on a door or cover
even if the door or cover is non-removable.
(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 810.21(F)(2),
the grounding electrode conductor shall be connected to a
grounding electrode as described in 250.52.
(G) Inside or Outside Building. The bonding conductor
or grounding electrode conductor shall be permitted to be
run either inside or outside the building.
(H) Size. The bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor
shall not be smaller than 10 AWG copper, 8 AWG
aluminum, or 17 AWG copper-clad steel or bronze.
(I) Common Ground. A single bonding conductor or
grounding electrode conductor shall be permitted for both
protective and operating purposes.
(J) Bonding of Electrodes. A bonding jumper not smaller
than 6 AWG copper or equivalent shall be connected between
the radio and television equipment grounding electrode
and the power grounding electrode system at the
building or structure served where separate electrodes are
used.
(K) Electrode Connection. Connections to grounding
electrodes shall comply with 250.70.