Telephone taps on grounding conductor

[washington1]

I have noticed that the local telephone and sometimes cable TV technicians are tapping onto the grounding conductor at a residence. They are not cutting or splicing the conductor. Is there a problem with this practice?

 

[raider1]

You are allowed to tap off a GEC to provide the grounding conductor required for a telephone or CATV system.

Take a look at 800.100 for telephone systems and 820.100 for CATV systems.

In particular look at xxx.100(B)(1)(6) in each Article. This section says we can connect the grounding conductor to the GEC of the building grounding electrode system.

Chris

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I have noticed that the local telephone and sometimes cable TV technicians are tapping onto the grounding conductor at a residence. They are not cutting or splicing the conductor. Is there a problem with this practice?

There is no problem with it. The phone company allows split bolts onto the wire going to the ground rod. I sometimes sleeve that wire in PVC and they hate it. It makes them have to dig a little to get to our wire.

 

[dereckbc]

Is there a problem with this practice?

No problem whatsoever. In fact that is the best place for them to attach.

 

[augie47]

grounding

grounding

take a quick look at 250.94
NEC actully requires you to provide a means for them to do so.

 

[mdshunk]

take a quick look at 250.94
NEC actully requires you to provide a means for them to do so.

Yes, it was only recently that I bumped into this. The service was on one side of the home, and the telephone subscriber drop, for whatever reason, was on the other end of the home. Had to put a weatherproof punch block can on the end of the house where I had all my phone home runs tailed out (the electrical service end) and run a 25 pair to the end of the home where the subscriber drop was. I also had to run a #8 from a GEC tap to that end of the house also for them to tap onto before they'd give the people a hot phone line. Live and learn...