Yet another grounding question

[docderwood]

Dish is on one side of the house. On the same side of the house, there are 2 200 AMP breaker panels. However, the point that utilities enters (with the grounding rod) is all the way on the other side of the house (150feet).

Can I run a 6 AWG cable to the breaker panel to the grounding points?

the thought of driving an 8 foot grounding in rod next to the dish and binding it to the panel box bums me out.

Thoughts??
Advice??

thx!

[AntAltMike]

All you are going to get here are opinions that you will like and opinions that you won't like, and you will be inclined to go with the ones you like.

I don't shell out $60 every three years when the code gets updated. As of the last time I bought a copy, you couldn't ground to the breaker box. Over the last few years, however, a number of posters at this forum and others have claimed that you can ground to something called a "raceway", which I think is a term used for the big conduit that goes from the box where the meter is to the main breaker box. But the thing is, you will not be able to establish the veracity of that suggestion simply by reading posts here.

Why do you care if your installation meets the letter of the electrical code? "Professiojnal" installers care because they can get penalized by their employer for not meeting the letter of the code, but the fact is, if your installation almost meets the code, it protects you at least almost as well. The code now prohibits residential satellite installations from grounding to a cold water pipe, but I ground to it often and so do nearly all other independent installers.

If you feel that you must try to comply with the code, you should discuss this with your local electrical inspector, and see if he believes it is OK to ground to the raceway that connects the breaker box with the service panel.

[wildbill129]

Dish is on one side of the house. On the same side of the house, there are 2 200 AMP breaker panels. However, the point that utilities enters (with the grounding rod) is all the way on the other side of the house (150feet).

Can I run a 6 AWG cable to the breaker panel to the grounding points?

the thought of driving an 8 foot grounding in rod next to the dish and binding it to the panel box bums me out.

Thoughts??
Advice??

thx!

Ground it to a cold water pipe.....save yourself some headache...

[aim2pls]

All you are going to get here are opinions that you will like and opinions that you won't like, and you will be inclined to go with the ones you like.

I don't shell out $60 every three years when the code gets updated. As of the last time I bought a copy, you couldn't ground to the breaker box. Over the last few years, however, a number of posters at this forum and others have claimed that you can ground to something called a "raceway", which I think is a term used for the big conduit that goes from the box where the meter is to the main breaker box. But the thing is, you will not be able to establish the veracity of that suggestion simply by reading posts here.

Why do you care if your installation meets the letter of the electrical code? "Professiojnal" installers care because they can get penalized by their employer for not meeting the letter of the code, but the fact is, if your installation almost meets the code, it protects you at least almost as well. The code now prohibits residential satellite installations from grounding to a cold water pipe, but I ground to it often and so do nearly all other independent installers.

If you feel that you must try to comply with the code, you should discuss this with your local electrical inspector, and see if he believes it is OK to ground to the raceway that connects the breaker box with the service panel.

another point to consider .... "local" code enforcement officials (wire inspectors) can exceed the code book at their whim .. this is totally legal