Grounding Question

[reubenray]

I will be installing the new dish tomorrow and have a grounding question.

Can I connect the grounding wire to the same clamp that my electrical panel is clamped to at my copper water line?

[houskamp]

I will be installing the new dish tomorrow and have a grounding question.

Can I connect the grounding wire to the same clamp that my electrical panel is clamped to at my copper water line?
Don't mess with the existing clamp.. Buy a second one and put it next to the other one..

[Johnnie5000]

Don't mess with the existing clamp.. Buy a second one and put it next to the other one..

What he said.
They're cheap too.
http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/JVI/GC1_Grounding%20_Clamp.htm

[joe diamond]

I will be installing the new dish tomorrow and have a grounding question.

Can I connect the grounding wire to the same clamp that my electrical panel is clamped to at my copper water line?

You may not be in compliance now. Most folks have a requirement for a rod as the primary ground. Water pipes etc. can move or deteriorate in their function while a ground rod...about 8 ft by 5/8" will still be there. Not black iron pipe and not rebar...ground rod!

I would check and consider moving up.

Joe

[excalibur26]

Many feel that a separate grounding rod can cause problems, do a Google on this.

IMO, better to ground to an available junction box that is itself grounded through the electrical panel, keeping one ground to the building.

[brant]

water pipes have to remain grounded. current code requires pipes + ground rod. if there are no copper pipes (or other grounding means), then its two ground rods.

[2dogz]

When new NEC regs are released every three years, they are not retroactive. So you don't have to rewire your house whenever there is a change (unless you are actually rewiring the house, then new code applies).

OP's house was built 25 to 40 years ago and ground to cold water copper pipe was the the rule. Makes a damn fine ground too. Today copper is not used as much because it's about 2 bucks plus a foot and it's hard to keep it from being stolen from the job site at night (even after it's been installed!) So the code has evolved to deal with PVC and pex tubing pipe that are not very useful as a ground.

As houskamp said in post #2, just get a new clamp at the depot. Will work just fine.

[houskamp]

also make sure the new clamp is the same material.. copper and steel pipes take diff clamps..

[2dogz]

also make sure the new clamp is the same material.. copper and steel pipes take diff clamps..

Good tip. Yet note that brass and copper do mix. Most clamps for copper will be brass because it's a harder material.

[IDRick]

Is there a grounding clamp (for a water pipe) that will accept a #6 guage wire from an isolated ground?

[2dogz]

Is there a grounding clamp (for a water pipe) that will accept a #6 guage wire from an isolated ground?

I got one in my house, built circa 1963. Grounds main circuit breaker box to cold water pipe. Since code still allows house ground to cold water copper pipe within 5 feet of entry to dwelling, I'm sure they are still available.

[brant]

Is there a grounding clamp (for a water pipe) that will accept a #6 guage wire from an isolated ground?

did you mean insulated?

if not, what exactly are you trying to isolate? and why? just curious. . .

[IDRick]

did you mean insulated?

if not, what exactly are you trying to isolate? and why? just curious. . .

Perhaps I used the term incorrectly.... I assume that a new ground rod is considered "isolated" from the home grounding network until it is interconnected with #6 guage copper wire. I was just asking a specific question on which ground clamp to use when bonding a new ground rod to my cold water pipe (house ground).

[sperho]

Is there a grounding clamp (for a water pipe) that will accept a #6 guage wire from an isolated ground?

Yes. I saw them in Lowes yesterday when I went to pick up my grounding supplies.

[IDRick]

Yes. I saw them in Lowes yesterday when I went to pick up my grounding supplies.

Thanks sperho! Looks like I'll be shopping at Lowe's this weekend!

Best,

Rick