Does Dish need to be grounded?

I should also mention that nothing runs from the ground block to ground the dish. It's just the ground block with the cable from the dish to the receiver. I don't want to attach a grounding wire and new rod, and it's too far to attach to my house grounding rod. The garage is attached to the house but the ground block is in the back of the house and the grounding rod is in the front.

By code it must, but ... in reality ... we always think it will not happen. If you can - do the proper ground.
There are many things to consider when making the decision - is near your house some tall structures , trees, etc ?

If it really needs to be grounded I'll have to get an electrican, I guess. The original guy connected a grounding wire to my house grounding rod but didn't connect it to the dish, just looped it around the mast. Today's tech cut the wire that was looped around the mast and said it wasn't connected to the dish anyway. The tech today was very nice but didn't really know what to do about grounding. He said to put in another grounding rod and left me some grounding wire to attach to the ground block. So should I call an electrican or try to get a tech who knows how to ground properly?

You can get ground rods at most hardware stores and if your soil isn't too hard (like mine is right now in our drought), they aren't too hard to sink if you have someone who knows how to use a sledge hammer. They'll have a clamp pre-attached for the ground wire.

The danger isn't just from a direct lightning strike... a nearby strike can essentially "induce" enough of a charge to an ungrounded antenna to cause damage.

We had an improperly grounded cable installation that resulted in a blown TV many years ago. It had been that way for years... but it only took that one nearby strike one time to blow a TV.

SayWhat? said:

You can get ground rods at most hardware stores and if your soil isn't too hard (like mine is right now in our drought), they aren't too hard to sink if you have someone who knows how to use a sledge hammer. They'll have a clamp pre-attached for the ground wire.

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We coming to dangerous territory !

Electrically connected buildings having different rods must have proper bonding between these !

jane8851 said:

If it really needs to be grounded I'll have to get an electrican, I guess. The original guy connected a grounding wire to my house grounding rod but didn't connect it to the dish, just looped it around the mast. Today's tech cut the wire that was looped around the mast and said it wasn't connected to the dish anyway. The tech today was very nice but didn't really know what to do about grounding. He said to put in another grounding rod and left me some grounding wire to attach to the ground block. So should I call an electrican or try to get a tech who knows how to ground properly?

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Please clarify this post, it looks like a ground wire is run from house ground to the dish but todays technician cut that wire off the mast. If I am reading this correctly all you need to do is attach that wire to the structure of the dish. Usually a 1/4x20 nut and bolt attach the ground wire to a hole on the dish or mast.

To clarify:
The previous guy ran coax (not the green grounding wire) from my house ground rod to the mast of the dish on the roof but didn't attach it anywhere, just wound the coax around the mast. Today's tech removed that wire and told me it wasn't right. He put a ground block near where the cable comes into the house and attached the green ground wire but didn't have a ground rod - told me what to buy and how to complete the ground. I have to say the guy was very nice and really tried to help me BUT - I don't want to install another ground rod - I want it grounded to the house ground rod which we can't do now because it's too far away from the ground block. How can I do that with the ground block so far away, can I just somehow attach the green ground wire to the mast somehow and run it to my house ground rod? If so how and is that safe?

I can't see what your circumstances are so to answer questions like is the run too long are impossible. Complain to DISH that the job wasn't completed. Or you can hire an electrician if you don't mind spending the money.

When we had DISH installed they were leaving when I asked about 'grounding'. The installer said he'd be glad to do it and put the green wire down the building direct to the garden faucet.
We are still alive.

"Doug Higley" said:

When we had DISH installed they were leaving when I asked about 'grounding'. The installer said he'd be glad to do it and put the green wire down the building direct to the garden faucet.
We are still alive.

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That's not a proper ground. There are many reasons to ground a dish correctly, and really no reason not to. A water faucet doesn't even approach code. If your system isn't grounded correctly and you're still under warranty, call Dish.

jane8851 said:

BUT - I don't want to install another ground rod - I want it grounded to the house ground rod which we can't do now because it's too far away from the ground block. How can I do that with the ground block so far away, can I just somehow attach the green ground wire to the mast somehow and run it to my house ground rod? If so how and is that safe?

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Why the opposition to another ground rod? If you're concerned about bonding, talk to an electrician. If you have power in the garage, the house and garage should already be bonded. The new ground rod can be bonded to the garage ground.

If the house is 'too far', running a 12 gauge ground wire won't accomplish anything. You want as short a ground run as possible, preferably without turns and bends.

Doug Higley said:

direct to the garden faucet.

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greatwhitenorth said:

That's not a proper ground.

A water faucet doesn't even approach code.

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That used to be standard practice when underground pipes were cast iron and in-house plumbing was copper. Most water pipe now is PVC, so faucet grounding doesn't work any more.

SayWhat? said:

...they aren't too hard to sink if you have someone who knows how to use a sledge hammer...

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I always use a grounding rod, but no sledge needed -- simply use an electric drill to sink ground rod into most soil. Easy.

Can someone post pictures of how the properly grounded dish should look? From Dish through the wiring to the ground block?

runner861 said:

Can someone post pictures of how the properly grounded dish should look? From Dish through the wiring to the ground block?

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It's on third page of each manual.

Tech returned today and grounded dish to the house ground rod. All is well and in code now.

Great to hear it got grounded.While there will always be the ground not to ground argument its still the code that dish requires to meet the electrical code. You cannot simply drive a rod in the ground and call it good. If you drive a rod in it still needs to be connected to the main electrical supply ground.There are rules about distance between rods an stuff like that but bottom line code requires the dish an coax ground be connected to the main electrical ground.