lightning storm

My system was hit by lightening, it traveled through the coax cable line into my video processor via HDMI and then hit my projector. I had everything on quality surge protectors but it didn’t matter. The electrician I took the equipment to for insurance purposes said that lightening likes to have a path in and out so having things plugged into different wall outlets is an issue.

The electrician I took the equipment to for insurance purposes said that lightening likes to have a path in and out

@hifidream ,

I’m pretty sure he meant more than one earth connection to the electrical grounding system of the house. (From mother earth to the inside of the house and back out of the house to mother earth.)

All mother earth connections should be connected to the main electrical service equipment, service entrance neutral conductor that is bonded to the metal enclosure of the electrical service equipment. That especially includes the shield of the CATV providers coax cable. 

On the outside of your house just before where the coax cable enter your house there should be a grounding block. (sometimes the block is mounted in a plastic weather proof/resistant enclosure).

Here is where it can get tricky. How close is the grounding block from the outdoors electric meter socket enclosure? More than 20 feet?

If  20ft or less a minimum #14awg copper ground wire, (I would use #12awg solid copper minimum), install from the ground block lug to the grounding electrode conductor that come outdoors from the main electrical service equipment and connects to a ground rod(s) in the earth. (Some times the electrical service equipment is mounted outdoors beside the electric meter socket enclosure).

Use an electrical split bolt to connect the #12awg solid copper wire to the #6 bare solid copper wire,  (#6awg solid bare copper is the minimum size per code). (I prefer #4awg bare solid copper wire).

 Clean the bare #6 copper ground wire with a piece of emery cloth or fine sand paper.

Example of a split bolt. 

If distance from the grounding block to the grounding electrode conductor is greater than 20FT post back for instructions.

Grounding and Bonding of Communications Systems   

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I’m pretty sure he meant more than one earth connection to the electrical grounding system of the house. (From mother earth to the inside of the house and back out of the house to mother earth.)

Nope. 

Lightning strikes from coax or network connections aren’t necessarily from ground to ground.  They seek ground potential, but they are not necessarily carried in by the ground conductors. 

What the tech was referring to is that lightning potential seeks a path to ground, and will find the lowest insulated point to go through.  

This is a reason why I specifically do NOT recommend grounding Ethernet "surge protectors."  Best to deny a surge a path via isolators than to allow a low voltage current path which may also convert common mode to differential and enable the passing of a surge downstream. 

In the case of an outside surge coming in from other than the power lines, the series mode protectors have the edge as instead of encouraging the surge path they deny it, but only on the hot wire I believe.  

What the tech was referring to is that lightning potential seeks a path to ground, and will find the lowest insulated point to go through.  

Lightning is non discriminating. It will take any path that is provided to earth. The lower the soil to grounding electrode, (ground rod), resistance the better. Simple OHMS LAW.

Why give it two paths. In and out in the blink of an eye.

Let’s wait for @hifidream to respond to my post above. At this point we don’t know how the CATV grounding block is grounded. I can say if the CATV coax cable is on the opposite side of the house, than the electrical service is on, a ground stake was stuck in the earth and the grounding block was only connected to earth at the ground stake.  Lightning loves those type of grounding installations.  Lightning also loves audio isolated ground rods too.

Bonding communications systems

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