Discuss Bonding TV ariels & amps in the Freeview and Terrestrial TV Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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jibjob

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Hi all,

I've been asked by a TV ariel installation company to quote for bonding a soon to be installed TV ariel and amplifier. The service will be shared by a number of flats in the same buliding. Can't find anything in the BRB regarding the regs on this.
Can anyone help/enlighten?:)
 
The bonding should be taken back to the pme...the purpose of main bonding is to ensure there can be no potential difference between conductive parts and extraneous conductive parts....introducing another earth potential via a rod would totally defeat the object of the excercise.

Even for equipment outside of the equipotential zone?
 
The last HMO I did needed a 10mm bond back to MET, this was done at the amp, simply by looping the seperate outgoing cables together, I am looking for a picture that I know I have...................
 
Well, it seems to be established that bonding an ariel being used by more than one dwelling is a sensible idea but how it's done is dependant on the earthing system present. The ariel may well be mounted on a chimney or in the loft. Either way it will connected to equipment within the building some of which may be earthed some that won't. It's the method that's in question, back to the MET or a new spike? A previous post pointed out that you wouldn't put in a spike if you where installing outside lights, you'd run an earth from the dwelling.
As bonding is there to protect against dangerous voltages, I would of thought bonding the ariel to the MET is the right way to go, PME or otherwise. By bonding to a spike you run the risk of introducing a different potential. Please put me right if you think I'm wrong but be gentle:)
 
Before flatscreens there were very high voltages present in crt tv's. The aerial input was double insulated from these voltages but this could break down. I have experienced this twice and know of a plumber wetting himself climbing into a loft and touching a metal splitter whilst touching pipework - class II tv, faulty insulation with no path to earth except up aerial cable. Obviously this is less of an issue now but surely it makes sense to bond when making a direct electrical connection between properties. I do this as a matter of course and won't take a feed of a dish or an aerial for a neighbour unable to receive from their property unless I can bond. Bonding the dish is pointless as the lnb (unit on the feedarm) is insulated from the dish by it's plastic holder
Having said this I placed an order with my aerial suppliers for a bonding (bus) bar two weeks ago to be told they were not stocking them anymore
 
Good point!
I did a CAI (confederation of aerial industries) smatv/matv ((satellite) master antenna television) course some 20 years ago and bonding was compulsory. Have just tried to look this course up but it appears it is no longer current but, not being a CAI member anymore, I may not be able to find it because of restricted access. However they are running similar courses for part P compliancy.
Did find this though Earth Bonding - Aerial Concepts
 
I like this topic also.

The fact that the aerial will now act as a huge lightning conductor opened my eyes.

I mean if you have a metal dvd recorder and the coaxial input socket is made of metal then this will give electrical continuity from the aerial to the metal chasis of the dvd recorder.

I presume the metal chasis of the dvd recorder is earthed although I don't really know for sure and this earthed chasis would provide a return path for currents back to the MET via the circuit CPC.

If the case of the dvd player is earthed and the aerial is sticking out the side of the building have I already got a massive lightning conductor already?

The lightning would go down my aerial to my dvd recorder, along the circuit CPC to the MET and then back to the earthed spike at the transformer.

Does this make sense or am I barking up the wrong tree?
 
The discussion is more about multiple dwellings.
Most dvd's dvr's etc are class 2. I looked into the issue of what is required in a single dwelling after a lightning strike on an aerial which travelled down the cable, burst through the insulation and arced onto a central heating pipe blowing a hole in it. Unfortunately the customers ch system was a continuous fill system from a header tank, it took him ages to turn off his main stopcock and the water damage was staggering. I was informed that there were no earthing obligations on an installer. Second incident I detailed in an earlier post where a plumber got a severe belt off a splitter. Again as this was contained within a single dwelling there was no earthing obligation on the installer. In this latter incident I was informed that the customer was at fault for not providing a safe environment for the plumber to work in!
The issue is with multiple dwellings and introducing different potentials in these
 
I like this topic also.

The fact that the aerial will now act as a huge lightning conductor opened my eyes.

This thread interests me as well because our local (South African) electrical regs have recently been amended in this regard. It's now a requirement that all antenna and satellite dish systems be earthed...not just communal ones. It's now also required that an earth block is installed in the roof space as part of the electrical installation for other contractors such as audio-visual to access and utilize. The earth block is connected to the main consumer unit earth bar via a suitably sized conductor.
 

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