Cable Blog

How to Ground a TV Antenna Correctly

  Although DIY grounding is easy to do with some general research (provided below), we recommend that you hire the services of a licensed electrician. The professional will either inspect your homemade grounding system or do the grounding for you.

  In this article, we describe the normal grounding process. If, however, there is a water line beneath your house, contact a professional for help.

  Hey! By the way… any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you make a purchase. Thanks in advance for your support!

  House wire is already pre-installed in your house and is made of a thick piece of copper metal that is connected to a metal rod beneath the earth.?

  Before you begin installing your TV aerial, identify the location of the house ground wire and inspect it for any signs of corrosion.?

  If your wire is damaged, do not attempt to repair it yourself. Get it replaced by an electrician, as faulty repairs can lead to catastrophic damage to your house.

  You need two copper cables with a minimum thickness of 10AWG. These copper wires must, however, be smaller than the house ground wire which is usually between 6-2AWG.

  The first grounding cable connects to the antenna mast and the second connects the coaxial cable to the ground.?

  A mast clamp is used to attach a ground wire to the antenna pole. The clamping device can be either a pipe clamp or a ground strap.

  Piper clamps were originally intended for joining grounding rods, but they have gained popularity as superb mast clamps.

  Another way of attaching a grounding cable to the antenna without a clamp is to attach it to one of the bolts on the antenna rod.?

  Note: If the area on the antenna that the grounding wire should be attached to is painted or coated, scrape the paint off so that it comes into direct contact with the ground wire.

  This device is used to ground the coaxial cable of the antenna. It is technically known as the antenna discharge unit.?

  Coaxial grounding blocks come in two types:

  This is the most common grounding block used in homes. It is located at the point where the coaxial cable enters your house.?

  The grounding block allows any static electricity to discharge from the coaxial cable, while the broadcast goes on uninterrupted.

  To install the standard grounding block, attach one side of the coax cable to this block. Attach another, separate piece of coax cable to the other side of the block, then connect it to the television.

  The grounding block has two holes with clamping screws to facilitate this kind of installation.?

  The coax lightning arrestor is for homes that are at a high risk of a direct lightning strike.?

  The lightning arrestor is filled with gas that ionizes when lightning strikes. The arrested charges are then directed towards the ground.

  Back to the antenna mast and coax cable grounding wires, run them down and connect both of them to the house ground wire. Ground the clamps securely to keep the cables in place.

  You can also use an Intersystem bonding termination bar to connect grounding wires without having to uninstall the house grounding wire.

  The bonding bar allows the installation of multiple grounding wires to the house ground wire without any adverse effects.

  You need enough cable to cover the length of two segments to and from the coax grounding block.

  Two sections of the outdoor antenna must be grounded, these are the mast and the coaxial cable.

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