ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area 4160V to ground on RG-6 Cable

While driving one day during a bad thunderstorm, I witnessed a branch from a tree land across all three phases of a 7200V pole. Beautiful blues, yellows, oranges and purples in the arc flash... (neat!)...

Anyway, I immediately pull over into the first driveway I see and call th PoCo. I give them GPS co-ordinates and figure that's about all I can do, so I tell the home owners that the PoCo has been notified.

Well, the thing continues to burn, a green branch in a downpour, mind you... but I got places to go, so I leave knowing the PoCo will be on their way and there's nothing I can do.

Turns out (after I left) the one phase OCPD never opened up, and the tree branch continued to be energized and burning until it burnt the conductor in two at which point it goes dancing all around until making contact with the TV Cable.

4160V (to ground) on RG-6 is not a good thing.

The first pix shows the first splitter in the house:



The second pix shows the RG-6 entrance into the house:

They are fortunate that there is still a house standing!

I don't see any bonding conducter or ground block installed for that RG6 IN bc canada we have to use a #6 AWG bond to ground

Sparky66wv
Thank you for the pictures of this. Very cool stuff.

Pierre

What happened to there TV,s/VCRS?

Welcome A_Sparky_In_Training ,
i'd wager the occupants are missin' the flinstones.............

dougwells:

In the second photo, is that a grounding conductor coming from the meter pan? Looks like that got scorched also.

sparky66wv:

Is that a PVC plumbing pipe in the first photo?

Think Good, that does appear to be a PVC water line in that photo.

That splitter ain't looking too happy!.
Bet it went off with a bang!!.
Thanks for the pics, mate.