Top posted for closure
I really appreciate the response for this. I wasn't sure why that ground
wire was there so I figure I'd better ask before moving it. I can leave it
in its current position, bonded to the pipes, as the pipes are bonded to the
panel ground, this would make the phone ground the shortest it can be -
otherwise I'd have to route the phone ground wire to the other side of my
house. But at least now I can drill the studs and put up nailplates for
protection and peace of mind that I'm not gonna take out my phone service
with an errant nail in the wall.
Just for comparison, the ROMEX was done in the same fashion, that was
corrected as soon as I uncovered that little piece of handywork.
As to CAT 3 being phone cable, sorry I'm a computer systems architect the
word CAT 3 means networking to me. Besides I thought CAT 1 was phone cable?
"Jim Redelfs" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Eigenvector" wrote:
I can't find a good solid ruling for this one.
That's about to change. Read on...
Are phone lines grounded locally at the house?
Yes.
More accurately, the "protector unit" for the service is connected to an
earth
ground. 14-gauge used to be the norm. 12 was used for years. It's now
10-gauge.
The configuration at my house has the main phone line coming off the
pole,
down to a junction box, where 2 phone lines leave and a single ground
wire
connects to the cold water plumbing.
That sounds right. If done to BSP (old Bell System Practice)
specification,
there should be a tag attached to the ground connection at the electrode
(water pipe, ground rod, etc). It says something to the effect: On pain
of
death, thou shalt not remove the ground. It is enforced by the same thugs
that enforce the mattress tag removal ban. g
I can't find any definite answers
Until now...
as to whether or not that ground wire is required
It is.
desired
Yes.
or useless.
Only until a direct, or near-direct, lightning strike.
The intent is on replacing the whole setup with CAT 5E
It doesn't make sense to connect Cat 5e wire to a "Cat 2-1/2" network.
Cat 5e
works fine for POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) but is certainly
overkill.
It's NETWORKING wire (ethernet, yammer, yammer).
(seeing how it's just as cheap as CAT 3 or phone cable
Uh, Cat 3 *IS* phone cable. 
I don't know if I need to keep the ground wire.
You need to KEEP IT.
It looks like pretty standard 14 gauge wire, in a grey sheath.
If re-doing the system, I'd go 10-gauge, or at least 12.
I have encountered MANY services where the ground wire had NEVER been
connected, some as old as 20-25 years. I declined to ask the customer if
they
had had to replace much/any of their equipment over the years.
I have found services bearing the above-mentioned tag with the ground
clamp
(and tag) "flapping in the breeze" (disconnected). Telephony gets no
respect
at all.
The "protector" at the phone entrance is NOT designed to clamp most
surges -
just the *HUGE* ones, like those delivered with a direct/near-direct
lightning
strike or a power line coming down across a phone cable or drop.
I once encountered an old (restored, fine) farmhouse that took a direct
strike
of lightning. The charge blew the protector housing off the outside of
the
home. Half of the housing was 50-feet away. I never found the other
half.
On the inside of the home, the bolt blew a 2-ft gaping hole in the lathe
and
plaster as it passed between a phone jack and electrical outlet across the
living room.
The charge travelled along the underground "drop" (buried service wire)
about
250-ft out to the road. There it blew apart a 25-pair splice module,
interrupting service to about 20 subscribers beyond.
This protector WAS grounded, for all the good it did. With a direct
strike of
lightning, ALL bets are off.
You want your protector well grounded. Trust me.
--
JR
Climb poles and dig holes
Have staplegun, will travel