"Ignoramus10397" wrote in message
.. .
We bought an expensive TV.

Our house is on top of a little hill, but still the tallest in the
area, and was hit by lighting 3 years ago:

http://igor.chudov.com/tmp/lightning/

I want to redo some things in the house so that some things are done
better.


Specifically:

1. Replace existing APC 1400 VA UPS that the "consumer electronics"
including the TV and various audio/video things is on, with an APC
2200.

2. Since the 2200 UPS is too big to hide it near the TV, and too ugly
(I bought a few military surplus used ones) and unsightly, we want to
put it in the basement below the TV area and route the circuit through
it. That is, the UPS would be in series with that receptacle.

Is it safe to wire a receptacle to be on a UPS 100% of the time?

3. I want to install surge protection not only on the incoming power
line (which the APC 2200 should take care of), but also on the "dish"
cable.

What kinds of options do I have?

4. Install a proper lightning rod. I already have a copper rod beaten
into the ground. Can I connect my lightning rod to it? Or do I need a
separate grounding rod?

i

For lightning protection your looking for UL-96a. For insurance you will
need to have the installation inspected and receive a "Master Label".
Lightning protection is not rocket science. But it is certainly not running
an extension cord out to your Christmas yard lights either. You can buy the
parts from several manufactures. HINT..... your going to need more than one
ground rod.
Lightning protection is a sacrificial path to ground. I can guarantee you
even if you have a Master Label on the system if your house gets hit your
going to have a lot more damage than a busted TV.
I worked on a house in Prescott Valley that got hit. We tore every sheet of
drywall off and all of the stucco. Replaced every piece of wiring and
plumbing. Not much of a fire, just a lot of black lines on the stucco and
drywall. Thank god they were not home. Every finial on the roof was gone
and all of the down leads were zebra marks on the finish of the home. Yep
on a hill out by itself.


A whole house surge protection device in the electrical service panel will,
HELP.......
Please check the SOARS book on grounding at your public library.
Surge protection per the IEEE is done in zones. You must have 2 of the three
zones covered/overlapped for "protection" . Third zone is the utility and
their concept of protection is nothing that will do you any good.

Proper grounding of your dish and the underground cable feeding your home
will, HELP......
This does not mean driving a ground rod out there. Unless you follow the
"supplemental grounding" in the NEC. Ever wonder why they tell you stand
with your feet together during a lightning storm?

Ain't no guarantees that after you install all of this equipment that it
will even help.

Each site is different. Please consult local pros for advice before you
start funding the bush economy.

The Soares book is an excellent source of translating code
requirements into useful examples. That is grounding for
human protection. Grounding for transient protection must
enhance that system. Soares is about human safety. Here, we
are discussing the same system enhanced for transistor safety.

Every incoming wire must connect to the same earth ground.
That is now required for human safety - including a 20 foot or
less wire connection. For example cable and dish wires should
be earthed to same AC electric earth ground before entering
building. Neither requires a surge protector. Surge
protector is only a temporary connection to earth. But both
wires are connected to earth by a dedicated wire. Therefore
protector would do little more.

How each utility connects to earth include things not
required by NEC nor in that Soares book. For example,
earthing wire must remain separated from all other wires.
Wires must have no sharp bends, no splices, meet only at a
common point. Wires should be 'less than 10 feet' which is
beyond what is required by code. Every foot shorter means
increased protection.

Geology is an important part of protection analysis. Some
locations can be sufficiently earthed with only a single
ground rod. Others require extensive earthing to be
equivalent. In your case, an AC controller should probably be
mounted on equipotential earth - previous references to a halo
ground.

If one needs better protection, then one starts by enhancing
the earthing system. That is often a largest weakness in any
protection system. That is where bucks can often return more
value - which is why bucks spent on plug-in protectors would
be better spent first on enhancing the earthing system.

If lightning is a major threat, then lightning rods are also
part of the protection system. What determines lightning rod
effectiveness? Earthing. How those lightning rods do and do
not connect to the building earthing system is also important
- part of the art.

Ignoramus32515 wrote:
Thanks SQLit. I do indeed want to avoid wasting money.

I think that there is a cost/benefit ratio at work here and spending
thousands of $$, to protect equipment worth thousands of $$s, against
an unlikely event, does not make sense.

So... I do not need protection against direct lightning strike that
blows up all wiring, I rather want to be protected against lower
power, but more frequent events such as the one that already happened
near my house 3 years ago.

I will use cheap used APC 2200 UPSes for the expensive stuff.

I may use a whole house protector also.

You made an excellent point on grounding the dish. I will also try to
use some sort of surge protection on the TV cables.

This picture of a fax machine protection may also
demonstrate the protection. This picture has one problem.
Phone line protector uses water pipe. Pipes are typically too
long, have solder joints, etc. All contribute to too much
impedance. IOW if that water pipe is too long, sharp turns,
etc, then the surge may just enter on telephone line, pass
through fax, then get earth ground from AC electric.

Just another example of protection from common mode
transients:
http://www.epri-peac.com/tutorials/sol01tut.html

Ignoramus32515 wrote:
Thanks Tom. I asked you in another post to describe just what is the
exact scenario for a common mode surge that an ordinary UPS cannot
properly take care of. I am very interested to find out.

"Ignoramus32515
So... I do not need protection against direct lightning strike that
blows up all wiring, I rather want to be protected against lower
power, but more frequent events such as the one that already happened
near my house 3 years ago.

I will use cheap used APC 2200 UPSes for the expensive stuff.

I may use a whole house protector also. "


Since that is still your belief, I think we should all just give up on
you, as you still obviously haven't understood anything that's been
said. Go put those UPS's on your furnace and TV and make yourself
happy!