In my house the phone wires come into the basement (from the
externally-mounted demarcation box) to a junction block that looks
like this one:

http://thisishowweparty.com/img/dmarc1.jpg

(This isn't mine, it's illustrating an unrelated post that I happened
to find. It's also referenced he http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23986992)

On mine, the phone wires are joined under the outboard nuts. On the
one in the picture, there aren't any phone wires. But on this one, as
on mine, the centre screw is grounded (on mine, to the copper water
pipe, near where the electrical service is grounded).

But the block is of some composite material and there is no obvious
connection from either wire terminal to that centre screw. So what the
heck's the point of grounding it?

I'd like to remove, or at least relocate, this block and modernize the
phone cabling.Are devices like this still current? If not, what's the
"current" correct replacement device?

Thanks,

Chip C
Toronto

On 6/18/2012 5:43 PM, Chip C wrote:
In my house the phone wires come into the basement (from the
externally-mounted demarcation box) to a junction block that looks
like this one:

http://thisishowweparty.com/img/dmarc1.jpg

(This isn't mine, it's illustrating an unrelated post that I happened
to find. It's also referenced he http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23986992)

On mine, the phone wires are joined under the outboard nuts. On the
one in the picture, there aren't any phone wires. But on this one, as
on mine, the centre screw is grounded (on mine, to the copper water
pipe, near where the electrical service is grounded).

But the block is of some composite material and there is no obvious
connection from either wire terminal to that centre screw. So what the
heck's the point of grounding it?

I'd like to remove, or at least relocate, this block and modernize the
phone cabling.Are devices like this still current? If not, what's the
"current" correct replacement device?

Thanks,

Chip C
Toronto

If you backed out one of those screws you would find the obvious
connection. There is a carbon spark gap under each screw.

Those carbon spark gap protectors are still in use for old inside demarc
points.

Chip C wrote:
In my house the phone wires come into the basement (from the
externally-mounted demarcation box) to a junction block that looks
like this one:

http://thisishowweparty.com/img/dmarc1.jpg

(This isn't mine, it's illustrating an unrelated post that I happened
to find. It's also referenced he http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23986992)

On mine, the phone wires are joined under the outboard nuts. On the
one in the picture, there aren't any phone wires. But on this one, as
on mine, the centre screw is grounded (on mine, to the copper water
pipe, near where the electrical service is grounded).

But the block is of some composite material and there is no obvious
connection from either wire terminal to that centre screw. So what the
heck's the point of grounding it?

I'd like to remove, or at least relocate, this block and modernize the
phone cabling.Are devices like this still current? If not, what's the
"current" correct replacement device?

Thanks,

Chip C
Toronto

The old phones had the third wire ground, go to the phone. To my knowledge,
new phones don't use it locally. I used to put movs from two outer to
ground for protection.

Greg

On Jun 18, 2:43*pm, Chip C wrote:
In my house the phone wires come into the basement (from the
externally-mounted demarcation box) to a junction block that looks
like this one:

http://thisishowweparty.com/img/dmarc1.jpg

(This isn't mine, it's illustrating an unrelated post that I happened
to find. It's also referenced hehttp://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23986992)

On mine, the phone wires are joined under the outboard nuts. On the
one in the picture, there aren't any phone wires. But on this one, as
on mine, the centre screw is grounded (on mine, to the copper water
pipe, near where the electrical service is grounded).

But the block is of some composite material and there is no obvious
connection from either wire terminal to that centre screw. So what the
heck's the point of grounding it?

I'd like to remove, or at least relocate, this block and modernize the
phone cabling.Are devices like this still current? If not, what's the
"current" correct replacement device?

Thanks,

Chip C
Toronto

that ugly thing serves a function, don't remove without replacing with
'better' setup.

On Jun 18, 7:57*pm, wrote:
On Mon, 18 Jun 2012 14:43:39 -0700 (PDT), Chip C





wrote:
In my house the phone wires come into the basement (from the
externally-mounted demarcation box) to a junction block that looks
like this one:

http://thisishowweparty.com/img/dmarc1.jpg

(This isn't mine, it's illustrating an unrelated post that I happened
to find. It's also referenced hehttp://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23986992)

On mine, the phone wires are joined under the outboard nuts. On the
one in the picture, there aren't any phone wires. But on this one, as
on mine, the centre screw is grounded (on mine, to the copper water
pipe, near where the electrical service is grounded).

But the block is of some composite material and there is no obvious
connection from either wire terminal to that centre screw. So what the
heck's the point of grounding it?

I'd like to remove, or at least relocate, this block and modernize the
phone cabling.Are devices like this still current? If not, what's the
"current" correct replacement device?

Thanks,

Chip C
Toronto

That is the old style surge protector. It was good enough to save a
POTS phone that was not connected to anything else.
Some telcos swapped the carbon protectors with gas protectors (under
the screws George was talking about) but if you have anything
electronic hooked to the phone line, you need more robust protection,
connected to your electrical service grounding electrode- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

+1

On 6/18/2012 4:43 PM, Chip C wrote:
In my house the phone wires come into the basement (from the
externally-mounted demarcation box) to a junction block that looks
like this one:

http://thisishowweparty.com/img/dmarc1.jpg

(This isn't mine, it's illustrating an unrelated post that I happened
to find. It's also referenced he http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,23986992)

On mine, the phone wires are joined under the outboard nuts. On the
one in the picture, there aren't any phone wires. But on this one, as
on mine, the centre screw is grounded (on mine, to the copper water
pipe, near where the electrical service is grounded).

But the block is of some composite material and there is no obvious
connection from either wire terminal to that centre screw. So what the
heck's the point of grounding it?

I'd like to remove, or at least relocate, this block and modernize the
phone cabling.Are devices like this still current? If not, what's the
"current" correct replacement device?

Thanks,

Chip C
Toronto


That block is called a Lightning Arrestor. The name is self
explanatory but if you want to know more see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_arrester.

LdB