line_noise
Member
Here's my situation, I'm trying to advise cable TV company on what to do. They purchased the cable distribution for a large residential planned community, and are upgrading their current underground outside plant with new cable to the existing splitter.
1. Homes are older, built in 60's or 70's probably, all are multi-family, duplex, triplex, quadplex, etc. Electrical power is from outside underground feeders, owned by the property manager in some cases, and utility service in others.
2. Electrical panels are on a common interior wall, and apparently were grounded and bonded in the same common utility room. The underground feeder (or service conductors) and cold water pipe run some distance under the floor slab and are thus inaccessible at the exterior.
3. There is no way to get to the electrical panel or service ground with concealed wiring without a fair amount of work, including cutting into finished walls and ceiling. Contacting all of the residents and scheduling all the work could literally take years, housing unit ownership is condominimum, so the property management company does not have as much right to force entry as in an apartment complex.
4. The existing cable TV service was grounded via separate exterior electrode, but not bonded to the service/outside feeder grounding electrode.
5. The cable TV company has proposed bonding the existing ground rod to the outside AC unit disconnect, which has a #10 EGC to the electrical panel. I don't think this meets code.
My question is, does the cable TV company have responsibility here to meet NEC 820? Why can't they say that they are exempt from the entire NEC per 90.2 (B)(2)? The electrical inspector will not rule because no permits were issued, as no permits are required for this outside work. The homes all had cable TV service with the improper bonding before the new company got involved. Ideally the situation should have been known before the new company purchased the system, so the purchase agreement could have identified the problem and spelled out responsibility to fix, either with the Owner or contractor. But that did not happen and it is too late to go back now.
1. Homes are older, built in 60's or 70's probably, all are multi-family, duplex, triplex, quadplex, etc. Electrical power is from outside underground feeders, owned by the property manager in some cases, and utility service in others.
2. Electrical panels are on a common interior wall, and apparently were grounded and bonded in the same common utility room. The underground feeder (or service conductors) and cold water pipe run some distance under the floor slab and are thus inaccessible at the exterior.
3. There is no way to get to the electrical panel or service ground with concealed wiring without a fair amount of work, including cutting into finished walls and ceiling. Contacting all of the residents and scheduling all the work could literally take years, housing unit ownership is condominimum, so the property management company does not have as much right to force entry as in an apartment complex.
4. The existing cable TV service was grounded via separate exterior electrode, but not bonded to the service/outside feeder grounding electrode.
5. The cable TV company has proposed bonding the existing ground rod to the outside AC unit disconnect, which has a #10 EGC to the electrical panel. I don't think this meets code.
My question is, does the cable TV company have responsibility here to meet NEC 820? Why can't they say that they are exempt from the entire NEC per 90.2 (B)(2)? The electrical inspector will not rule because no permits were issued, as no permits are required for this outside work. The homes all had cable TV service with the improper bonding before the new company got involved. Ideally the situation should have been known before the new company purchased the system, so the purchase agreement could have identified the problem and spelled out responsibility to fix, either with the Owner or contractor. But that did not happen and it is too late to go back now.
