Just heard a rookie say coax doesn't need a ground block

Was at the supply house this morning and some new guy was bragging about skipping ground blocks on residential jobs. Told him I had a lightning strike fry a modem and a TV back in 2019 because of that exact shortcut. How many of you have had to fix someone else's ungrounded mess?

3 comments

3 Comments

willow4071mo ago

That shortcut mindset is everywhere now, people skipping steps because they think the worst won't happen to them. Saves five minutes but costs someone their whole entertainment setup.

milesj701mo ago

Ask him if he's ever had to explain to a homeowner why their insurance denied a claim for fried electronics because the work wasn't up to code. I've known a couple guys who got sued for exactly that - not just the equipment cost but the whole house damage when a surge came through an ungrounded line. A ground block costs maybe eight bucks and takes two minutes. That's a cheap price to keep your license and your reputation intact.

juliag1025d ago

Only costs eight bucks and takes two minutes" is exactly the part that kills me. Like guys will drop thousands on tools but won't spend pocket change on something that literally prevents their work from causing a fire. I had a neighbor who skipped the ground block on a dish install and a lightning strike took out his whole home theater, TV, receiver, the works. Insurance adjuster took one look at the install, laughed, and denied the whole claim. So instead of saving two minutes he now owes like five grand for new electronics plus the deductible on his home insurance. Real smart move there.