That old timer who told me to skip the grounding block on a 3-story house

Guy named Pete from my first job swore you could skip the grounding block if the cable was only on a detached garage. I tried it on a house over on Maple Street, lightning strike about 6 blocks away still blew the modem through the drywall. Took me 3 hours to re-run everything with a proper ground rod. Has anyone else had old advice like that bite them in the ass?

2 comments

2 Comments

park.abby1mo ago

Oh sure, because lightning is known for respecting property lines and code exemptions. Nothing like a fried modem taking a shortcut through your drywall to remind you that electricity doesn't give a damn about good intentions. I had a buddy once who thought he could save fifty bucks on a grounding block for his shed, next thing you know his lawnmower battery is arcing every time the wind blows. Pete's probably still out there somewhere giving advice that'll get someone's gear fried, living his best life without a care in the world.

juliag101mo ago

Friend of mine tried to cheap out on a surge suppressor for his home theater setup. Found the cheapest one on Amazon with like two stars and figured it was fine. Three months later a storm rolled through and that thing literally melted into the wall outlet. Smell of burnt plastic hung around for weeks and the insurance guy said they saw it happen all the time with those no-name units. Cost him way more to rewire that part of the wall than if he'd just spent an extra forty bucks on something half decent. That little melted lump of plastic sits on his workbench now as a reminder not to mess with electricity lol.