[TowerTalk] Re: An Enlightning Experience

["Rob Atkinson, K5UJ" <k5uj@hotmail.com>]

When I had work done on my house wiring earlier this year, I had a whole 
house surge protector installed at the main panel, shunting to ground.

I also have a 115 v. circuit leaving the back of my house through the 
basement wall and extending out underground to my detached garage behind my 
house about 20 feet.  It goes to an outlet in the garage and an overhead 
light.  This circuit is switched on and off at my back door.  I was feeling 
all safe and good until one day not too long ago, it dawned on me that the 
garage wires run in a line underground just about 2 feet from one of my 
ground rods for my vertical.  In what can only be called a "duh what was I 
thinking" moment, I imagined a side flash from the rod to the wire and the 
frying of my house.  Solutions were pondered and discarded.  I'm having a 
guy come over to install outside outlets and one of the things we're going 
to do is look at the garage line and remove it in a way that will make it 
easy to undo the removal if I ever move and want to put the line back in.

I guess my point is, if any of you all are in old houses, you may have more 
than one AC entrance than at the service drop and until you deal with them, 
a whole house SPD won't necessarily save you.

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ

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