How to Stop Electrical Current on Cable TV Lines with ElectraHealth Cable TV Ground/Neutral Isolator

[@jasonschlegel4027]

Shaun - As a budding EMRS I found this video and explanation helpful. Thank you!

[@mdrichards1985]

While this may have fixed the voltage on the service drop. This can also cause all sorts of signal distortions to the customers equipment. If a home is found to be having electrical nuetral issues. Hire a licensed electrician to fix the issues. All severice points must be bonded at the pole and each home. When a homes nuetral does go bad and untilizes the coax outlets as a replacement , the lines melt under the load. Coax is not engineered to handle that type of current load. A service technician will remove that if he deems it is causing significant signal disruptions.

[@EMFExplorer]

I appreciate your sentiment of hiring an electrician. However, in 99.9% of cases the service neutral to the house is not bad. The electrical current takes the coax because electrical current takes...drumrollllll...all paths all the time. As per the NEC, common sense, circuit theory and prudent circuit design...electrical current should be confined to the intended conductors of that electrical circuit. Doing asinine things that allow current to take other paths must come to an end. Other solutions - devices that pass current and clamp on when voltage is present, for example, must be employed. You don't simply create another current path for current to take, because you don't want to go through the hassle and expense of DOING IT RIGHT. KeepItOnWires.org - Keep electrical current on the intended conductors - the appropriate conductors - of that electrical circuit and ONLY on those appropriate, intended conductors!!!

[@grabasandwich]

I was recommended this video again when I did some searching after coming across the worst melted coax drop I've seen in 18 years of being a cable guy. 3 days ago I got a service call for someone's internet being down. The customer attached 2 pics of their aerial drop severely melted. When I got there, he said it was smoking the night before! I didn't know if the fault was still there, and my employer doesn't supply us with amp clamps, so I didn't touch anything. I called the power company since I was convinced there was a dangerous open neutral condition, and a lineman got there in 15-20 min. He didn't seem too concerned, but did say he's never seen an entire drop melted that bad, and he's been doing it 12 years. Anyway, he pulled the meter, ran some tests and concluded it was fine. I asked him if I could cut the old drop down while he was there, just in case. Thankfully it was uneventful, but I asked him if his tests would show if there's a fault between the meter and panel. Just as I figured, he said that's not his responsibility. Fair enough. He ended up staying the whole time I replaced the drop. I told the customer if it melts again to call an electrician ASAP. I don't know what originally caused it, but I wonder if the fault cleared itself when the house neutral heated up from some corrosion/resistance, but used the coax while doing so. I spent the first 15 years as a telco contractor, and their lines never do this as they're electrically isolated from the steel support strand that the power company bonds to, so even the telco drops' support strand won't carry current, unless the triplex drop contacts it enough to rub through it or something. Anyway, sorry for the long message.

[@MikeHoltNEC]

This video is National Electrical Code compliant.

[@lobopraveen]

@MikeHoltNEC how so? Be warned that I'm not an electrician but find your videos very interesting :) Shouldn't all cables coming from tv/internet service providers and the dish must be connected to connected to the GEC? This is to dissipate lightning, the static electricity buildup, and the build up then attracting lighting strikes (in case of satellite dish) etc. The gentleman in this video showed current on the incoming cable from the service. I suspect the current would read the same if they measured on the GEC green wire. What would the current be if they measured the current on the cable that goes into the house after the grounding wire. I suspect it will be zero unless there is a short (or connection to EGC) on the other side (going into the house side) that is completing the circuit? Current on the service side of the cable read 0 after the isolator was installed because the isolator broke the circuit and there is nowhere for the current to go. Am I understanding that correctly? if so, there will be a voltage potential difference between ground and the incoming cable. This also creates a situation where a downed line touching a damaged coaxial cable on the service side now could lead to shocks and electrocution. If the green wired stayed there without the isolator, the current would then go to GEC to earth in case of lightning and GEC to back to the panel to the neutral and back to it's source. I suspect the isolator is not really required as long as the green wire stays there. If there was current on the other side (cable going into the house), then an isolator would make sense; however, then the incoming cable before the isolator must be connected to the GEC using another wire. Does the isolator shown in this video let high voltage from downed line or lighting to pass which would then flow to the other side of the cable to the green wire to the GEC? I also remember from one of your videos that voltage from lightning strike usually flows along side on the outside of the wire rather than through it completely in which case my above questions are limited to downed line or short circuit with the electrical line only.

[@mikeamaral5566]

Thank you for the video. I have one question, can I do this myself or should I hire an electrician to install the isolator?

[@BIllF02]

If you have cable internet please don't do this. Not only does it cause issues with certain frequencies but it gives a huge access point for LTE and FM radio signals to leak into your line and cause issues with your modem. Just don't do it.

[@shaunkranish]

So what is the solution then, BillF? Do you have an alternative solution to this problem?

[@BIllF02]

​@shaunkranish well, in short no but I can say that electric current is very common on these lines and in fact some taps actually feed current that was designed to power amps. While that's not used anymore I still see current on the line. Cable modems and cable boxes are designed with thresholds for current on the line. It's almost like a none issue. Now when it comes to a lighting strike it is very important to make sure the ground block is obviously properly grounded to a ground rod and not just clamped to the electric meter. People can do what they want but I can tell you as a tech if I had a trouble call at this customers house the first thing I would do is throw out all those filters added on as they are know to cause intermittent issues with modems.

[@shaunkranish]

@BIllF02 I appreciate your knowledge and candor. We need to find another solution for this issue, because this current causes significant magnetic fields sometimes over large occupied areas. So if there were a way to handle both concerns and not have to use this device - I'm all for it!

[@ky841]

if you issue with power you call an electrician, if you have issue with cable/tv/internet you call your isp. if both said is the other person's issue, have them both meet at your place and fix it. also where is the weather protection for your connector? last how much signal loss with this isolator? will every channel MER is same as before the isolator?

[@amberbest3362]

I purchased this item and unfortunately it didn't improve my cable connection. I have xfinity coming for a 2nd time to my house to check all the connections to see what the problem is. The first time they came there was 35 to 50ac volts on the cable line so they said they couldn't do anything for me and I needed an electrician. Hoping they find the issue this time. I really hoped this would solve the problem because its the exact problem I'm having.

[@shaunkranish]

You may not have installed it properly. Did you make sure that nothing metal was touching the cable TV line coming from the cable TV company? If installed improperly it will not work. However, volts could only be measured when it IS installed properly. You can't measure volts when there is current there. When this is installed properly you will be able to measure volts, but there will be no current. And you will not have any magnetic field on the cable lines since no current is there.

[@mdrichards1985]

This is only going to block it from getting to the service drop, it will not fix voltage issues in your home from a bad nuetral in your home or your power line from the street. Even though this Video may be listed as NEC compliant. You do need an electrician to resolve these issues or your local power utility company . Im hoping it has been resolved at this point.

[@kellyadcock351]

Where can you purchase the isolator?

[@Echo4Yankee]

50 milliamps...I've got almost 5 amps running through my coaxial. I can't figure out what the problem is.

[@shaunkranish]

Have the power company check your neutral STAT! You might have a bad neutral, or one of your neighbors does.

[@getzybaggins]

something is shorting to ground and hitting your coax grounding block. call an electrician

[@DogeGFSolo]

I had one just set my house on fire when the 1st tech left it hanging burned and charred on my home. The 2nd tech just cut out the old burned coaxial and put new everything in including a new modem. My house then caught on fire 4 days later at night with me asleep inside. Story above.

[@grabasandwich]

@@DogeGFSolo I can't find your story. I've found a few sites online that have talked about house fires right after a cable guy disconnected the cable drop coming in. I haven't witnessed a fire myself, but I had a close call a few days ago where the customers entire aerial coax drop was melted! I wouldn't touch it until the power company proved their side was safe. I don't think many techs I work with would know about this condition or care to check before doing the work. I'm hoping to pick up an amp clamp soon in case I come across this again.

[@ruthlesskmtowner700]

i currently have like a splitter kind of box is there any kinds that are faster or better and if so would that possibly be a fix to my router randomly disconnecting

[@johnmcdermott6233]

Unfortunately, Comcast or most other cable providers will remove this as soon as they see it. Call your cable company if you're having issues with voltage on your lines.

[@vfsd234]

May I ask if there would be noticable physical symptoms with having 1.7 amps on my cable line and cable neutral? thank you

[@isaachousley325]

Yes, that would cause significant issues with the signal on the cable. The way coax cable is designed, there is a shielding layer and the center conductor. The shielding layer is meant to block any electrical fields from inducing current on the center conductor that would interfere with the signal frequency. If the shielding layer is carrying an AC current, instead of blocking the unwanted electrical fields, it is creating its own electrical field that will mess with the signal on the center conductor. Due to electrical fields always being present, there will always be some AC current on the shielding, but ideally you want it as low as possible.

[@JoseSlices]

Do you think an electrical current in the line would turn my modem off for a fraction of a second?

[@EMFExplorer]

Haven't heard of this but I suppose interference could be possible. If it's happening often you could try the isolator, yes.

[@matt7iron]

@@EMFExplorer is this why my ungrounded 1958 house burns out the wire on that thing, burned out 2 in 15 years.

[@shaunkranish]

@The Honest Blackman I would have the power company check your neutral immediately and measure to see if it doesn't have current. You may be running neutral current on your ground rod(s) and cable line big time. It is always worth checking when something unusual like that is happening! They will do it for free

[@brandensimoens1931]

Awesome, thank you.

[@josh1m6]

Could this cause my coax line on the system side to melt?

[@EMFExplorer]

If your neutral is bad and your coax is acting as the neutral then yes absolutely. The filter will not cause it to melt - it would prevent it from melting. If your coax melted you need to call an electrician and the power company immediately!

[@matt7iron]

@@EMFExplorer ok i think you just answered my question too.

[@wb6vpm]

Potentially stupid question, and I hope it makes sense, will this isolate the neutral from flow in both directions? I.e., will it stop stray neutral load on either the cable company side to the customer side or the customer side to the cable company side of the coax depending on where the unexpected load is coming from?

[@EMFExplorer]

AC current is flowing both directions anyhow. The answer to your question is yes. The AC current is always flowing both ways. This AC current is actually originating at countless locations - transformers and loads all over the city and beyond. Since current takes all paths - AC current from ALLLLL in tiny miniscule amounts is hopping onto the line. But these all add up to a large amount of current that causes fields in the house and other potential problems too. In just 1 milliamp of current there is 6,242,000,000,000,000 electrons passing a point (or rather a plane) each second. That's just a milliamp - only 1/1000th of what 2 60-watt light bulbs will move. Microamps or 1/1,000,000th of 2 60-watt light bulbs can cause cancer and serious health issues when applied to the body.

[@vfsd234]

@@EMFExplorer can you comment on what health issues you have seen with this problem? We have 1.7 amps on our cable wire that's coming into our house, which also shows up on the cable neutral (green wire). Our symptoms are somewhat extreme, so not sure this is the issue. Could such a small fix work?

[@ImHungryMK]

A balun