Do Attic Antennas Need To Be Grounded

Yes all outdoor tv antennas should be grounded.

Do attic antennas need to be grounded.

The antenna is essentially designed to capture that electricity. A tv antenna then there is no need for an rf ground. I can tell you that as of the 2004 nec and nfpa 101 which covers life safety codes there is no requirement to ground a receive only internal antenna system. Even if you have a newer plastic antenna there is metal inside.

Transmission antennas and cables i d have to pull the code books and check but i m fairly certain they do not require grounding as well. For electrical saftey the antenna should be connected to a lightening arrestor and that connected to ground. But this wouldn t apply to most attic antennas i would think. Furthermore tv signals are made of electricity.

I found that a firm grounding of antenna mast gave a better reception as well. If it is important should i just tap the coax or is a separate grounding wire needed. If it is just for reception e g. If it needs grounding it can t go in the attic because code requires that grounded antennae be on the edge of the roof and that the wire from the antenna to the ground follow a straight line path or something like that i m not the electrician.

In the case of an attic installation your tv antenna will be sheltered from the environment so there s no need to ground it for that reason. Will their location in the attic reduce their tendency to build a charge and attract lightning. However the connection of your antenna coax to various ac operated equipment in this case your converter box or tv introduces the potential of electric shock. Note that the coax is going to be grounded at the receiver anyway.

How important is it to ground them. There is no requirement to do this for indoor antennas. The copper wire at the base of the antenna mast attaches to the copper vent tube that runs to the roof through the attic in a 55 year old house.