Why Cable Lines Need Surge Protection

When most people think about surge protection, they think about the electrical power entering their home. However, lightning and electrical surges can also enter through cable lines. Coaxial cables, often called coax cables, connect to televisions, cable modems, internet equipment, cameras, and other electronics. Without proper surge protection and grounding, these lines can provide a pathway for damaging energy to enter the home and damage connected equipment.

A complete whole-home surge protection system should consider every conductive line entering or leaving a building, not just the electrical service. Cable lines should enter the home as close as practical to the main electrical service and be properly bonded to the building’s grounding system. This creates a common reference between the electrical and communication systems, helping reduce the voltage difference between them during a surge.

Cable lines running between buildings can also create a pathway for surge energy. A coax cable connecting a home to a pool house, garage, or other structure should have surge protection at both ends. Properly protecting and grounding these connections with the TPD-CABLE helps prevent lightning and electrical surges from traveling along the cable and damaging equipment at either location.

Coaxial cable surge protection is an important part of a complete whole home surge protection strategy. At TPD, we look at the entire property, including power, cable, satellite, phone, and data lines, to help create a coordinated protection system that reduces the risk of surge damage throughout the home.