phone system grounding

[telpro]

Hi, Ive read some other posts concerning grounding and I know this is a subject with alot of opinions. Most of the systems I install include a panamax surge protector along with a co module. The Panamax literature shows a connection from the phone system to the pananmax module. I called them and they said that this was only to ensure that if the system was grounded to another point that this would tie that point and the pananmax electrical ground together. Makes sense. What if the phone system isnt grounded except through the panamax electrical ground? Do I need another ground to do this right? The guy at panamax inferred that I dont need any other ground. This seems contrary to the NEC. What do you guys say? There must be one RIGHT way to do this. Thanks.

 

[itpphoneguy]

Hi telpro,
It depends on how the phone system is wired internally. Avaya says to ground it every time.
I have seen many systems ungrounded (but in a grounded outlet). I have been forced to ground a couple to the outlet ground as there was no ground anywhere close.
-Chris

 

[skip555]

i use panamax also I use a brass bus bar that I connect to the brass strip on the top panamx module I then ground phone system and VM to it

if you do a search in the cabling forum there have been some informative threads on grounding

 

[hbiss]

Be careful how you ground a Partner system. There is a post here from me awhile back going into this in detail. Suffice it to say that the ground screw on the processor MUST be connected to the exact same ground as the ground pin on the line cord. If you don't there is the possibility that the processor will be destroyed beyond repair. It's happened to me twice before I figured out what was happening.

Probably the best way to do this is with a Panamax surge suppressor as Skip suggests. Simply connect the ground wire from the processor to the ground buss with an 8/32 screw. Ditek also makes a plug-in surge suppressor that has a binding post ground on it.

Whatever you do DO NOT follow the AVAYA instructions that say to ground it to a cold water pipe etc.

-Hal

 

[exsmogger]

Agree. There can be differences in potential between separate ground sources which are sufficient to destroy the IC's on a Partner mod.

Brian Cox

http://www.jandjcommunications.com

 

[itpphoneguy]

Yup, ground loops. Avoid "tech grounds" like the plague.

 

[aarenot]

The company I work for in its documents requires the customer to provide a buss bar with a true earth ground. We then ground the Avaya system to this earth ground. When we have the surge suppressor from tower max, I believe it is called, we use the ground on the tower max units ground lug on the top unit which has modules for IROB, co, etc.. I believe this should be sufficient, as long as the ground on the outlet is a good ground. When using the tower max, we do not use another ground source besides the power outlet, which we specify should be a dedicated circuit, with a dedicated ground. If the customer chooses not to comply we tell them, this is a factory specification, and if the system has issues, avaya may not provide support or warranty service, and we in that case will not either. They usualy comply, and if not we have them sign off stating they were aware and take responsiility.

Sound like a good plan? I would like input.

 

[skip555]

When using the tower max, we do not use another ground source besides the power outlet, which we specify should be a dedicated circuit, with a dedicated ground.

you dont want a "dedicated ground " I beilive the whole building should be a common ground to ,meet pan a max specs and current best practices

 

[aarenot]

I believe the dedicated circuit with a dedicated ground simply means that the ground wire on the third prong on the outlet does not have any other circuits using the same ground wire for its ground. It goes back to the ground buss in the breaker panel, or so i am told. Basicly the circuits ground wire is a home run to the breaker, so the ground wire can not pick up any current from other circuits. I believe from what I have been told, an "isolated" ground would be a seperate ground source. I would like to know if I have this wrong, so feel free to tell me,"wrong Todd".