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Grounding a Condo Circuit

1K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  griz 
#1 ·
I live in an 14 story condo building in Brazil. Almost everywhere in Brazil has no ground wires, none. They don't even use three wire cable, unless something "special" needs to be done.
If you can't handle dangerous activities and improper methods, this is where you should bow out. This is not for proper methods, methodical, follow the rules/code types of people. Nothing gets done that way in 99% of Brazil --except tiling and masonry, that s pretty darned good.
So, my condo, none of them, have grounds here. The plumbing is all made out of plastic. The building is made out of concrete and clay blocks and lots and lots of tile. The framing of the windows/sliding doors is aluminum. The only thing I have a chance of doing to get a ground is to attach into the coaxial cable network. It is Not for my entire house, it is just for one receptacle that I need for my computer, that is it. My computer is $9k and I will ground it.
I am on the top floor and the opposite side of the lightning rod cable. There is No Way the condo association is going to allow a wire wrapping around the building. But, all of the buildings cable lines from ten years ago are all still in the building (not in use). The entire building has been upgraded with fiber optics.
My question is, should I solder to the sheathing, or to the copper lead? In terms of mass, I am not really sure which is better. The copper is more conductive that the aluminum sheathing, that is certain. But does it matter with this size of network of cables?
I am going to solder to one or the other, if this upsets you, you don't have to reply. Anyone else, I am open to opinions. My gut tells me to go with the copper, even the the shielding -is- WAS the grounding.

Thanks.
M
 
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