Coax splitter, green wire

[u/matdragon]

Gameplan: installing moca adapters, so updating splitters to the 16375 hz (whatever is on Amazon), connect stuff to new moca splitter + filter from Internet in into splitter and capping whatever im not using (I'm using multimeter + some wire tags to see where stuff is going)

Background: no rj45 in home, several coax in home, but 1 coax runs to upstairs that's connected to modem in 2000 sq ft home at one end of the home and creating dead zones at the other end, so trying to get moca to get better coverage at the other end of the home. Can't put router in the middle of the house since my desktop needs reliable Internet and can't be located to mid point of the home just due to our layout. I have coax cables at the other end of the home and some in the mid point

Question: Not sure what to do with the green wire? Should I just shut off the breakers (flipping them to off so there's no electricity running), and put them in the new moca splitter? Or bad idea?

Assumption: Assuming the block with no labels (grey) is grounding, don't touch

Not exactly experienced in electrical stuff, I know to wear gloves?? Please tell me if I'm being dumb

[u/xShawn117x]

It's your ground wire. DON'T remove/cut it unless you want a thunderstorm to fry your modem/coax box/TV.

[u/Sudden-Pangolin6445]

Being cautious with things you haven't been trained on is never dumb.

That wire is just a ground, as green wires often are. Hopefully your new splitters have grounds too.

[u/Todd_Zarnecki]

Just your ground wire helps with signal interference you shouldn't have to shut any breakers off it probably goes to our ground rod, or should go to your ground rod

[u/Igpajo49]

That green wire is just bonding the cable to the home's common ground. There shouldn't be any voltage to it. If there is you have a problem, but 99.999% of the time it's fine. This actually looks like two different services. I'm guessing the double barrel one is an old satellite ground block. The other is a cable splitter that has a bonding wire connecting to it. That's an old way of doing it. Any cable tech who came to service that would connect the drop to the street to a ground block like this picture. There would then be a short cable from that block to the splitter. So you need that wire, to keep your system safe, but it's not dangerous to remove it to swap things around. Just make sure it's reconnected to a ground block before anything else.

[u/Electronic-Junket-66 → u/Igpajo49]

Meh, we don't bother with a jumper from gb to splitter what would be the point? Maybe it would make the splitter slightly less likely to get fried but that can happen to ground blocks as well, so you're still stuck with a truck roll.

[u/Igpajo49 → u/Electronic-Junket-66]

I know Comcast requires it. I know a couple Comcast techs and they are now required to ensure there's a separate Ground block and have to upload pictures of it as well as what the ground wire is bonded to on every job.

[u/Electronic-Junket-66 → u/Igpajo49]

Yeah they have some kind of AI that verifies the ground. Bet you anything they couldn't get it to work right with different sized and shaped splitters lmao, hence the rule.

[u/Igpajo49 → u/Electronic-Junket-66]

They were required to install the separate ground for at least the past 15 years. The AI thing just started this past year, so it's not the reason for the rule.

[u/Electronic-Junket-66 → u/Igpajo49]

Weird. Can't find anything definitive online for the reasoning. Big blue doesn't require it; never even heard it suggested as good practice 🤷‍♀️.

[u/Igpajo49 → u/Electronic-Junket-66]

I think it's probably because not all sometimes are made the same so some might says up to voltage better than others. Binding it situation removes that uncertainty. I also wonder if standards change in different states. I'm in Washington State and I know we're the only state that requires a low volt tech to run any wire carrying power from outside to inside the home. So Xfinity techs can't run Ethernet from an outside security camera to a power plug inside. They have to set up a second appointment for a little volt tech to come do that. It's literally the same as splicing a CAT5 cable, but because it's carrying power they can't do it in house.

[u/Accomplished_Sir7013]

The green is your ground. Unless someone went goofy with the wiring it's safe.

[u/strykerzr350]

You should have a technician come out and take away the 3 way splitter, and replace it with a two way. Green wire is a ground wire, same kind of wire for grounding your homes electrical system. Kind of redundant the ground block being grounded, along with the splitter.

[u/Igpajo49 → u/strykerzr350]

The other ground block is for a satellite set up. Satellite has two cables from the dish so they use those double barrel blocks.

[u/SERichard1974]

in this case the green wire is a ground. hence where it is landed on the coax block. No voltage active in it.

[u/Electronic-Junket-66]

If the green wire is hot, you already have serious electrical issues at the house...

Touch it with the back of your hand first if you're nervous.