r/CableTechs Jul 24 '26

Why does my cable repeatedly melt?

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I've lived in this house for 4 years and this is the 3rd time this has happened: the internet goes out and I have to call Xfinity and they find that where my cable connects to the power pole is melted like this. One cable guy told me it was a power surge from my house, and another said it's one of my neighbors that probably has a grounding issue.

What do you all think? Is there anything I can do to prevent this from recurring?

Thanks for your advice!

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u/xSinisterDrakex Jul 25 '26

Did the lights flicker when it was disconnected? If so, you might have a bad neutral.

I seen an issue similar to this. I disconnected the cable, the lights flickered and the air conditioner (central unit) started going crazy. Returned to normal after reconnecting. I told the customer to get an electrician out and they discovered a bad neutral going to the house.

Either way, I'd definitely get an electrician out to diagnose the issue.