two grounding rod installation

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tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
Cable between rods is on the pavement... also, slot of slack. This is a new service for a very old home remodeled by a flipper. Does this look OK?
 

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al hildenbrand

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
I'm guessing the green wire is smaller than #4, so it needs physical protection, a sleeve strapped to the wall. The ground rods need to have 8' in contact with earth, so they need to be below grade (assuming that is a standard 8 foot ground rod). The acorn clamps need to be listed for direct burial if they aren't.
 
B

big john

Senior Member
Location
Portland, ME
Negative.

The rods need to be below ground level unless protected from damage. 250.10(1) and 250.53(G). And I'm guessing those are not 10' rods, which would mean that even with protection, you still need the whole length in contact with the soil, also 250.53(G).

The bonding jumper between the electrodes needs to be protected from damage per 250.52(C).
 
al hildenbrand

al hildenbrand

Senior Member
Location
Minnesota
Occupation
Electrical Contractor, Electrical Consultant, Electrical Engineer
tonype said:
Kind of what I thought. I also grabbed the rods... seems to be some lateral movement at the top.
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With two rods, as a technical Code requirement, the lateral looseness is not an issue. If there were only one rod, the requirement to verify the 25 Ohm resistance to Earth would lead the installer to ensure as good a contact with Earth along the length of the rod as possible.

But, with two rods, the requirement to verify the 25 Ohms (by the NEC) goes away, and, regardless of conditions, meets the language of the requirement.

Any rain / water, over time, will, however, help the soil to settle to the surface of the rods (but that's, again, outside the Code).
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
al hildenbrand said:
I'm guessing the green wire is smaller than #4, so it needs physical protection, a sleeve strapped to the wall. The ground rods need to have 8' in contact with earth, so they need to be below grade (assuming that is a standard 8 foot ground rod). The acorn clamps need to be listed for direct burial if they aren't.
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They are not buried though;)
 
U

user 100

Senior Member
Location
texas
peter d said:
That is hack work.
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infinity said:
Does it look OK, nope. How could this possibly pass an electrical inspection?
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Even If that was somehow legal, it should be failed anyway strictly for being a trip hazard- Everything is kind of close to the building to likely be out of the way, but that stringy GEC and those rods are just begging to catch a shoe and get somebody impaled.

tadavidson said:
I'd step out on the limb and say they are not greater than 6' apart.
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This too- they do look closer than 6ft in the pic.
 
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peterlarsen.suntec

Member
Location
NC/SC
It doesn't matter if they are 10' the code says the rod must be completely below grade. Definitely a trip hazard.
If the GEC is sized smaller than #4 solid it must be protected.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
peterlarsen.suntec said:
It doesn't matter if they are 10' the code says the rod must be completely below grade. Definitely a trip hazard.
If the GEC is sized smaller than #4 solid it must be protected.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk
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Trip hazard is not mentioned. Physical protection is.

250.53(G):

(G) Rod and Pipe Electrodes.


The electrode shall be installed such that at least 2.44 m (8 ft) of length is in contact with the soil. It shall be driven to a depth of not less than 2.44 m (8 ft) except that, where rock bottom is encountered, the electrode shall be driven at an oblique angle not to exceed 45 degrees from the vertical or, where rock bottom is encountered at an angle up to 45 degrees, the electrode shall be permitted to be buried in a trench that is at least 750 mm (30 in.) deep. The upper end of the electrode shall be flush with or below ground level unless the aboveground end and the grounding electrode conductor attachment are protected against physical damage as specified in 250.10
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J

jaggedben

Senior Member
Location
Northern California
Occupation
Solar and Energy Storage Installer
Ya'll know that at least some rods sold as 8ft are actually 8'-3", right? Around here that's all I get when I ask for ground rods.
 
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