$500.00 ground rod

Status
Not open for further replies.
ceb

ceb

Senior Member
Location
raeford,nc
Just received my news letter from the NC Elect. contractors board yesterday and noticed that they had fined several contractors $ 500.00 and a reprimand for using a 4 ft ground rod for temp services. Spend $500.00 to save $8.00 now thats good business sense.:-?
BTW October 1, 2007 Limited going up to $40,000.00 Interm. $110,000.00
 
I think it amazing that certain soil types will permit you to retrieve a ground rod of any length. It can sometimes take me an hour to get a rod in. It normally takes a backhoe to get them out, if you feel the neet to pull your temp rods. I never even try to pull them. Just collect the pole and move on.
 
ceb said:
Just received my news letter from the NC Elect. contractors board yesterday and noticed that they had fined several contractors $ 500.00 and a reprimand for using a 4 ft ground rod for temp services. Spend $500.00 to save $8.00 now thats good business sense.:-?
BTW October 1, 2007 Limited going up to $40,000.00 Interm. $110,000.00
Click to expand...

$500, they should take his license away for a year, so he has time to catch up on the code requirements.
 
If I can put a ground rod in by hand, I'll try to take it out when I pull the temp. But if I gotta get my Hilti 905 out to drive it, it's not worth the time to try to pull it back out.
 
I have done insepctions where I began pulling the ground rod up rather simply, and thought it was a four foot rod...only to find out that it is 8! Then I have to redrive it for being wrong :(.
 
Interesting how many ground rod violations were in this newsletter. Must be the latest inspection department topic.

Ryan I take it there is no way to check the length without pulling it?

Maybe an ultrasound?
 
Last edited:
About 25 years ago I put 7' of an 8' long GR in and hit solid rock. Finally after an hour of pounding with a sledge hammer I cut off about 6" and pounded some more. The POCO guy told me I only a 7' GR and refused to put the meter in. He didn't pull it, how did he know? I drove another in right beside it that I slightly bent so it would curve at the rock. Same guy came back and he put the meter in....
 
hockeyoligist2 said:
The POCO guy told me I only a 7' GR and refused to put the meter in. He didn't pull it, how did he know?
Click to expand...

Maybe he found a piece of rod lying on the ground. :roll:
 
In Washington State cutting off a ground rod is a "serious violation" and your license can be suspended. Two electricians were fined $3,000 a few years ago.
 
chris500 said:
Also, what does this mean? BTW October 1, 2007 Limited going up to $40,000.00 Interm. $110,000.00
Click to expand...

NC has three classes of contractor licenses; Limited, Intermediate, and Unlimited.

Up till now the Limited was allowed to perform jobs up to $25,000 and the Intermediate had a $75,000 cap, the board realizes that escalation has antiquated these limits and are increasing them.

Roger
 
480sparky said:
That's like writing "This is a stick-up" on a deposit slip from your checkbook and going out to rob a bank.
Click to expand...

Not to mention showing your ID when asked for the large withdrawal. :D
 
I didn't leave any evidence and the end was a big mushroom! I could have lost my License? Didn't have one to lose! No permits were required in rural areas, POCO was the only one you had to satisfy. It was for a mobile home, as long as you had the septic tank permit, you were good to go. Anyone could install a service. I know better now..... so don't scold me too bad!
 
hockeyoligist2 said:
I didn't leave any evidence and the end was a big mushroom! I could have lost my License? Didn't have one to lose! No permits were required in rural areas, POCO was the only one you had to satisfy. It was for a mobile home, as long as you had the septic tank permit, you were good to go. Anyone could install a service. I know better now..... so don't scold me too bad!
Click to expand...
I'm not ashamed to admit that I've cut off a foot or two off a couple. Saw them off and beat up the end with a claw hammer to remove the saw marks. They're useless anyhow.
 
Where the heck would you get a 4' ground rod? And to be honestest here in Massachusetts it only cost about $9 and change for a galvy ground rod and about $13 and change for a copper so why would you cheap out on something like that? But in all honesty I never seen a 4' ground rod before :grin:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top