Ground rod couplings?

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mark32

mark32

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Currently in NJ
Someone asked me for a ground rod coupling today, which I've never seen before. I viewed a pic online but it just looks like a heavy duty butt connector. According to the directions, you just place it on top of the ground rod that you've already pounded into the ground; once you start pounding on the second rod it somehow locks itself into the coupling. Anyone use one before?
 
A number of manufacturer's have non-threaded ground rod couplings. They are installed as the original poster stated.
 
Hey Bob, I've been so busy as of late, I haven't been able to spend much time here but I see you've updated your avatar. Didn't know you were into rock!
Anyway, the threaded ones you mentioned were the ones that came to mind but the guy's helper insisted they were threadless. I couldn't imagine how well they'd hold to two rod together but I guess they work.
 
GerryB said:
What type on job would you couple rods together?
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I have seen them go 40' deep and every 25' apart , 10' Rods with Threaded Couplers , around the perimeter for Lightning Protection and to create a ground plane for (6) 4160 pump motors for a water treatment plant for a Nuke Plant .

They did not use a #6awg to connect them either . 3/0 maybe .


Don
 
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I remember those...

I remember those...

Back in my Marine Corps days, that's all I used. Never knew there was anything different.

We had 3 - 3' ground rods. each end was threaded except the end that was expected to go into the ground first.

The idea is to screw 1 ground rod coupling on, and a 5/8" bolt and tighten them together, then hammer / post drive / front end loader it into the ground.
When you were 6"-12" from the ground, take off the bolt, screw on the other ground rod, put the bolt and next coupling on the top of the next rod.
Same for the third time around. It sucked at the beginning of #2 and #3 rod because they were higher, and you needed someone to hold the rods (not a fun job).
By the time you were done with 3 rods, the bolt was mashed, and usually the coupling wasn't doing too well either.

The upside is that they could fit in places easier (military is all for that.)
The downside is that the ground was not always as effective. We'd take channel locks and try to tighten the top one until it was tight with the middle, then top and middle until they were tight with the bottom...
 
Forgot...

We also used a Fluke Ground Tester to measure the resistance to the ground too...
We could get less than 10 Ohms to ground in the desert.

That is, until we applied the proper yellow liquid and some rock salt.
Within seconds, less than 1 Ohm resistance.
 
Greg Swartz said:
Back in my Marine Corps days, that's all I used. Never knew there was anything different.

We had 3 - 3' ground rods. each end was threaded except the end that was expected to go into the ground first.

needed someone to hold the rods (not a fun job).

Is that where they ask for volunteers and everyone steps backwards?:)
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mark32 said:
Hey Bob, I've been so busy as of late, I haven't been able to spend much time here but I see you've updated your avatar. Didn't know you were into rock!
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He's changed it at least twice since seeing AC DC live. Can't blame him though, I would have changed it too.
 
mark32 said:
Hey Bob, I've been so busy as of late, I haven't been able to spend much time here but I see you've updated your avatar. Didn't know you were into rock!
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kwired said:
He's changed it at least twice since seeing AC DC live.
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Just getting pumped up to see them 8/22 in Foxboro. My wife and I have great times at shows like that. This will be the fourth AC/DC tour I have gone to. I like other types of music but AC/DC is my favorite live show.
 
GerryB said:
What type on job would you couple rods together?
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The only time I've done it is at marinas. The ICW seems to be a better path for current back to the POCO grid than earth (well at least it's easier to get a lower ohm connection) so I make sure I drive 2 10' ground rods coupled together (land side of the bulkhead) to make sure the waterway and POCO neutral are at the same potential.

I started doing this after having a customer complain of getting a shock from the bonded aluminum gangway to the water.
 
iwire said:
Just getting pumped up to see them 8/22 in Foxboro. My wife and I have great times at shows like that. This will be the fourth AC/DC tour I have gone to. I like other types of music but AC/DC is my favorite live show.
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That's cool, never seen them but I bet it would be a great show. Do they focus on their older stuff or newer stuff I wonder? I wouldn't miss, "Shook me all night long" if they didn't play it, as I've heard it so so many times on the radio, but I'm sure it's a crowd favorite, they probably close the show with it :)

GerryB said:
What type on job would you couple rods together?
Click to expand...

I believe the guy said they were working on street lights.
 
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