JHZR2
Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Power Systems Engineer
Background: older home, all k&t removed, 200A QO panel, romex service throughout. Passed inspections for current owner when purchased 10+ yeats ago.
Main panel has grounding conductors to a rod immeduately outside (solid copper conductor undersized; will upgrade to 2 or 4 awg), used to have two rods within 2' from each other on same conductor. Panel also has heavy cooper conductor run to connect to water service near entry into house (all jumpers in place but connection location is between meter and underground).
Main panel feeds 60A subpanel via 2AWG aluminum conductor of approximately 35'.
Need to add a second ground rod. The reason the old second one was removed was due to the installation of a paver driveway (the ground rods are within 6" of the house and in the driveway which goes up to the foundation; the first rod that is still in use is a direct veryical drop from meter and service entrance, which has panel directly inside; the rod is below grade, protected by being below a cut out section of paver). No point in cutting a paver for the second rod when its wrong.
So the options are:
1) verify less than 25 ohm and leave one plus the water pipe.
2) run second rod from subpanel so it has sufficient spacing from the first rod
3) run heavy copper conductor to a location sufficiently far from the first rod, and not on the driveway, to add rod directly to main panel.
As mentioned, will correct conductor for the existing ground rod. Estimate that to be <4' of solid copper. Similarly, if #3 was done, thecsecond rod would have 35' of Al plus <4ft of Cu to the rod. If #2 was done, estimate >16' of copper conductor to reach appropriate and aesthetically pleasing location.
Which would you choose and why???
Thanks!
Main panel has grounding conductors to a rod immeduately outside (solid copper conductor undersized; will upgrade to 2 or 4 awg), used to have two rods within 2' from each other on same conductor. Panel also has heavy cooper conductor run to connect to water service near entry into house (all jumpers in place but connection location is between meter and underground).
Main panel feeds 60A subpanel via 2AWG aluminum conductor of approximately 35'.
Need to add a second ground rod. The reason the old second one was removed was due to the installation of a paver driveway (the ground rods are within 6" of the house and in the driveway which goes up to the foundation; the first rod that is still in use is a direct veryical drop from meter and service entrance, which has panel directly inside; the rod is below grade, protected by being below a cut out section of paver). No point in cutting a paver for the second rod when its wrong.
So the options are:
1) verify less than 25 ohm and leave one plus the water pipe.
2) run second rod from subpanel so it has sufficient spacing from the first rod
3) run heavy copper conductor to a location sufficiently far from the first rod, and not on the driveway, to add rod directly to main panel.
As mentioned, will correct conductor for the existing ground rod. Estimate that to be <4' of solid copper. Similarly, if #3 was done, thecsecond rod would have 35' of Al plus <4ft of Cu to the rod. If #2 was done, estimate >16' of copper conductor to reach appropriate and aesthetically pleasing location.
Which would you choose and why???
Thanks!
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