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Grounding rod lengths.

Merry Christmas
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drg

Senior Member
While having to put in 50' and 20 ft' grounding rods as part of a grounding grid a inspector / consultant was suprised that we were using 10' sections coupled together to put these ground rods in place.

He claimed that they make 50' grounding rods and the 20' also, we just told him that these 10' sections coupled together are what we were told to use.

The rods are 3/4" steel rods, copper plated and threaded at both ends and we use a brass looking coulper with pipe wrenches to fasten the rods together after hammer drilling in about 9' feet or so and continue the process to we get the depth required, he made a puzzled face and walked off .

Seems like anything longer that this would be impossible to work with at 3/4" diameter.
Now we are wondering if we are being told a story by this guy or do they make one piece grounding rods like this ?????

We continued to put in the rods like we were doing in 10' coupled sections.

The drawing spec's say 50' rods 3/4" stl. and 20' rods stl. but does not say anything about being a one piece section.
 
roger

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

You don't have a 50' ground rod tool in your shop?

You must be a small outfit. :D

Just kidding.

Threaded is fine.

Did this inspector/consultant reek of herb?

Roger

[ September 30, 2003, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: roger ]
 
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drg

Senior Member
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

No , we do not stock 20' or 50 ' rods in our shop ,

nor do we stock the 15 megawatt diesel generation units that these rods were for either.

I do not know enough to argue some matters yet, but all in good time .

Thanks Roger
 
roger

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

Drg, you're being exposed to some pretty involved projects from what you have described.

You will be arguing the "matters" soon.

Roger
 
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hurk27

Senior Member
Location
Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

Drg you need to ask your supply house for a ground rod streacher. then just get a 4"X10' ground rod and streach it to 50'.

OK OK I'll quit before the guns come out. :eek:
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

:)

PS: Out here you'd be hard pressed to drive anything beyong 10'. 10' can be a struggle in itself. The bedrock is pretty shallow out here (CA). Are you in the desert? I usually hit hard pan about 8' down. Once I was able to push a 10 footer all the way in by hand. There are some sand islands around here, but even there you eventually hit hard pan. You should be able to special order any length ground rod you want up to say 40' easily enough.

[ September 30, 2003, 11:44 PM: Message edited by: awwt ]
 
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hurk27

Senior Member
Location
Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

I was just trying to be funny, like sending the helper to get a bucket of amps from the supply house. It was not ment as any thing bad. My coworkers keep saying they are sending me to joke school. lol
 
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hurk27

Senior Member
Location
Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

Yep!
If I keep it up I'll need one of those LOl
speechless-smiley-037.gif
 
D

drg

Senior Member
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

I was kind of wishing that someone would say that " no there is no such thing as a grounding rod longer than 10' " and in my past experience threaded rods is what we have used to achieve a require depth.

drg
Have all who replied ever drove a grounding rod in beyond 10' or are some of you just jumping on the bandwagon to play follow the leader ??????
Lets here your experience please.

John
 
don_resqcapt19

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

The longest one section rod that I know of is 20'. When I need more that 10', I always use sectionalized rods.
Don
 
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Guest

Guest
Re: Grounding rod lengths.

I'm just guessing that because you can buy 40' plywood; Sheetrock; rebar; pipe; etc. that you can special order 40' ground rods. It's mostly limited by the trucks-- which are mostly limited to 40'. On the manufacturing end the limits are somewhat endless as it all spits out of a machine continuously and then is cut-- unless they are forged. Most of these commodity items are extruded and then cut to length. Mostly. Your mileage may vary. Happy trails!

../Wayne C.

[ October 01, 2003, 12:29 PM: Message edited by: awwt ]
 
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