Grounding rod question

Status
Not open for further replies.
T

tonype

Senior Member
Location
New Jersey
I thought 8' gd. rod were supposed to be installed full depth in ground... my guess in this case, installer hit rock and stopped?? Any other comments would be appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • DSCF8369.jpg
    DSCF8369.jpg
    140.8 KB · Views: 0
Could be a 10' rod and the installer left 2' out of the ground.

Most likely the installer hit rock with an 8' rod and didn't have a blade for his "saws-all"!:angel:
 
Looks like you have 2 conductors under one clamp. I don't believe that is compliant either. The wire would also need to be protected from damage, however, I have this type of install many times from years back.
 
tonype said:
I thought 8' gd. rod were supposed to be installed full depth in ground... my guess in this case, installer hit rock and stopped?? Any other comments would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I think the rod may also be placed laterally rather than vertically in ground and then it is called strip/wire grounding and is much longer in length (Minimum 15 meters).
 
Sahib said:
I think the rod may also be placed laterally rather than vertically in ground and then it is called strip/wire grounding and is much longer in length (Minimum 15 meters).
Click to expand...

Not that it is relevant to this thread but the rule for rods is 8' in the ground driven vertically. If rock is encountered then the rod may be driven at an angle not to exceed 45°. If the rock(s) prevent the 45° angle then the rod may be placed in a trench at least 30" deep.

No mention of "strip/wire grounding" and the rod doesn't have to be any longer than 8'.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
Looks like you have 2 conductors under one clamp. I don't believe that is compliant either. The wire would also need to be protected from damage, however, I have this type of install many times from years back.
Click to expand...
Looks like a second conductor under a split bolt or other connector further up, the rod I think only has one conductor, but sort of looks like two because it is apparently THHN/THWN with the outer nylon jacket trying to come off of it.
 
Little Bill said:
Not that it is relevant to this thread but the rule for rods is 8' in the ground driven vertically. If rock is encountered then the rod may be driven at an angle not to exceed 45°. If the rock(s) prevent the 45° angle then the rod may be placed in a trench at least 30" deep.

No mention of "strip/wire grounding" and the rod doesn't have to be any longer than 8'.
Click to expand...

Also not relevant to this thread but they make 1/2" and 5/8" rods. I always use 1/2" because I could not find the requirement for 5/8" in the code. Is there a code for rod thickness?
 
delfadelfa said:
Also not relevant to this thread but they make 1/2" and 5/8" rods. I always use 1/2" because I could not find the requirement for 5/8" in the code. Is there a code for rod thickness?
Click to expand...

electrofelon said:
Going off memory here, dont feel like double checking right now: I think 1/2 is ok if its a listed ground rod, but must be at least 5/8 if not listed.
Click to expand...


Yes that's correct, technically a listed rod can be 1/2" or smaller, a non-listed rod must be at least 5/8".

250.52(5) Rod and Pipe Electrodes. Rod and pipe electrodesshall not be less than 2.44 m (8 ft) in length and shall
consist of the following materials.
(a) Grounding electrodes of pipe or conduit shall not
be smaller than metric designator 21 (trade size 3 ⁄ 4 ) and,
where of steel, shall have the outer surface galvanized or
otherwise metal-coated for corrosion protection.
(b) Rod-type grounding electrodes of stainless steel
and copper or zinc coated steel shall be at least 15.87 mm
( 5 ⁄ 8 in.) in diameter, unless listed.
Click to expand...
 
If inspectors aren't qualified to touch anything during inspection, there's no harm in directing unfamiliar corrections to a qualified electrician.

If you are familiar with electrode-bonding systems, you know how to write this up, where to check this property for proper electrodes, proper terminations, and how far from the electrical service they should be.

It will also help to know the difference between Coax cable for telephone or internet. Further, if there's no basement, the foundation footers can be 6-inches below the surface, like the junk built here on the West coast.
 
Little Bill said:
Not that it is relevant to this thread but the rule for rods is 8' in the ground driven vertically. If rock is encountered then the rod may be driven at an angle not to exceed 45°. If the rock(s) prevent the 45° angle then the rod may be placed in a trench at least 30" deep.

No mention of "strip/wire grounding" and the rod doesn't have to be any longer than 8'.
Click to expand...

The installer mentioned in post#1 was either not aware of the rule you mentioned or he had really installed strip conductor ground as the electrode looks like a strip conductor rather than a rod. JMO.
 
Sahib said:
The installer mentioned in post#1 was either not aware of the rule you mentioned or he had really installed strip conductor ground as the electrode looks like a strip conductor rather than a rod. JMO.
Click to expand...

It's not anything other than the fact that the installer either didn't or couldn't drive the rod all the way down. The conductor (GEC) is visible because of that fact and also either phone, satellite, or cable has been attached as well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top