Hot tubs

[Jim W in Tampa]

I know they will never take the place of the neutral but should neutral to poco open they will try. Which might create more of a hazard than what it solves. Did see the job today. Looks like handyman job. Ground rods not in yet. He hopes they help with lightning. With electronics today this is questionable. Tub is good 12 feet up and away from everything. Feelings about rods or no rods is at 50 / 50

Many old houses never had but 1 ground rod and never a problem but the there are homes in Fl that sit on blocks and went thru hurricanes too.

 

[LarryFine]

I know they will never take the place of the neutral but should neutral to poco open they will try.

They'll try in the sense that some earth current will flow, dependent on the voltage shift caused by the load current imbalance.

They won't try in the sense of keeping the load side of the break at zero volts; the voltage in the earth around the rod will rise.

 

[LarryFine]

Many old houses never had but 1 ground rod and never a problem . . .

True, but many of those older homes were supplied by metallic water supplies, which did contribute to keeping the neutral near zero volts. This was often discovered the hard way when a plumber created a gap, such as during a meter removal.