hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
Because of the mountains, most of the lines are single phase spurs off the main line, going many miles, then just end.
How many ground rods?
- Thread starter Charlypt
- Start date
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
I suspect that the changes @hillbilly1 made helped his customers. However I am of the opinion that the bonding was the primary reason for the improvements, and the ground rods secondary at best.
I've had one experience where ground rods without bonding apparently caused a problem. Service entrance with ground rods on one side of the building, Telco demark with its own ground rod on the other side of the building. No bonding between them.
No evidence of external damage, but a section of phone wire inside the building looked like a Christmas decoration. Every few inches there was a jagged copper spike sticking out of the wire, with a single mark on the wood behind it.
I've had one experience where ground rods without bonding apparently caused a problem. Service entrance with ground rods on one side of the building, Telco demark with its own ground rod on the other side of the building. No bonding between them.
No evidence of external damage, but a section of phone wire inside the building looked like a Christmas decoration. Every few inches there was a jagged copper spike sticking out of the wire, with a single mark on the wood behind it.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
- Occupation
- Electrician
Isn't it possible to have more grounding make things worse? With a lightning event, you can have ground potential rise, and it seems logical that the "better" grounding you have than the more of that rise your electronics will see.
winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
With sufficient bonding I don't see ground rods hurting, because everything will experience the same elevated voltage.
But if you don't have bonding IMHO more ground rods would make things worse. In the example I saw, perhaps not having the telephone company ground rod would actually be safer.
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
hillbilly1
Senior Member
- Location
- North Georgia mountains
- Occupation
- Owner/electrical contractor
The one below the rock quarry the bonding issue was a major component, but the others were not bonding issues.
electrofelon
Senior Member
- Location
- Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA
- Occupation
- Electrician
My thinking is the number of different scenarios are numerous. For example, is lightning traveling on one of the conductors (and if so which one), or is it a ground potential rise issue. If so, what is the relative location of the building ground and the ground referencing the electrical system. are there multiple electrodes, where are they relative to the ground potential rise. Is the voltage of the electrical system between conductors still the same it is just the ground potential has risen? Just lots of different scenarios and I can envision situations where the more electrodes and more grounding you have, you are going to see more of that ground potential rise and get more damage to equipment.