Preferred Method of Driving Ground Rods

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haskindm

Senior Member
Location
Maryland
I thought driving ground rods was the reason we had "helpers".
Seriously, I have a friend that has his brother-in-law work with him on evenings and weekends. The brother-in-law's day job is a mechanical engineer, but on evenings and weekends he is the "electrician's helper". Kind of neat watching this engineer dig the trenches and drive the ground rods!
 
mdshunk

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
ElectricianJeff said:
Could someone please elaborate on the water method?
Click to expand...
Run a hose in the hole, work the ground rod in and out.

That works if you're just in "hard ground". In my area, we have a lot of rocks and shale, and water doesn't really loosen that up. You can't dig a shovel full of dirt anywhere without hitting a rock. I've already driven ground rods, went to the basement, and found the rod bent like a "C" sticking out through the basement wall. Rocks do that. :mad:
 
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ItsHot

Senior Member
Location
A little piece of heaven!
good for something!

good for something!

haskindm said:
I thought driving ground rods was the reason we had "helpers".
Seriously, I have a friend that has his brother-in-law work with him on evenings and weekends. The brother-in-law's day job is a mechanical engineer, but on evenings and weekends he is the "electrician's helper". Kind of neat watching this engineer dig the trenches and drive the ground rods!
Click to expand...
Engineers are good for something!
 
electricalperson

electricalperson

Senior Member
Location
massachusetts
mdshunk said:
Run a hose in the hole, work the ground rod in and out.

That works if you're just in "hard ground". In my area, we have a lot of rocks and shale, and water doesn't really loosen that up. You can't dig a shovel full of dirt anywhere without hitting a rock. I've already driven ground rods, went to the basement, and found the rod bent like a "C" sticking out through the basement wall. Rocks do that. :mad:
Click to expand...
thats how most of the soil around here is
 
walkerj

walkerj

Senior Member
Location
Baton Rouge
Stick ground rod in ground a couple of inches.
Pull out.
Pour in a little water.
Stick it in a little farther.
Pull out.
Water.
By this time it's in a foot or so so you can make longer strokes.
Water.
Up and down longer and harder.
Water.
Harder.
Once it's about a foot and a half above ground you can stand on it(depending on weight) or a few pounds with the 20 oz. hammer.
10 minutes max:grin:
 
walkerj

walkerj

Senior Member
Location
Baton Rouge
We have VERY soft soil here. It is mostly river silt with a little soft clay mixed in. Also, there is a very high water table.
Just today I dug a two foot hole for a temporary panel with a pair of post hole diggers. By the time I was done there was 12" of water in the hole!
 
mdshunk

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
walkerj said:
Just today I dug a two foot hole for a temporary panel with a pair of post hole diggers.
Click to expand...
In the past, I've spent most of an entire day digging a hole for a t-pole. We are required by the PoCo to put them in 4 feet around here. T-poles sometimes turn into services for years and years as some projects drag out.
 
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almcvay

Member
I have used a fence post driver from home depot and it worked fine cost 20 bucks. In hard soil with lots of rock try a electric jack hammer.
 
frizbeedog

frizbeedog

Senior Member
Location
Oregon
U Turn

U Turn

mdshunk said:
....and found the rod bent like a "C" sticking out through the basement wall. Rocks do that. :mad:
Click to expand...

I was lying under a mobile home installing a conduit, while my partner was roto hammering a rod and it came back up through grade about foot from my head. I did'nt notice until about 2 ft. had came up.

Yikes!
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
tom baker said:
I prefer the Hllti 905, it has a switch that stays on. But whats the attachment for?
Click to expand...

Driving ground rods!

You can drive the rod standing on the gound... it attaches to the rod at any point. So you don't have to stand on a ladder to even get started!

Maybe this will explain it better. (Page 3)
 
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ElectricianJeff

Senior Member
Location
Southern Illinois
walkerj said:
Stick ground rod in ground a couple of inches.
Pull out.
Pour in a little water.
Stick it in a little farther.
Pull out.
Water.
By this time it's in a foot or so so you can make longer strokes.
Water.
Up and down longer and harder.
Water.
Harder.
Once it's about a foot and a half above ground you can stand on it(depending on weight) or a few pounds with the 20 oz. hammer.
10 minutes max:grin:
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will give that a try.

Jeff
 
S

SmithBuilt

Senior Member
Location
Foothills of NC
J

jghrist

Senior Member
walkerj said:
Stick ground rod in ground a couple of inches.
Pull out.
Pour in a little water.
Stick it in a little farther.
Pull out.
Water.
By this time it's in a foot or so so you can make longer strokes.
Water.
Up and down longer and harder.
Water.
Harder.
Once it's about a foot and a half above ground you can stand on it(depending on weight) or a few pounds with the 20 oz. hammer.
10 minutes max:grin:
Click to expand...
This is starting to sound like a pornographic website!:grin:
 
charlie b

charlie b

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
I had to install a ground rod once. I arranged for the phone company to install an upgraded service, but they said they could not connect it unless they had a ground rod near the demark. Seattle has a reputation for having small and large rocks scattered throughout the soil, so I was concerned. But I bought the size rod they called for, stood on a chair, and started pounding it with a standard carpenter?s hammer. The rod went all the way into the ground very smoothly, without hitting a single rock.

So my answer to the ?how to do it? question would be, ?you need to get lucky.? :grin:
 
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