Preferred Method of Driving Ground Rods

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C

Cow

Senior Member
Location
Eastern Oregon
Occupation
Electrician
Haven't seen anyone mention this one yet...

An 8 lb sledge with the wooden handle cut off flush. Weld a 3/4" steel pipe handle on perpendicular to the old handle hole. Presto, a ground rod driver/sledge.

If that doesn't work, it's Hilti time.
 
L

lpelectric

Senior Member
infinity said:
The guys writing those local codes need to get a grip.:-?
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I agree. Once the soil has dried around the newly installed ground rod, it will consolidate naturally and provide just as good a ground as if the hole wasn't watered. IMHO.:smile:
 
S

searlest

Member
One size fits all rod driver

One size fits all rod driver

I would like to purchase a ground rod driver for my Hilti TE 76. My Question is can you by a attachment that will work for different size grounding rods??
Or do need a bit for each sze rod?:-?
 
A

AES1005

Member
Location
Nitro West Virginia
Hammer Time

Hammer Time

Still drive them in wv with 12 inch slege hammer, arms feel like rubber the next day. Would like to invest in a good electric driver. what are some of the better models.
 
T

Tiger Electrical

Senior Member
Location
Northern Illinois
I use a 2lb hammer but we're in swampland so it's usually pretty easy. Sometimes it takes 15 minutes, but if I'm lucky it goes in with about 25 swings. Sometimes I can push it in by hand a few feet. Other times I give it 25 whacks and have to measure to see if it moved.

Dave
 
K

keesha

Member
Location
North Of Boston/So.NH
searlest said:
I would like to purchase a ground rod driver for my Hilti TE 76. My Question is can you by a attachment that will work for different size grounding rods??
Or do need a bit for each sze rod?:-?
Click to expand...


Fill it with greese, place over rod, and pull the trigger.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
electricalperson said:
my preferred method of driving a ground rod is giving the hammer to the helper and watching:grin:
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Give new meaning to the phrase "To be installed by a qualified electrician only!" :grin: :grin:
 
resistance

resistance

Senior Member
Location
WA
walkerj said:
We use water and our hands. Takes about four or five good thrusts and then stand on it the last foot or so. :grin:
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I would like to see you try that in some parts of Washington State! :mad:

The spanaway area of Washington State is nothing but rocks. Heck, even the Hilti I use doesn't work 1/2 the time.
 
L

Lxnxjxhx

Guest
What do you do when you hit a big stone 4' down? It's pretty hard to pull the thing out again. . .I'd rather dig trenches.
 
S

SiddMartin

Senior Member
Location
PA
langjahr@comcast.net said:
What do you do when you hit a big stone 4' down? It's pretty hard to pull the thing out again. . .I'd rather dig trenches.
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cut it off and drive another

I drink 2 cans of redbull and grab my helper
 
E

E.C.

Member
I hav e done alot of cell towers. A ingersoll rand screw compressor and a bosch jack hammer with adapter work great. I have had to go 110 feet at the corners of the ring in south florida.
 
infinity

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
langjahr@comcast.net said:
What do you do when you hit a big stone 4' down? It's pretty hard to pull the thing out again. . .I'd rather dig trenches.
Click to expand...


You're not permitted to lay it in a trench until you have first failed at pounding it in. 250.53(G).
 
Minuteman

Minuteman

Senior Member
Location
The Sooner Nation
langjahr@comcast.net said:
What do you do when you hit a big stone 4' down? It's pretty hard to pull the thing out again. . .I'd rather dig trenches.
Click to expand...
Did a lake house that was built on rock. Tried driving 3 rods, and could not even get a good trench going. So, took the hammer drill and broke up the concrete bellow the panel and connected a #4 to the rebar. Explained it to the inspector when I called for inspection. GC pitched a fit, cause I told him on the phone that he was to do the pour back. I said, "Hey, you should have turned me up a piece of rebar in the 1st place."
 
E

E.C.

Member
Nice one.... kinda like engineers. "All there is to it is to draw it up. Make it happen."

I'm not afraid of work. I could watch it all day.:grin:
 
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