UFER ground

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Well in a residential service i think the code should be changed ! Heres why a ground rod or any grounding method is to equalize potential in system and protect in the event of a strike meaning a bolt of lighting or a major fault in the system ?
Does per NEC one install a grounding electrode that can handle a major problem in a residential area of protection meaning the size or diameter of a rod to a wire like a no. 4 bare or a no.6 to me is not good enough! You need protection in a area of wire size area diameter or rod to give you a good point of earth to soil not just a 20 foot of stranded conductor which to me is a capacitor each strand or conductor in that conductor at high voltage meaning a lighting strike .
Ask the power company why they install 60 foot rods down when they ground a transformer its for a good path not just a moisture connection to ground or earth like in Arizona . If lighting strikes would your house do better with a ufer ground attached to a rebar under you home or would it be better to attached to a 20 foot of ground rod its your house think about it ?
Were just giving our thoughts dont take it to be wright or wrong its just my thinking on electrical not a book .

Theres the water table in florida or other states that a ground rod is better then a ufer ground and thats common sense . Take care and yes were commercial but that has nothing to do with my reasoning on this subject if you like to debate on electrical theory were here were not here to see whos better than the other were here to talk electrical stuff ?
 
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ohmhead said:
Well never knew you could change what we have been reading for years but thanks. Take care iam a old timer but still have some thoughts left about how electrical stuff works i maybe out of line .
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Maybe you could enlighten us with some "FACTS" to back-up your statements of "OPINION". The laws of physics are not governed by opinion. There have been links posted that show the proof that a uffer ground is far superior to a rod. http://www.psihq.com/iread/ufergrnd.htm you really should read them.:)
 
If it is surface applied as the information states, do they put it on the bottom of the foundation before it is installed ? If not this would be a mute point wouldn't it ?
 
stars13bars2 said:
If it is surface applied as the information states, do they put it on the bottom of the foundation before it is installed ? If not this would be a mute point wouldn't it ?
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The concrete encased electrode be it re-bar or copper wire must be located near the bottom of the footing or foundation and must be encased by a minimum of 2" of concrete
 
Well http://www.cpccorp.com/deep.htm

Also read Electrical Engineering Handbook MH lots of info on ground rods to ufer grounds .
Have you ever heard of conductive concrete they kinda add carbon to it to give it its conductive effects when its dry when its wet or damp its conductive but when its real dry its not a good conductor .

Take care .
 
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I have been using Ufer grounds for years before they were a code requirement. My AHJ actually told me that they did not recognize a CEE, but thats another story. My post was a tongue in cheek; how the hell can they make a surface application to the bottom of the foundation. I have never seen anyone pick up a foundation to apply anything to the bottom surface, have you?
 
ohmhead said:
Ask the power company why they install 60 foot rods down when they ground a transformer its for a good path not just a moisture connection to ground or earth like in Arizona . If lighting strikes would your house do better with a ufer ground attached to a rebar under you home or would it be better to attached to a 20 foot of ground rod its your house think about it ?
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I don't have the answer but who uses 20' or 60' rods in a residential setting. The original story was that 8' rods get about 98 ohms and rebar in the footers got 13 ohms. I would bet in most cases the rebar would do better.

I would like to add that not only do I connect to the rebar I also make sure I have 20' of copper in the footer in case the connection to the rebar ever fails.

If lightning wants in there isn't much that can stop it no matter what you do but I would still choice the CEE over a ground rod.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I don't have the answer but who uses 20' or 60' rods in a residential setting. The original story was that 8' rods get about 98 ohms and rebar in the footers got 13 ohms. I would bet in most cases the rebar would do better.

I would like to add that not only do I connect to the rebar I also make sure I have 20' of copper in the footer in case the connection to the rebar ever fails.

If lightning wants in there isn't much that can stop it no matter what you do but I would still choice the CEE over a ground rod.
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Well that was a example of deep rods but here in florida one rod can be 25 or less ohms in most areas its not 100 % sometimes we use two rods .
The resistance of soil on a national level is different to states with a 20 foot water table .

We can drill down 20 foot and hit water in most places in florida
i think thats one reason were the state most hit by strikes yearly .

Your area is not what we have in florida so a rod is better in a lower water table more area of protection .

I will say this when lighting strikes a rod that strike current will flash out on top of the ground in a circle spreading out its call treeing current meaning it travels on the top surface of the earths soil and can burn the grass on the surface as it traces out in all directions . I dont see how a conductor on the bottom of a footer would help in a lighting strike ?


Take care
 
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