Installing an additional ground rod - power off?

sheslostcontrol

The previous owners used the old water line as the ground rod, but that line was replaced with pex. I only have a couple feet of metal in the earth right now.

I bought a 8' copper rod and installed 2' from the side of my house. I have the copper wire (about a 1/4" thick) run to the pole, but have not connected it to the existing copper line going to the old water line.

Do I need to power shut the breaker to the house before touching the existing ground wire?

joed

Not if you are careful. Depends how confident you are about not shorting to the main power wires. You need to connect this new ground direct to the panel. The old wire now becomes a BOND to the water lines.

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sheslostcontrol

Couple more questions..

Can I attach the new ground line to the existing (but cut) ground line with a copper clamp?

Also what do you mean by bond? If the old line is cut (above) it won't matter anymore right?

joed

The old line has to remain. You need them both.

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AllanJ

A bond is an essentially resistance free electrical connection, accomplished either by having the two metal items in question fastened directly to each other or connected to opposite ends of a piece of wire or to some other intervening metal object.

What I was told that where there is a ground rod, the wire from it to the panel must be continuous. If the ground wire to the water pipe is added later it may terminate with a clamp at the ground wire to the rod. If there was no ground rod then the wire from the panel to the water pipe must have been continuous.

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