Multiple Ground Rods, help

rrolleston

If you are worried about a ground I would make sure you have two 8 foot ground rods with a continuous run of #4 wire and connect it to your main panels ground/neutral buss.

4 foot rods sound like a waste of time to me.

Ralph III

Ok, it sounds like I'll be running some copper wire from my new subpanel and connecting it to the existing 8ft ground rod and then on to the new 8ft ground rod (continous).

Is there any issue with having a gradual bend, as I'm depicting, with the new copper wire?

Thanks, Ralph

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Jim Port

You do not run from the subpanel. Your grounding comes from your service panel.

The grounding for the subpanel is in the 4 wire feeder from the service panel.

__________________
Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

Yoyizit

This arrangement gives you a Single Point Ground (at the service box), which probably has no electrical disadvantages.

Jim Port

In the sketch shown in post 18 both the conductors from the panel to the 8' rod and from the phone to the conductor going to the 8' rod are correct. Just add a piece of #6 from the first rod to another 8' rod driven at least 6' from the first 8' rod.

__________________
Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

zappa

Jim, do you mean add another rod so he has a total of three 8' rods?

Jim Port

No, just connect the two 8' rods with a piece of #6.

__________________
Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

zappa

K thanks, I saw that wire connecting the 2 rods 18" below the surface and was confused.

Jim Port

I interpreted that as coming from the sub.

__________________
Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

Ralph III

Thanks Jim,
I'll run a new copper ground wire from the load center neutral buss to the existing 8ft ground rod and then on to the second 8ft ground rod.


If someone could answer this question as it has yet to be addressed.

I do prefer to run a second copper ground wire from the load center to the ground rod due to noted concerns with existing copper wire (bends & size). If for no other reason piece of mind.

Anyhow, is a gradual bend as I've depicted in post #18 ok? It is shown as coming from the sub panel but will actually come from the load center.


God Bless

Jim Port

Ralph, there is no need to go back into the panel buss. You can just jumper between the two rods.

As far as the bend, why not come straight down and place the sweep under the dirt? I think it would look better. The way it is installed with the off angle bend would drive me nuts as it looks like someone did not care what it looked like. Functionally it is fine.

__________________
Answers based on the National Electrical Code. Local amendments may apply. Check with your local building officials.

Ralph III

Just to confirm:

I should simply connect the two ground rods together and you feel the existing copper wire, running from the meter, is perfectly fine.

I will address the bends however as that was a tacky way of doing it.

Take care.

curiousB

Your utility is fed underground. That means your risk of transient damage is much lower than an aerial fed power line. I think you are solving a problem that doesn't exist.

Ralph III

Well maybe, but I'd rather be safe than sorry especially considering how cheap it is to add a second ground rod.

Just FYI, that underground utility feed to our house comes from overhead wires and a light pole about 30ft away.

Take care,
Ralph

Yoyizit

Still, I'd think that the underground part would act like a distributed resistance and distributed capacitance and so somewhat lessen the effect of a lightning strike.