ground rods ... don't look if you don't like links ;)

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i felt like getting nerdy about ground rods themselves and googling found me these interesting (to me) links . thought some here might find them interesting . if you bother to read them and notice any bad info please point it out . i'm not offering these as %100 accurate info , since i don't know %100 about anything .... except maybe how to eat fried chicken .
just stuff that made me go
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The Ufer Ground

Electrical Contractor: The Dirt On Ground Rods

About Copper Ground Rods

someone on this or another forum suggested this water hose/pipe method , but this has pics for dummies like me

Installing Ground Rods the Easy Way.
"One Shot" CadWeld Cartridge WOW !!!

Installing Ground Rods the Easy Way



Why Copper Ground Rods?

"Copper ground rods actually are copper clad steel, because copper rods would be too soft to drive in the ground and unnecessarily expensive. Most people probably assume that copper is used because of its high conductivity. That is a slight added advantage, but not the real reason. The resistance of the soil surrounding a ground rod is so high compared to the resistance of any metal that the series resistance of a rod and the soil surrounding it would be almost the same regardless of the metal used. The real reason copper is used is copper a noble metal that has high corrosion resistance. It becomes a cathode when joined together with a less noble metal such as steel in the presence of an electrolyte such as moist soil. The less-noble steel becomes a sacrificial anode that corrodes away first, leaving a relatively corrosion-free copper shell in contact with the soil."

leaving a relatively corrosion-free copper shell in contact with the soil

 

[ONAWHIM]

I liked Roger Halstead's the easy way method.

Thanks



.

 

[RatsoW8]

Ahhhhhh!! I looked.

 

[vo1ks]

You need to do more than just pound ground rods into the earth. Think how the energy will be dispersed throughout the various rods and ground systems. Improperly bonded, you can be creating as much problem as you hope to solve by providing a low impedance current sink from one ground to the next with equipment acting as a convenient jumper.

Tinned ground rods and wire are preferred over bare copper. The coating will not corrode in acidic soil and protect the copper. In basic soil it will be eaten away, but the copper will not corrode. (Acidic/basic soil may be reversed) Either way, the copper will be protected.

CadWelding is sweet! Just make sure everything is clean. Then clean it again - and a third time to make sure.

In terms of using the electrical conduit and water to drill holes for the ground rod, don't do it! As the drill moves downwards it removes soil from around its sides. When you put the ground rod in place there are large gaps to the sides and it does not make proper contact to the soil. You will have much better results by working the rod down on its own. If you get stopped by a rock then start over again. Don't take short cuts.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i've never herd of a tinned ground rod . i'm guessing it's not a soldered tinning that you're referring to .... care to elaborate ? and where are these tinned ground rods sold at ?

 

[vo1ks]

Last time I drove ground rods they came from a surplus store. Copper clad steel. You can order tinned copper wire from electrical supply stores. Perhaps they could supply tinned copper plated ground rods as well.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I have to agree with rejecting the water hose method of installing ground rods. First there is no guarantee that you will miss all the big rocks and second the problem VO1KS stated is very real. You end up washing all the dirt away and it makes for a very poor ground. I have seen some people swear that it was the only method that worked and that they were able to install an eight foot rod in a few minutes. What they don.t tell you is the soil composition they have. Sandy soil is ideal for this method as it is stone free and the water will wash the sand away easily as well as saturate enough that it will flow back around the rod fairly well. At least better than "normal" soils comprised of sand, mud, small stones etc.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i was wrong above , it wasn't installing a ground rod in the thread that discussed the hose method . is was running coax under a drive way or sidewalk .
guess i'm having too much fun . oh well , there's worse things in life to worry about

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Either way some people use the water hose method of installing ground rods and I still refuse to use that idea. Ideally a rod should be installed in undisturbed soil for maximum effectiveness.

 

[BOOTY MONSTER]

makes sense to me CK , i wasn't suggesting otherwise . was just correcting my first post .