More ground rod ?

Question

I'm working on/live in a mobile home,the ground rod is underneath where no rain hits,,it is about 4' from the skirting..Moisture will obviously help a rod to ground properly..My ? is will the moisture "soak over" far enuff to reach the rod or should I add one just outside the line of skirting? I'm of a mind that adding one ca'nt hurt if I avoid the buried lines phone, propane ,water and sewer.. Before I moved the home here(1 1/2 yers ago) the empty spot recieved some rain for a few months or so,,how much rain I do'nt know.. Should an added rod be wired directly to My new 100amp breaker box ground bar or to the frame like the existing rod? The Electrician that helps out here is a young Fella but has more expierience than I do with wiring,just want some opinions before I ask Him about it..Thanks. Dean

marks542004 · Accepted Answer

I believe that a second rod is meant to be connected to the first rod rather than the breaker box ground.

I would think that the moisture in the ground at depth would be fairly even.

If you had a new box installed the electrician should have ensured that your grounding was up to code.

Joseph Meehan · Answer

Don't worry. If the existing ground meets code, it will be fine. Dig down two feet and compare. Chances are the area around the ground will be just as damp as anywhere else nearby.

The real trick is to meet the code. The code is designed to avoid problems.

gfretwell · Answer

The frame of your mobile home should be bonded and they usually have 8 or more tie down anchors buried in the dirt. That is not your NEC required ground electrode but it is still doing a lot of grounding. You never hurt yourself by driving another rod.. You only have to connect it to your existing rod. The farther away it is the better but it should be 6 feet minimum.

Dean · Answer

That made perfect sense at the other location,,it now sits on and istied down to concrete piers with anchor bolts to chains to the frameI-Beams..I was told this meets code..Little grounding opportunitythere..   I'm going to think on it till Spring..Thanks to All..Dean     wrote:

JGolan · Answer

Joe,I have seen you answer a lot of questions here and always thought thatyour answers were good advise. However to say that the electrical codeis there "to avoid problems" is not true. The code is for safety firstand foremost but you knew that.JP GolanJoseph Meehan wrote:

Joseph Meehan · Answer

Sorry, you are right.  I should have indicated "safety problems"  While following the code will eliminate a number of possible functional problems, it is not written to take care of them.

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