Replacing main ground rods

[hallerb]

Were removing a planter alongside my buddes home to widen his driveway.

His ground rods are in the planter. I think we should replace them to a offset in the driveway. The home narrows a bit partway back.

Ny friend wants to either drive them deeper or pull them out and move them.

he is cheap:(

Where does one buy that groundrod driver that fits in a hammer drill?? many electrical supply houses have closed around here and the home depot person had no idea what I was talking about.

The existing ground is a single ground rod whats the current code?

[RBM]

[hallerb]

groundrods would be driven over by vehicles and ground wire too short anyway. wire woulld likely get short as rod is driven deeper.

my friend wants to pull the rod, its rustry and has anyone ever pulled one out?

[Pete C.]

Don't try to pull it, just trash it. It's deteriorated and won't survive re-driving somewhere else.

Buy two new ground rods to locate 6' (or more) apart as noted in another post. Also purchase enough wire of the appropriate gauge to wire the new rods contiguously back to the main panel. Splices are not allowed in the ground rod connection.

For driving the rods, look to Home Depot's tool rental for a goof Hilti rotary hammer. Since the bozos at HD won't know what a ground rod driver is, call the local Hilti branch and they will in all probability loan you one to go with the drill.

Pete C.

[Bob]

2-eight foot rods, six feet apart or prove the ground resistance. Why not drive the one in deep? ___________________________________________________________ Two is, or should be, an absolute NO NO. You can get ground current between the two. ___________________________________________________________

[DAC]

You don't need a driver...dig a small depression where you want to place the rod.

Stick the rod in the soil, fill the depression with water. With-draw the rod and the water will run into the the hole. As the water provides lubrication, a gentle up and down motion will let you easily slip the rod into the soil.

Depending on the moisture content of the soil, you may need to replace the water in the depression. I always finish the last 2 feet or so with a sledge hammer, many light strokes rather than a few large ones will keep the end from mashing out of shape.

Good luck,

DAC

[Pete C.]

Suggest reading the codes.

Pete C.

[hallerb]

ground rods MUST be unified together, all connected together with water line and any other grounds like a satellite dish or a shock hazard can occur.

unified its no problem

[Tom The Great]

Ha Ha Ha, I actually cracked up, "pull them out and move them". :D

Get an electrician, they will check your whole grounding and bonding system, and put ground rods in fast.

BTW, the NEC is Good, but many local codes are more restrictive, so check with your local codes.

later,

tom @

[Bob F]

Pouring concrete? I have read that tieing the ground to properly bonded rebar in concrete can make a very good ground.

Bob

[Chris Friesen]

Around here you can use wire embedded in concrete, but it has to be bare copper wire embedded in the bottom two inches of the building footings. (Uses the weight of the building pushing on it to help get better ground contact.)

Chris

[hallerb]

he will go with gravel........ he tends to buy expensive toys like a new harley every couple years but cheaps out on his home and it shows.

he REALLY needed a backhoe 3 years ago when he bought the home.

the driveway is sloped wrong, water coming off road above home washed out back wall of garage.

a backhoe for a day, and some BIG dump truck loads of gravel can fix the place.......''

his priorties are elsewhere and he is a nice guy and has helped me with stuff, so I help him

personally I believe you should take good care of your home it saves money.

example he has tree branches rubbing his roof, and with wind that will ruin it.

yet he ignores it?

I dont understand folks like that, pole pruner can lob off those branches.

I offered to help he isnt interested:(.