Long story short, the ground wire on the outside my house has been cut. I can splice a section of new wire in the middle of the cut, and try to tie it back to the existing ground rod.
Or I can sink a new rod, closer to the breaker box.
I seem to recall a post here, sometime in the the last couple of years, about a better ground rod than the standard galvanized poll. I seem to recall it was described as being, square, open in the center, and had a woven design for the sides.
Does this thing exist? Does it make a better ground than the traditional part? Where do I get it? Or alternatively, what is the current best grounding method?
maybe you can find the info you're looking for on this page:
http://www.controltechusa.com/Ground%20Rod.html
i've heard before of some people (radio amateurs) who, instead of using a rod, use some kind of metallic grille which they bury in the ground.
they say it gives a more effective ground because a larger surface of metal is in contact with the ground.
don't use a plastic rod or grille. ;-)
That link has a couple of good ideas. Looks like they're just using a copper-clad, steel rod though. I'm sure that works well, but I love overkill.
I have a bit of experience with this from my short amount of time spent doing telephone installation and Repair. If we found a home without proper(or non-accessible)Earth grounding, Then we would install a ground rod for them, free of charge, as part of the protector install. No one enjoys lightning strikes in their ear.
You could get complex but the simple answer is that reconnecting to your existing ground rod should be fine. Just be sure to use (at a minimum) whatever is code for your area for the guage of wire. We used 6 gauge. I think 8 might have been the min. Ground wire (in Canada anyway)should have a green sheathing to help identify it as such. Your code may require that or similar.
A good splice would be fine electrically (for a while) but I would strongly suggest that you run a new wire the whole way. If you do not have access to grease filled splice enclosures (or want the ugliness of one hanging off the wire outside your house) than it makes more sense to run a new wire as splice points are a common point of corrosion that can reduce the conductivity at that point.
Pounding in a new rod should be fine too. However, I'd suggest digging a hole to depth first. Then refill it with rock free earth and the rod. Pack the earth down tightly every foot or so as you fill it. Trying to pound it down through rock filled earth is not only hatefully hard to do sometimes but this can also damage the rod.
Grounding can be a lot more complex than that, but you are just trying to replicate what the electricians did before, so you should be fine.
I know nothing about the fancy ground rods you mention. I suspect things have changed since I did this work. Are these made by Monster by chance? snicker....
When I got the power turned on the inspector said, "wow that's a long ground wire, check." I didn't even know it was copper until it was cut off; it's so tarnished on the outside (no sheathing). It's probably at largest, 10 gauge too.
Maybe I'll run a new wire from the ground bus in the breaker box.
In some cases, like in the ground wire in your electrical panel or the ground wire running inside to be earth grounded via your water supply, it is often thick bare copper. This is where I mentioned it can start to get a bit more complex. When in doubt, hire an electrician.
In your case, you can easily keep it simple. Run a new one, use the same type and gauge (or thicker) and reconnect it to EXACTLY where ever the old earth ground was connected to.
I say "exactly" because, yes, it is most likely the bar in your electrical panel but it could also be something else. For instance, there may be a junction box somewhere between the outside rod and the panel. Things like water meters have to be bypassed in that type (water source grounding) of scenario. It is also possible that the ground rod and wire you cut is for a specific purpose other than your household power. As mentioned, if a phone installer can not access the existing earth ground, he may drive a rod specifically just for the lightning protector for the phone system. It might not touch your electrical system at all.
Anyways, this is delving deeper than my expertise goes so hopefully I'm being paranoid and overcomplicating. An A to B rewire should be very simple as long as you trace it out carefully ahead of time. If you have the slightest doubts, check with an electrician, of which, I am not one.
Does anybody else have a friend named Rod, and find this thread title disturbing?
