Why Do You Have to Sink Grounding Rods?

Purpose

• The purpose of sinking a ground rod into the earth is to provide a safe path for lightning strikes to go into the ground instead of into a home's electrical circuits. The current travels down the rod deep into the ground, where it is discharged.

Rods

• Grounding rods must be 8 feet long. Rods that are shorter do not offer good performance or protection from a lightning strike. In some cities, shorter ground rods are not legal for grounding. The rods are made of copper clad, which is a steel core rod covered with a copper layer, or solid copper. Sometimes copper tubing at least 1-inch in diameter can be used, but the wall of the stock must be thicker than the piping used for plumbing.

Depth

• Grounding rods are inserted into the ground so only a few inches of rod are showing on the ground surface. It is easier to use a post hole digger to dig a hole as far down as you can, close to the 8-foot depth. The rod will be below the frost line and closer to the saturated earth, which helps dissipate the current.

Wire Clamps

• The wire that you need to ground must be secured to the grounding rod. After wrapping the wire around the tip of the rod, use a wire clamp to secure the wire to the rod. Securing the wire keeps the wire in place so it can’t be removed or come loose and fall off the rod.