It is important to have your house or permanent structure properly grounded if you have electricity in the building. This can help prevent a fire should lightning strike or some other electrical surge be sent towards the building. Installing a grounding rod properly is very important but also much easier than you might think. There are some regulations in areas on what the requirements are, so be sure to check and see what the rules are in your area. You will also want to ask your utility company to mark where any underground lines are so you avoid hitting them when installing the rod.
First, you need to gather the equipment needed. This will include a shovel or post hole digger, a driving tool, hammer or mallet, and the proper type of rod. They are eight feet long and usually made of copper. Ask your hardware store to point you to the right type of rods for the job. Using the wrong material will not protect your home from a surge.
Next, start digging the hole. It is important to mention again that the utility company should mark the locations of other wires so you can safely dig before starting. You will also need to select a spot near the electrical panel on the outside of the house. If you are too close to the building you may reduce its effectiveness. Being placed one to two feet away is about right, but not a requirement.
Once you have the spot selected, begin digging with the post hole digger. If you do not have one, a shovel will do the job just fine. You do not need to dig a wide hole, just as deep as you can.
After you reach as far as you can go, add some water to the hole. You don't have to fill the hole, just make it moist so you can begin pushing the rod in by hand. The water will help with this process. As you go deeper with the pole, add more water to help out. You can move the pole back and forth with the pointed end in the ground to make it easier. Once you reach the point it won't go deeper by hand, grab another tool.
Once it is a few feet in the ground, grab the other tools to get it to go the rest of the way. The best is a pile driver. This is designed to fit over the pole and allow you to push it in with less effort by lifting and slamming it back down onto the pole. If you do not have one, you might use a two by four to make the surface easier to hit with a hammer or rubber mallet. Hammer the pole until it is either a couple of inches above or level with the hole.
At this point, you will need to attach the ground wire. Some might want to solder it, but the best option is to have a copper clamp designed for this job. The end of the ground wire should be exposed. Make sure to give it some slack so if the wire is hit or bumped it won't pop loose from the clamp.
The last step is to fill in the hole. If you have it completely under the ground or exposed by an inch or so, pack the dirt in so it will be protected. Make sure it is low enough that a lawn mower will not hit it with the blades.
First, you need to gather the equipment needed. This will include a shovel or post hole digger, a driving tool, hammer or mallet, and the proper type of rod. They are eight feet long and usually made of copper. Ask your hardware store to point you to the right type of rods for the job. Using the wrong material will not protect your home from a surge.
Next, start digging the hole. It is important to mention again that the utility company should mark the locations of other wires so you can safely dig before starting. You will also need to select a spot near the electrical panel on the outside of the house. If you are too close to the building you may reduce its effectiveness. Being placed one to two feet away is about right, but not a requirement.
Once you have the spot selected, begin digging with the post hole digger. If you do not have one, a shovel will do the job just fine. You do not need to dig a wide hole, just as deep as you can.
After you reach as far as you can go, add some water to the hole. You don't have to fill the hole, just make it moist so you can begin pushing the rod in by hand. The water will help with this process. As you go deeper with the pole, add more water to help out. You can move the pole back and forth with the pointed end in the ground to make it easier. Once you reach the point it won't go deeper by hand, grab another tool.
Once it is a few feet in the ground, grab the other tools to get it to go the rest of the way. The best is a pile driver. This is designed to fit over the pole and allow you to push it in with less effort by lifting and slamming it back down onto the pole. If you do not have one, you might use a two by four to make the surface easier to hit with a hammer or rubber mallet. Hammer the pole until it is either a couple of inches above or level with the hole.
At this point, you will need to attach the ground wire. Some might want to solder it, but the best option is to have a copper clamp designed for this job. The end of the ground wire should be exposed. Make sure to give it some slack so if the wire is hit or bumped it won't pop loose from the clamp.
The last step is to fill in the hole. If you have it completely under the ground or exposed by an inch or so, pack the dirt in so it will be protected. Make sure it is low enough that a lawn mower will not hit it with the blades.
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