Driving a Grounding Rod

[@geoffthemann]

This is very cool. Just drove a 10', 1/2" thick rod by myself using this method.I have 2 things to add to the video's instructions. 1) ALWAYS PULL UP THE GROUND ROD BEFORE TAKING ANY KIND OF BREAK. While in retrospect it seems obvious and it may be implied by the narrator's impatience about pulling the rod all the way out, I don't think it's implicitly said that you should. Even 20 seconds of the rod in the bottom of your back and forth motion and it will get really stuck. I learned this to my dismay about halfway through the process. Took A LOT of effort to get it back out again. 2) This may also be obvious but I didn't think about it til near the end. If you have access to a hose, you can just set it next to your hole with a medium trickle going at all times, really sped up the last couple of feet.

[@luxurycarkey7209]

Great job guys great video

[@theooogirl3495]

Thanks for the tips im about to do this this weekend.

[@cptwillard80]

Followed your advice this morning regarding breaks and thank God.

[@UtahFunn]

Used this method today. Drove an 8 ft. copper grounding rod in to the ground in less than 5 minutes. Thank you for the helpful tip.

[@Stormprobe]

In the beginning, I thought there was no way he was going to get that rod all the way in the ground. Amazing.

[@wd4owa1]

You guys were the answer to my prayers! I just succeeded putting an eight foot 5/8" copper-clad ground rod into the thick clay rocky soil of Kennesaw, Georgia (near Atlanta) using your method and I'm older than you guys (65)! I'm a ham radio operator and the two major obstacles I have to putting up a long-wire antenna is installing the ground rod and get the end of a rope up a 90 foot tree (that part is still pending). My wife told me "those guys are a lot younger than you and the thick clay soil will just be impossible to do by hand so you need to rent an electric jack hammer!". I proved I still have enough life left in me to accomplish some things without the help of sissy tools LOL! And I don't work out so it's not like I'm used to physical labor like this!! Some tips I learned: 1. Even though I was wearing gloves I found it impossible to grip the rod to pull it back up out of the ground once I was down about half-way so I had my wife get one of those thin rubber jar lid grip thingies out of the kitchen and was able to grip the rod with no problem (no gloves, just bare hands on rubber sheet). 2. The last 18 inches I hit something that prevented me from either pulling it back up or pushing it down any further so I grabbed my sledge hammer and a short scrap piece of 2 x 4 pine lumber. Placed the end of the 2 x 4 on top of the rod then started pounding on the other end of the 2 x 4. The wood kept the end of the rod like new but the wood took a beating! A hole was pounded about an inch deep in the wood and it started to split but not all the way before I got the rod in all the way to 3 inches above ground. Thanks again for your video! Now my next challenge, the 75 foot 14 gauge copper wire antenna into a 90 foot tree without climbing the tree (wouldn't attempt that even if I were 20 years old!) 73, WD4OWA

[@GammonAndSpinach]

This worked well even in rocky Maine soil. (Luck helps too!) I dug a little bowl to start with, about 6" deep, and kept that filled with water, so there was constant flow down the rod. I think hydraulic pressure blows the dirt away ahead of the rod, so every fourth stroke or so I'd raise the rod a moment until I felt the water flow down and relieve the suction. A day later I can't budge it; the water makes a fine mud that's packed around the rod making excellent contact with the soil. Thanks!

[@fletcjk]

After watching multiple videos of people constructing water drill devices or using hammer drills with special bits, I decided to try this method first expecting it not to work. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and it took only a couple of minutes. Naturally this might not work in rocky soil, but here in IL where I live it worked amazingly. Thank you for your video.

[@jesus77755]

Awesome!! I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't seen it with my on eyes. Thanks for sharing the video!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless You!

[@TheBigbro51]

The rod in conjunction with the water creates hydraulic pressure which forces the earth away from the rod in small increments.

[@artos8724]

I just buried my two rods using this method, thank you Ralph Moses for posting it, it was extremely helpful. The only problem I found was that at no time you can pull the rod out of the hole or else you will make your job unnecessarily harder and in some terrains impossible without digging a new hole. The problem is that the rod penetrates by compressing the earth around it as you jerk it, if you pull it out and pour water in it, it may drag soil into the hole and now when you place the rod back in it will be extremely harder to compress this new matter. I made that mistake with my first rod and I had to finish with a sledgehammer, it was a very tough job. In my second rod I already learnt my lesson and fished it in less than 5 minutes using very little water. Just continue jerking the rod without pulling it out too much.

[@saxmusicmail]

I used this method to put three rods around the base of a ham radio tower. Took about 20 minutes to get all three rods in place, and another 20 min to clamp on wiring to the base of the tower. Easy.

[@HottAK47]

I have been doing it this way since the 80's. The best part about it is how amazed onlookers are.

[@kab11ldb]

It works great, thank you. After 5 hours, sledge hammer, trying to push in with backhoe using 2" pipe over it like I have drove in well pipe before and the large backhoe can't do it, bent the rod, then straightened the best I could, my wife (90 lbs.) and I put rod in after about 20 minutes using this method in hard red clay! Amazing!

[@tomworth8078]

I have put in hundreds of ground rods using this method. Ground rods a typically installed vertically because the soil resistivity decreases as you go deeper.

[@brianard3796]

nice video .. great way to get a ground rod down , will keep this in mind ! thanks

[@adamwhite2198]

This worked like a charm. When it starts getting hard just use more water just like video. THANK YOU

[@PeteCH701]

I had to drive 2 galvanized steel rods. I was sure I could drive them with a 12 lb sledgehammer- I was wrong. It went great until I hit hardpan (dense, hard clay). It was like driving the rods into solid wood. I was only 3 feet down with the 8 ft rod. It took a 5 ton jack to push them back out so I could try another method. I tried this method after grinding 2 flutes on the end of the rod. It did work. I grabbed the rod with a pair of vice grips and turned the rod back and forth after every plunge. It took a while (1 hour per rod), but it did work. I'm not sure I could have done it with an electric jack hammer like was demonstrated on another post.

[@lindenlindo7797]

i used this method and i had it done in less than three minutes, it was so easy Thanks

[@juzeus9]

up & down, 19 don't push hard, 4 keep it wet, 15

[@vincentlok8894]

Of the two jobs, the guy with the water certainly had the easier! Just a thought... maybe dig a foot deep hole first as it seems you can’t get the rod below the surface with this technique

[@robstone5333]

Didn’t believe it. I’m from Missouri. The “show me” state. Well-you showed me! And I thank you for it. Getting ready to install an electric fence...

[@cuzzins99]

This method is a lifesaver. I installed three 6' grounding rods in about five minutes using this method. Rarely does anything work as advertised on the internet. This does.

[@bab5871]

I was a skeptic... but I tried this over the weekend with 2x 8ft rods. I had absolutely no issues and they went in even easier than the video. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't tried it myself. My fiancee with a little stunned I think!

[@darwinbird8463]

Took you a lot longer than it should have because you had them remove rod. Simply pour water to side of rod after lifting 6 -12 inches and the water will lubricate rod and find bottom of hole. Continue up and down motion and rod is fully installed in 3 min or less in Indiana clay soil. This also helps to eliminate cave-in in sandy soils.

[@hicoteo]

This works! We have rocky ground and it took me 5 tries in different spots but it went down like a hot knife through butter. Thanks!

[@W0ODIWOODRUFF]

I am from Missouri you would have to come here in the rocks and show me how well this works and we have been driving ground rod around here with jack hammers.. hammer drills and whatever device we can use besides sledge hammer.. T-POST drivers work pretty good but jack hammer is way better... I can almost with certainty say we will hit a rock every time.....

[@hairymanonetwo]

If you can drive it with a "hammer " its easier the way shown in the video here...its about " hydraulics ! "

[@cptwillard80]

This 100% works. Did it this morning. I did pound the last 8” with a small sledge. Whole process took me 5 min.

[@Unpescador1]

Freaking Works! Had to put up a new mast for my antennae and drove the ground just like this. Live where there are few rocks, but a significant hardpan.

[@patrickohare8953]

Lots of conflicting info out there, but this method was perfect for my California hard pan clay! Simple patience=results. Handy to have a big wrench to pull it when it got stuck a couple of times. Thanks.

[@tommartin3537]

This really works. I put in an eight foot rod into Colorado clay in under ten minutes. I used a garden hose dribbling water at the base.

[@StreuB1]

That was amazing. That is definitely getting filed back in the filing cabinet in the head. That will come in handy one day.

[@JohnFoxBass]

Excellent management skills - "Keep goin' boys, keep goin'. Up and down. Just keep slidin' up and down." Let's see how well you can motivate them on the 10th rod of the day...

[@jameswaymyers6359]

That is an awesome method, however i drive around twenty rods a week so having a generator and a hammer drill with a rod driver attachment is the only way it is going to get done.

[@coonfurd2010]

thank you for sharing this video ,,, i live in tx and my lease has some sandy soil but its very dry right now ,,, my cajun cusin told me about this ,, i thought he was full of it ,,, ill be doing the same thing at my camp house this weekend,,, thanks again

[@240SSONLY]

Here is a funny thought, forget the video part... just listen to the audio part... You'll crack up with a buddy... hahahha

[@clarenceago2225]

***** WELCOME BACK

[@theooogirl3495]

Haha hilarious sounds so wrong...

[@michaelgillean4658]

Sounds good....except for rocks. I have an old Buchanan Ground rod driver, works well in any dirt, but not rocky soil. Electric utility has giant jackhammers and trailer mounted compressors, so no trouble for them. I need a solution, as Inspectors don't care about my problems.

[@riverbender9898]

Excellent information!! Wish it had been captioned or done on a calm day! Thanks!

[@josephg.3370]

I'm going to try this today.

[@ವಾಸುಕಿ]

Excess of current around the equipments will be driven directly to the ground through the grounding line (the thick pin in your 3-pin connector). Not connecting it to a point with lower potential will make the excess current trapped in the circuit. As soon as it comes in contact with something with low resistance, it flows through it. If you get in contact with it, you'll be the conductor for it reach a lower potential. You can feel it. ;) Ans may not be accurate, but you should get an idea.

[@bunkerliving]

Great job. And could you please send Dillon to my house? Thanks.

[@mynamesnotimportant6941]

Send him my way when your done with him 😂

[@tecumseh22]

You should have over-dubbed the audio. Hard to listen to you through the wind.

[@theooogirl3495]

Audio the funniest and gets part!lol

[@donalddavis581]

if you have a 16 year old back..it works great! LOL

[@chrisbroesky2932]

I'd like to try this with just a standard drill, and grind cutting flutes on the end of the rod, along with water.

[@ti994apc]

Thank you, I will be trying this in Dallas.

[@junegriffiths7264]

I'll admit that I haven't yet tried this, but here in southern New England where you can expect to find boulders the size of VW's just below the surface, I think you'll be frustrated in your efforts more often than not.

[@eng35ine]

I hope you all survived the twister. Lol. Good trick. Heard about it just never used it. Always used a sds max hammer drill driver.

[@NupeAtl]

This saved my sanity. Thanks.

[@peterblock9279]

The audio of this video cost me my sanity.

[@WowLevelZones]

Wow. Great trick! Thanks.

[@markgevin17]

pretty slick...thanx for the tip...

[@Samt1958]

This really works!!!!! Thanks

[@thomascollier4913]

This is the way electricians have been driving ground rods ever since there were Ground rods.

[@yononable]

good tip, thanks for sharing.

[@RobertMacCready]

Good job but I had to turn off the audio. Holy crap it sounds like a cat 5 hurricane. haha

[@peterblock9279]

Wish I could understand the narration. Looks like a cool technique.

[@Sheabers]

Bah, the soil in VA must suck (plus all the gravel around my house). Every time I get about 5ft in and take the rod out to put water in it, I lose the hole (either it collapses or get's obstructed by a rock), It also doesn't help that there is so much clay that adding water to it basically creates a suction that is extremely tough to break. I've torn up my hands pretty good :/

[@jxt2721]

Amazing!

[@ricardokliwoodclimaco3098]

Nice - thanks !!

[@deansimmons1516]

If you can use your hands to drive that earth rod in that's not a solid conection to earth

[@bartsiegwart9218]

Bosch 540 !

[@SiCkDiAbLo]

I used the same method with the miss's last night with my rod...

[@sonictigertv1721]

Very nice

[@rickerdman5772]

Took me less time than watching this video with just a post driver and then for the last 1.f Ft I used with sledgehammer. And no sloppy mess

[@Knotrockets]

sds hammer drill

[@t.n.6978]

Super ideja

[@TheDivineImpulse]

is there a way to measure if you have a good earth link?

[@TheSteve157]

Is the end of the rod square or pointed?

[@augietheshort9344]

good procedure, but the audio beat my ears to cauliflower. Next time try using a microphone cover. Awfully hard on hearing impaired.

[@cube1us]

Too bad there is so much wind noise. Maybe throw away the audio and dub on top of it. ;)

[@yaesuft736r2]

What kind of resistance does clay present?

[@hairymanonetwo]

Any type of clay..it works even better.......with water..great Lubrication !

[@sweetkellymay]

Any scientific reasoning as to how this works...

[@n2lee]

The audio is unusable. Appreciate the effort but if we can't hear it then its not must use. You could have easily recorded new audio at home over the video and it would be perfect.

[@hermancando]

hammer works quicker

[@offthegridjeff2794]

I cant believe it work, but it did. It worked so well, I linked to my blog post about easy grounding rod installation. Let me know what ya think. offgridreview.com/?p=142

[@bcsupport]

Im muting this vidfeo