Why do we drive Ground Rods at Detached Garages?

[@socalpilot1816]

Thank you for the explanation. I just had a 100 amp sub panel installed in my metal garage 130 feet from my house. The "electrician" insisted the 4 wires were enough and that I didn't need a ground rod because it was "grounded well" at the main. So I added a 8 foot copper ground rod next to the sub panel because I'm afraid the garage is more prone to lightning since it's metal and I live in the desert. Good thing I watched this video before using any power on the sub panel

[@anthonyelectric6045]

The path of least resistance 👍 that was a great straight forward explanation coach. Grounding and bonding IS the most important part of electrical installation and functions in my humble opinion. Enjoy your day

[@andyavila5463]

Good video explaining why we need ground rods at detached buildings referencing the NEC. Thanks Electrical Code Coach!

[@Inkling777]

Many, many thanks! You've explained why power distribution needs an earth ground as well as a neutral conductor back to the pole.

[@humbertogonzalez5733]

Great video, thank you.

[@jamiebrock7157]

like your closing statement a lot really makes me feel good to hear it thank you

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's go!

[@chrispate2788]

EVERY TIME u post a vid, I ALWAYS learn something from it, THANKS Coach 👍

[@porfiriomagana7166]

Awesome video!!! God bless, let’s keep fighting the good fight.

[@robertlane6675]

Great video, grounding and bonding can be confusing but you explained it well.

[@TrendyStone]

We have a 75 year old cabin in Montana built by my grandmother with no ground; just a hot and neutral running to each outlet and no ground rod. The electrical system has always worked fine (all aluminum wiring too!). Your explanation is very helpful, and helps me to understand why the system works without a ground rod (or even a neutral wire connected to a ground rod in the system). Maybe that's how some people did it 75 years ago? There is a power pole near the cabin with a ground rod...so perhaps that's providing some protection. In any case, thanks for the explanation. Perhaps it's time to put a few ground rods at the cabin and also detached garage. When I try to charge my Tesla it always trips with an error because it can't find a ground. Apparently the car check for that.

[@scottgrafer2222]

Excellent explanation, I just made my apprentices watch your vid. 👍

[@vince6829]

Thank you, sir!!

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You are welcome!

[@Mercy-lb5rq]

Thank you for the Post how would one identify the common 100 amp wire in the ground is only marked wire has been installed in the pipe Have time please answer

[@1asdfasdfasdf]

Got a buddy that's a pole worker for a telco in Arizona. He was telling me that the he has to occasionally flood grounding rods with water because the ground becomes so dry in the summer.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you for sharing!

[@Inkling777]

He might use epsom salt dissolved warm water. One power company study found that epsom salt _tripled_ the soil conductivity. Unlike table salt, plants like the magnesium in epsom salt.

[@1asdfasdfasdf]

@@Inkling777 Thanks, I'll share that.

[@f.demascio1857]

Great content. As a gas fitter, I have incorporated bonding and ground rod installation to my jobs/estimates due to most clients not taking the need seriously. For several years I passed along contact info for electricians i knew so the clients would get them to bond the gas piping. Most didn't bother. Once our local code enforcement started hinging pass/fail on ALL TRADES involved with a project, I bought the rod driver, took some courses and made it part of my skill set. Having and electrical background from military service helped me a lot too.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you for sharing!

[@estevaness]

Great vid 👍 gonna be doing a detached garage/shop project soon.. asking the customer to request the concrete crew to have a Ufer setup instead of the rods for me.

[@rogergillette8426]

Could you run 3 wire to the outbuilding and then ground the panel with 2 rods? Or would you still need to do 4 wire and the rods? 🤔

[@MrKen59]

I have a slight objection to this - I know you use the term path of least resistance, but you introduced another patch from the main building through the man cave wires to the grounding electrode system over there. Also, if we are taking about lightning strike,it’s going to hit the roof or structure skin to earth. I’m not debating the requirement or wisdom of your decision, I’m asking the question in regards to what’s actually being protected. In this case, if you have an antenna, the tower is a separate ground to earth via a separate rod. Also, it’s my understanding that we don’t invite strikes by grounding metal roofs on a home. I love the question BTW.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Lol it's just the code I look forward to your public input in the 2026 NEC 😃

[@MrKen59]

@@ElectricalCodeCoach cool - I was asking the question to better understand why it’s done, and to think through the expected outcome during events that require a protective outcome. Lightning protection is an art in my opinion and I still struggle with it after years of school in electronics and electrical theory. I appreciate the topic Coach. 🙏

[@brianburke215]

great video. Thanks.

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Let's get to it!

[@toolsandtactics]

Nice job!

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@RobertBeck-pp2ru]

When I built my detached shop building in 2004, county jurisdiction required the new building breaker panel be un-bonded and the ground conductor to be run all the way to the main panel at the house. I watched a video ( can't remember the author ) about why that is so important. Has the NEC developed a new theory on proper grounding?

[@Just_An_Idea_For_Consideration]

QUESTION: Similar to your scenario above except think of the dog house / garage as a solar equipment inverter. Assume nothing is connected to grid power. Only solar power from the garage is the originating power source. The garage functions similar to the electrical pole and it is generating the power. it is grounded and it also has a neutral ground bond at the garage’s internal breaker panel, where all inverters are supplying generated power, to be distributed to the house or other distant structures. Should the house say 250’ from garage, consider the incoming power from the garage as if it was from grid electrical pole, and should there be a neutral ground bond in the main breaker panel? Should the ground from garage be connected to the ground at the house? What other considerations should evaluated to avoid catastrophic failure creating harm to individuals?

[@Just_An_Idea_For_Consideration]

fyi - this was a very informative video!

[@johno2979]

Do I need a grounding rod for a hot tug gfci breaker box with four wires on the back of the house?

[@ZeroCarbDaddy]

Great video

[@Kevin-wj4ed]

At the garage we're do you hook the ground rod to? The ground bar the neutral bar or both?

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You would hook it to the ground bar

[@christhompson200]

Hi... I recently added a shed to my compound...it is about 8 feet away from my garage....100 amp panel in the garage. Newly added "Shed" I installed a 100 amp panel /6 slot. I wired new one for 3 breakers...Number one Breaker is 15 amp for lighting( 4 4 foot LEDS)....Second Breaker is a 20 amp breaker for the south side bank of outlets (7) ....The Third breaker is a 20 amp to power ( 6 ) outlets... I ran solid copper wire over and shared the original copper ground rod.....Did I F up? Thanks!!

[@EllipticalMotion]

My main panel is in my home. There is a heavy gauge aluminum braided wire (at least 1/2 thick) connected to the neutral/ground bar that goes up a galvanized pipe and to either the water or gas line entry point to the house (less than 100 ft away). I don't know because I haven't followed the line yet, but I assume this is what was done based on the gauge of the wire in this 1970s construction. My question is. If it's acceptable to have that long of a ground wire to reach ground from the main panel in a house, then in a different house with a ground closer to the main panel (say 10 ft) why oh why couldn't you just connect to the ground with your four wire system at the main building panel? Why would another ground rod be required? Isn't it more important the resistance of the grounding system? 25 ohms or less, right?

[@larryduwa9955]

So if you come off the panel outside to a panel say in your garage in the same house why don’t you need separate ground rods the same as you do in a out bldg. same scenario?

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

You do. Great question

[@hyagosilveira987]

So does the GEC from the garage building attached to that sub panel or back to the service disconnect

[@windturbineclimber5412]

Maybe I missed something. Why doesn’t just bonding everything back to the main panel not suffice?…. I saw a video someone else made stating that you are only supposed to ground at the main point of entry.

[@cuongmac2379]

Thank you...I feel educated

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

That what I aim to do! Thank you!🙏

[@avatar12able]

Let say you ran ser ( two hots, a ground and a neutral) and then you ran a separate ground wire ( equipment ground) to the sub panel in the detach structure would you still need to add two ground rods? Or just eliminate the egc run the ser and slam two rods in ?

[@jburch1544]

Good explanation

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

Thank you!!!

[@crazysquirrel9425]

My garage has no ground wire from house to garage. I wanted a GFCI outlet in there. I installed the GFCI, and ran a ground wire outside the garage to an existing ground rod. Works perfectly too. I was told by an ex building inspector that this was not safe but they didn't tell me why or how. I told them I am not going to spend $1,000's of dollars upgrading the house electrical panel, associated circuits for 'code compliance', wiring to the garage just for one lousy outlet. Old outlet was broken is why I needed to replace it. After 60 years, few old outlets will survive lol

[@busnorth]

In my 7th grade electrical class. The teacher insisted that the neutral return route to the pole transformer is through the ground rod and dirt. I augured and got a bad grade. Is he right?

[@busnorth]

Ive got a question. Never answered. A trailer house with detached meter box. A moveable detached shop with 220v 50 amp sub panel not bonded having a ground back to trailer panel. Not bonded. Ground wire to meter box bonded and ground rod. Less then 30 ft run to shop. Should there be a ground rod at the shop? From a you tube house videos sounds like no. But this isn't a typical house arrangement.

[@Stevenj120volts]

Where did they come up with 25 ohms is a goal for 1 rod.

[@philgonzales5310]

Good video, now what if you have 3 buildings house,garage, and a small shed

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

If there is more than a single branch circuit or multi-wire branch circuit there would be required to be another grounding electrode system at each building

[@jerrytalley802]

Why 2 ground rods? It seems in 1987 when I built my home, only 1 was required, thanks.

[@juancarmona9436]

Thanks you coach 🙏

[@eugenepohjola258]

Howdy. Statics Yes. Lightning Yes. But the most important thing is potential equalizing. Both during normal operation and during a ground fault in an appliance. Assuming all metal parts are well bonded inside the house. Then, in a twist of faith no soil electrodes is safer inside the house. Why ? The utilization environment is more free to float closer to the fault point potential in case of a ground fault. Less touch voltage. So why the soil electrodes ? Outside the scenario is different. During a ground fault indoors, the irrigation faucet may shock the irrigating person outdoors. So. Comprehensive bonding is good. Low soil electrode system impedance is also good. Regards.

[@darreneaton3046]

Simply for lightning, earth is not a safe fault path and code violation if used as such

[@gregc8394]

I'm in Canada , no ground rod needed at detached garage . Code. Mmm

[@ElectricalCodeCoach]

O Canada!

[@Now_lets_get_this_straight]

Don’t understand why the smaller man cave would be hit by lightning strike rather than the house? My understanding of lightning is it hits the higher building, tree, etc within 150’ of each other. Maybe the answer is static electricity but that wasn’t explained how that happens.

[@babaregi5934]

Most likely it would hit the tallest nearby structure but not necessarily. It can strike anywhere.

[@wim0104]

it also depends on where the tallest tree grows. seen plenty of sprinkler systems have their transfo blown off the wall.

[@Inkling777]

Lighting strikes aren't that predictable. In my case, I heard a flash-boom of a really close strike. When I looked out, steam was pouring out of a smaller tree across the alley and not the much taller oaks next to it.

[@MandrewP]

Lightning doesn't have to strike directly - it can strike nearby and induce a high energy pulse in wiring, etc.

[@geoffgeoff143]

We dont.

[@supremegaming6837]

how do i email you? you said people can email you questions