Fastest And Easiest Way To Drive Grounding Rods

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Sometimes we need to work a little smarter and not necessarily harder. I will show you a couple effective ways to drive 5/8" by 8' grounding rods and you won't believe which method is the fastest and with the least amount of effort.
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[@johndough9187]

I just use a post driver, no sweat. The water method is highly dependent on your soil type and doesn't work well in lots of places.

[@ShanePresleyC]

"That [ground rod] would not something you want to fall on" truer words have never been spoken😆

[@keithosterkamp6207]

I listened to 2 friends in construction recount how to do this. I decided to try it the last time I needed to install a ground rod. I was absolutely amazed at how well the water method worked. No real effort required to sink that rod to the point where there was only 8” left above grade.

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Thank you for the vidja! I have found that in Central Florida I can use a garden hose with/without a piece of PCV pipe to drill pretty much ANY hole I need. I got a hose adaptor with a slip-fit end for longer/stubborn pieces of whatever that I want to sink in the ground. I am convinced a 1/2inch - 3/4inch diameter PCV pipe can sink ANYTHING in the ground you want. Forty years ago I sunk 12' creosote telephone pole pilings for use as dock footings. They each took less than half an hour until I got into water over my head and had to use a john-boat. They still took less time than I would have imagined. Not much digging some water cannot make easier it seems. Cheers.

[@WeedyCreek]

I've used the water method to drive 5/8" x 8 foot ground rods several times and it definitely works just as easily as shown (lots of sweat involved tho) and yes...a hammer for the last foot or so.

[@vovobillinbrazil]

I saw the water method on a Short. Used it two weeks ago to slam two grounding rods in. Unbelievable how efficient it was. Took less than 7 minutes to install both. Had a rock in line with one, easily moved it a few inches over an bammo. Hammered, as you did, the last foot or so.

[@dirtriderkx500]

Great video. I remember when I was a grunt back in the day. They give us a sledgehammer and the ground rod. When it's below zero out the water won't work. LOL 😂😂. I've pounded a lot of ground rods in. I remember my arms feel like they're going to fall off. LOL 😂

[@hassanbazzi3545]

That was pretty good. I think you answered the question when you mentioned to be carful with the hammer drill while you are on the ladder. I think it is better to use the water method and end it with hammer drill. Great video. Thank you for sharing

[@Salmomlox]

Impressive. Thanks for the info and showing us how it's done.

[@aaron74]

I have seen the water method before and totally forgot about it; this video reminded me. That is such an effective and CHEAP technique. Now I'm waiting for Scott to show us Wago ground rod clamps. Ha ha ha

[@hardlyb]

The ground around here (Texas Hill Country) doesn't have much dirt in it - so I'm not sure either one of those would work. We had a new propane tank put in, and after they scraped away 18 inches of soil, they were hammering away with the excavator for most of a day to make big enough hole.

[@TRHARTAmericanArtist]

Great video as usual. Thank you!

[@stephenpaul394]

I have used a t-post driver and that works well

[@HomeRapidRepair]

I like that you have the ground rods just below the finished grade…I can’t stand when they leave them sticking out like 6 inches.

[@pwkeely]

Depending on the use, I dontnmind knowing where they are.

[@lexheath8276]

​@@pwkeely as radio operator I prefer exposed. I'm always grounding and removing various electronics & masts.

[@pr0xyg673]

In my area for power it's required to be under grade 6"

[@HomeRapidRepair]

@@pr0xyg673 thanks 👍🏼🛠️

[@joewoodchuck3824]

That's how an above ground connection is made. Burying the connection seems like asking for corrosion to occur.

[@rodmartel3143]

Try that up in the Canadian Shield area. I was so happy to get 3 feet in before solid rock!

[@ConsolidatedPBY]

I thought the Canadian shield was one's wife ignoring their husband.

[@roythurston7799]

Good, I have to do this tomorrow

[@therealist3359]

My dad was an electrician and told me he did this under a crawl space once where there was no room to hammer on it. One fellow poured the water and my dad twisted it by hand

[@SmilingAcorn-gu8eu]

Why did your dad put it under the house instead of outside near side of house

[@TheKingOfInappropriateComments]

That water trick probably works there in IL with that mushy loamy soil but down here in the south with the clay and rocks and not so easy I bet.

[@TexasVernon]

Right you are. 😢

[@GeneDoverspike]

Here in Ohio with Clay soil neither methods work well. I even have been using the hammer drill/driver and water and 3 hours and still have 3 - 4 foot left to go on two rods

[@theodurbin8672]

Nice! I'm probably going to use a combination of these. I have a hammer drill, but it's not the biggest.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, that would probably work well. Depending on your soil type the water will pretty easily get the rod to 3-4 feet above the ground with little effort.

[@rquest3059]

Thats great in soft earth, but in my area I remember seeking a D8 caterpillar with a huge hydraulic ripper on the back stopped cold by solid rock. The dozer had to chip about 10 inch sections at a time, 3 ft wide x 5 ft deep x 40 ft long. It took several hours.

[@Zeric1]

I see lots of videos that involve tunneling or trenching to run cable/conduit/irrigation/set poles/footings/etc that totally fail to mention that their "easy" method, whatever it happens to be, only works in certain areas and soil types. I'm surprised this video didn't mention these methods only work in soil that is not rocky or based in hard clay, Scott usually considers all possibilities and discusses them.

[@whichri79]

my back yard in Texas was solid limestone about 12 inches down

[@gelisob]

if the ground is so rocky that you need caterpillar and stuff then I think this is not a good grounding surface. Rocky ground is bad as far as I know. Should seek more soil spot further away and run the copper back to building I think.

[@rquest3059]

​@gelisob we were putting in water lines, so we had no choice but to chip the rock away until we were 6 feet down.

[@Xanthumb_Gum]

So?

[@thehazelnutspread]

Wow.......what a surprise. Nice

[@kenbrown2808]

I use a full size SDS MAX rotohammer and a bar clamp for a trigger lock. as tempting as it is to lean hard on the rotohammer, it really doesn't make much difference. set it on, set the speed so it doesn't bounce itself off, and do something different for a few minutes.

[@daveengstrom9250]

I had no idea water would make such a difference. Where I live there are LOTS of rocks. I will give it a try.

[@dadsapp]

Nice!

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Now that you have ground rod installed, please make video for TV antenna install 🙏 Especially since it is now football season

[@stuffhappens5681]

I live near the Great Lakes where the ground is solid clay soil. When wet it has the gooey consistency of modeling clay. Hard as a rock when dry. I’d have to grind a point into the end of the rod like a harpoon and it’d still take over an hour to pound that sucker into the ground.

[@larryseibold4287]

round one, very impressive. It was so impressive, i would like to see a rematch in dry clay soil, with some fraction of river base in there. would it just be a bit slower, or not work at all, compared to your clearly moist brown soil.

[@kenmore01]

Maybe both would be fastest. With the water technique, I'm thinking it gets harder down below moist soil. On the last segment, I'd pour in the rest of the bottle and go have lunch to allow time for it to penetrate.

[@billbehrens7421]

Lunch? Id go have some beers... Come back the next day... 😂

[@kenmore01]

@@billbehrens7421 A better option of course! 🍻

[@radiotec76]

I dug a small hole and with a garden hose I was able to drive an 8 foot rod into about 2 1/2 feet from surface level. Water is absolutely the way to go.

[@stephenbeck6410]

I tried the water method a few years ago, and couldn’t believe how fast and easy it was.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

For sure 👍

[@spamlessaccount]

I'm sure it works great with well draining soil. I think you'd get much worse results with the water technique in clay.

[@patrickursomanno8861]

Water's amazing , sunk a well pipe 50' with just water

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Impressive 👍

[@Honestandtruth]

It is DEPENDS on the Location Soil.....if you Lucky enough around your house of soft ground soil 😅

[@scallywag1716]

Not sure how well the water method would work on my rock filled clay soil.

[@johnschiltz6440]

Same here....central coast of California...we don't dig holes we sculpt them

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, probably need 2 bottles of water 😁

[@zekenzy6486]

Great Video. Thank you for sharing. May I ask, why's have 2 Grounding Rods ?

[@johnmiller4773]

Same question

[@eosjoe565]

I thought he said something about it being required by code.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Called out in code. There is an example where you could only have 1 grounding rod but you need to meet the Resistance threshold. NEC code: The NEC requires a minimum of two grounding electrodes, unless one electrode has a resistance to earth less than 25 ohms.

[@stlouisx50]

😂 As a radio hobbyist..... T-post driver works faster than both.

[@HomeRapidRepair]

Great idea 💡

[@TheKingOfInappropriateComments]

QSL

[@ragheadand420roll]

You should not be using an earth ground Your ground reference is different from the ac ground potential Grounding to your ac system balances the ground Grounding to earth and then using ac causes an unbalanced ground Many so called hams dont know what theyre doing For swl and listening it will help But for transmitting and esp using any power Good luck U ground using your ac ground to a copper buss and ground your radios from that a balanced ground

[@TheKingOfInappropriateComments]

@@ragheadand420roll Maybe they're just talking about the antennas and not the radios. I grounded my antennas for lightning and surge suppression. I live on a mountain and have a repeater site. Coax run of 200' or so. Lots of lightning and static up here.

[@flowerpt]

I listened to an old ham who said to not ground and then an electrical storm blew out expensive electronics and made toast of the DC circuit breaker I had installed. NOT a direct hit, just induced current! T-post driver!

[@JackSanders-xd6sq]

What about attaching copper rod(s) to the house/building, how is that done properly?

[@eosjoe565]

Around here I seem to have so many rocks and roots that I doubt the water method would work very well. If you think that rotary hammer does a good job, you should try a DeWalt 21lb. SDS-Max demolition hammer! With one of the Bosch ground rod bits the main issue you have is getting the hammer turned OFF before the rod disappears into the ground. :-)

[@kenbrown2808]

you don't have truly rocky soil if you have to worry about it going too fast.

[@eosjoe565]

@@kenbrown2808 It's not solid granite but it is very rocky. When you luck out and pick a clean spot, that's when the rod goes in fast. The demolition hammer will drive the rod through roots and other obstructions.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@eosjoe565 I've hit bedrock before. then the inspector invariably shows up right when you've just cut the last foot off the rod.

[@eosjoe565]

@@kenbrown2808 heh heh... bummer. :-)

[@gckshea]

What is you used water AND the driver bit? You'd be done in 30sec!!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

🤯

[@robertroy8803]

Hey that was my thought too. Time to drive a third ground rod!

[@robertlafleur5179]

Then attach the wire to the ground rod before you start, you might sink it underground before you know it!😮

[@vorticity4]

Second video I’ve seen where you put the flat end on the ground and hammer on the pointy end. Am I missing something?

[@richardl5956]

Get a T-post driver from Tractor Supply Co.

[@100vg]

Did you make a coned point on the driving-to-depth tip? I have no idea what Code or Established Procedure is, but intuition tells me that would help. I noticed that the rotary hammer drill tip was coned with a flat tip. Does the grounding rod come that way, maybe on both ends, or did the rotary hammer drill do that? With the video at full screen, it looks like both ends are shaped with a flat-tipped cone. Maybe that's better than a pointed-tip cone to help it drive in straighter with either procedure? I agree that the water only method is amazing. Great video, Scott. Thanks I'll watch your How To Install A Garage Sub Panel next.

[@Zeric1]

Ground rods come with one end that is somewhat pointed, the other end much less so.

[@100vg]

@@Zeric1 Thanks, Zeric.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@Zeric1 depends on the manufacturer. nearly all have a pointy end, the other end can vary from also pointy, to chamfered, to hollow and chamfered.

[@paulsmith9341]

I would want to use either method in Southern Nevada. The ground is like concrete

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, might take a bit longer 😬

[@mrcryptozoic817]

Or any other place with caliche.

[@atalmanalai3876]

A question. Aren't you supposed to leave the acorn clamp connection exposed (not buried)? Maybe cad weld instead if you have to bury them?

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

I haven't seen a callout to leave the clamps exposed.

[@kenbrown2808]

acorns are rated for direct burial. but it's smart to wait until after inspection to bury them.

[@K2teknik.]

Interesting, but what about the goal with this ground rod to make an electric connection to the ground ? How many ohm's do ether of these rod's have, both just after installing and after some time (like weeks/month/years). It is a safety thing that must work over a long time span, so what you may gain in time, and afford saving during installation, you may end up loosing in reliability over time ? There is most likely a code about the resistance to ground and how to measure it.

[@TheSynchronizer]

Turns out the water method isnt as effective as I had hoped here in the El Paso desert, 5 minutes turned into an hour haha but still better than spending the money on power tools.

[@4speed3pedals]

What method is available for earth with shale rocks. Here is S. York County, PA, we live on an eroded mountain and the soil is packed full of flat rocks in any position. They usually stop anything from being driven into the ground.

[@Zeric1]

It can be installed horizontally in the ground, but I believe it has to be 30" down, which would still be quite difficult. Plan on renting a backhoe.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@Zeric1 basically, the average depth needs to be 48 inches. a better option might be to pour a sidewalk with a concrete encased electrode in it.

[@farstrider79]

Things may be different where you are, but where i am all grounds go back to the main disconnect where there are ground rods. I wouldnt ground a sub panel separately. If you were putting lightning rods, sure, but not tied to the electrical system.

[@kenbrown2808]

by code, a separate building needs a direct connection to grounding electrodes. they can be the same electrodes as the main service, but it needs a direct connection.

[@DistinctGamer_]

FINALLY! A good use for Dasani water!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

😂

[@JurassicJenkins]

2.5 minutes if you use water with the Mikita hammer drill. 💪

[@jdog4534]

How fast will it be if you combine both methods?

[@sircampbell1249]

Do you test your grounds?

[@johngranato2673]

In the case of CBS homes, builders often bury construction waste, unused mixed concrete, broken blocks, etc. around the house instead of spending their time and money to properly dispose of this debris!

[@AnyM4jorDude]

Thank you, my Millennials and I bought a ground rod and we still haven't installed it. Thank you for the video!!!

[@bradcole5064]

How about water with the hammer drill? 2-3 minutes?

[@zakaroonetwork777]

Catch 22 I don’t have Power to power the Ground Rod with the hammer drill.

[@TTCS]

2 problems. What is your soil condition to bedrock. And what depth is bedrock.

[@musicalintuition]

Will the hammer drill technique allow you to bust through rock?

[@pld8993]

Not usually.

[@Lucidbkeo]

I'll try it but i don't think this will work in North Carolina with all the clay in the soil. When I was an apprentice, I had to take turns with another guy using a post driver and it took us like 10 minutes just to install one rod

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, soil type can make a massive difference.

[@texasermd1]

My North Texas soil would laugh at either method. One needs a Caterpillar 994 to push through here. 😅

[@iamtemo]

I can’t believe that actually work.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

The power of water 👍

[@2mustange]

Laughs in desert. I wish a bit of water would help that much. Might be a couple gallons over a few days for me

[@shawndickmann8215]

Can you drive the ground rods inside through the concrete floor?

[@PetesGuide]

No. The ground rod needs to be outside the building, and ideally immediately adjacent to where all the other utilities enter the building, so that they can all be bonded to the same ground potential.

[@rcmrcm3370]

Sometimes you can ground to the rebar in the slab, if there is enough rebar and slab, depending on soil conditions -check local code. I've never heard of driving rods through or below slab.

[@kenbrown2808]

yes. it's usually awkward, but it can be done when it is more awkward to drive rods outdoors.

[@jungojerry1658]

So I tried sinking a ground rod up in a mountainous region...hit bedrock at about 4 feet. Couldn't penetrate that. Fail.

[@tedlahm5740]

8 foot rod 8 feet separation?

[@JCWren]

6 feet is a minimum. Optimal is twice the length of the ground rod, per NEC.

[@chefmichaelt]

Cool❤

[@durhamjut]

Now try that in shale, sandstone or granite.

[@me4654]

Can't I just wrap the old wire from the first antenna to a bolt sticking outta the new wood balcony? That's how DirecTV had it, when I canceled after 16 year's I just unscrewed everything that went into the dish and added another cable for length and screwed it into the antenna would still be up but management hired some side worker's looks fine except the 4 in. Bolts on 8 corner's😂

[@deadmanswife3625]

How about the fastest and easiest way to get old ones that are no longer hooked up out of the ground?

[@gillgetter3004]

Leave them there, just cut below grade

[@phlogistanjones2722]

Water hose and perhaps a length of PCV pipe. Just root around and you can eventually work it out. Hydro-drilling is "magical". :)

[@deadmanswife3625]

@@gillgetter3004 like with sawzall?

[@deadmanswife3625]

@@gillgetter3004 sheesh okay thanks

[@deadmanswife3625]

@@phlogistanjones2722 appreciate you

[@user.A9]

You missed a chance to demonstrate cad weld.

[@Bass.Player]

Easiest way is with water alone. No cost! Fill that hole with water and you won't need a hammer... I actually lost a ground rod that just disappeared well below ground using water.

[@chrisboyd4433]

Unless you live in Maine where you are guaranteed to hit a rock or three.

[@richardnowacki2869]

Won’t the copper wire rot buried in the ground?

[@pld8993]

No

[@kenbrown2808]

the best trick is to have sand instead of soil.

[@KE5ZZO]

You need a better intro explanation a sub panel on a separate building is supposed to have a ground rod. If it is a subpanel in the same structure as the main panel. Then you do not add a ground rod to the subpanel -- the ground counes from the wiring going back to the mail panel

[@rcmrcm3370]

It's okay if you don't bond the neutral to sub panel, also be well away from any other grounds, like utilities company, or you can get recirculating current.

[@rmp1111]

Maybe if he used a real hammer drill!? 😂

[@pld8993]

Exactly. That miniature rotary hammer is a toy. With my 1-9/16" unit, I can drive a 10' rod through hard clay in under 2 minutes.

[@MountainMan7.62x39]

I'm absolutely shocked. Unfortunately, I don't think it will work for me because I live on a mountain with very rocky soil.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, the rocks might pose a bit of a problem.

[@db8823]

I have all clay not dirt. It wouldn't work as well.

[@cornpop7805]

It seems that the water method wallers out the hole, such that much of the rod doesn't make great contacts with the surrounding earth (ground). I imagine the earth would fill in the void, but it will take years before it has as good contact as the demo-hammer driven ground-rod. I fully disavow the water method!

[@pld8993]

Using a miniature rotary hammer, like the one he uses, especially a battery one, is not the right tool. The weight of the tool bouncing on the rod is a critical factor. I use a corded 1-9/16" rotary hammer and I can get a rod down through clay in under 2 minutes all day. In sand, 30 seconds. I never break a sweat.

[@epochgames3049]

Why not combine the 2 methods? When you need to hammer, switch to the tool.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

That would work!

[@pld8993]

But if you use the right size hammer there's no need for water.

[@ericnewton5720]

Water wouldnt work well in sandy soils, like Florida. Water would just collapse the sides of the hole and you have to start over.

[@johnnelson9309]

Sir, with all due respect. We all don't live in that area. As the saying goes, " Why don't you go pound sand?" We have extremely rocky soil. In some areas, contractors have to blast to open trenches for utilities installations. I know you mean well, and you want to get more subscribers to your channel. I would love to just use a bottle of water. But, " Come On Man "

[@Digital-Dan]

NOCAL clay would resist your water method big time.

[@kenbrown2808]

I'll see your clay and raise you bedrock.

[@coloradomountainman8659]

You may not have done your homework thoroughly. In many locations it is not permissible to use water to sink in a ground rod. As the water evaporates and the ground dries, the soil pulls away from the grounding rod minimizing the the contact area.

[@KameraShy]

That makes no sense. The next rain will saturate the ground causing any voids to fill.

[@coloradomountainman8659]

And if it is 2 or 3 months between rains? And since when does rain soak down into the ground any more than a couple inches? Reckon you need to think these things through. @@KameraShy

[@cornpop7805]

I didn't think you needed to drive grounds for sub-panels...

[@Zeric1]

I believe you do if the sub-panel is located at a separate building. There may be exceptions in some jurisdictions, like if the buildings are very close to each other.

[@cornpop7805]

@Zeric1 Possibly. Way back when I was in the trade, they were always worried about "ground loops", so we didn't ground sub-panels, regardless. I'm sure lots of things have changed.

[@kenbrown2808]

@@cornpop7805 separate buildings require their own grounding electrode connection, but can use the same grounding electrodes as other buildings. case in point, a detached garage can have two rods driven between it and the house, and a continuous grounding electrode conductor from the house, connected to the rods, and then to the garage. it still has to have a grounding conductor in the feeder from the house to the garage, as well.

[@harrykirk7415]

If you are goimg to make a video on this topic, you absolutely must provide real examples of doing the job in mamy different types of soil. Otherwise the video is bssicslly worthless. There's much more to it.