The Grounding Chronicles, An Epic Tale of Rods Texas Electrical Code 2020

Reliable Ground Rod Installations in Collin County by ABR Electric - Ensuring Customer Satisfaction! Licensed local electricians, providing top-quality services in compliance with the Texas Electrical Code 2020. Contact us at 214-690-1941 for exceptional electrical solutions. #GroundRodInstallations #CollinCountyElectricians #ABRElectric #CustomerSatisfaction #TexasElectricalCode
Why risk the safety of your residential property by attempting electrical work on your own? Trust the experts at ABR Electric to get the job done right the first time, every time. Contact us today at 214-690-1941 @for all your residential electrical needs in McKinney, TX.
Here are some of the services we offer:
Residential electrical troubleshooting, installations, and repairs
Lighting installation and repairs
Panel changes and upgrades
Surge protectors
Generator installation (Authorized Generac Installer)
Meter base upgrades and repairs
Circuit installations
Electrical wiring and repair
Ceiling and exhaust fan installations
Breaker replacements
Electrical home safety inspections
Outlet and switch installations
Dimmer switches
Recessed and LED lighting installations
Outdoor lighting and timer installations
Smart thermostat installation
Smoke and carbon monoxide detector installations
Surge protection systems
Security lighting
Service panel upgrades
Tesla electrician services
Landscape lighting
Dedicated circuits
Electrical panel upgrades and installations
Breaker box panel installations
Indoor and outdoor lighting installations
Electrical installations and upgrades
Visit our website at abrelectric.com to learn more about our services and how we can assist you with your electrical needs. Be sure to subscribe to our channel for helpful tips, updates, and more. We look forward to serving you!
When it comes to electrical systems, ensuring proper grounding is of utmost importance. A solid grounding electrode system not only protects your property but also promotes electrical safety. At ABR Electric, we understand the significance of a well-installed grounding system. With our expertise and commitment to customer satisfaction, we provide top-quality electrical services in Collin County and beyond. Call us today at 214-690-1941 to discuss your grounding electrode system needs!
Understanding the Grounding Electrode System:
According to the Texas Electrical Code 2020, Section 250.50, all grounding electrodes as described in 250.52(A)(1) through (A)(7) must be bonded together to form the grounding electrode system. If these grounding electrodes are absent, appropriate grounding electrodes specified in 250.52(A)(4) through (A)(8) should be installed and used. However, there is an exception for concrete-encased electrodes of existing buildings or structures where the steel reinforcing bars or rods are not accessible without disturbing the concrete.
Proper Installation of Rod, Pipe, and Plate Electrodes:
For rod, pipe, and plate electrodes, it is crucial to meet the requirements outlined in 250.53(A)(1) through (A)(3). These include embedding the electrodes below the permanent moisture level and ensuring they are free from nonconductive coatings such as paint or enamel. In certain cases, a supplemental electrode is required, which can be bonded to the existing rod, pipe, or plate electrode, grounding electrode conductor, grounded service-entrance conductor, nonflexible grounded service raceway, or any grounded service enclosure. Our team at ABR Electric has the expertise to ensure compliance with these guidelines, providing you with a safe and reliable grounding system.
Importance of Electrode Spacing and Bonding:
Proper spacing between electrodes is essential for effective grounding. According to 250.53(B), when multiple electrodes of the same type specified in 250.52(A)(5) or (A)(7) are used, they must be at least 1.83 meters (6 feet) apart. Additionally, bonding jumpers play a crucial role in connecting grounding electrodes. At ABR Electric, we understand the importance of correct bonding jumper installation as per 250.64, 250.66, and 250.70. Our licensed electricians ensure the sizing and connection of bonding jumpers in accordance with these specifications, ensuring a solid grounding electrode system.
Metal Underground Water Pipe as a Grounding Electrode:
In some cases, metal underground water pipes can serve as grounding electrodes. However, specific requirements must be met. Continuity of the grounding path or bonding connection to interior piping should not rely on water meters or filtering devices (250.53(D)(1)). Additionally, a supplemental electrode is required, which can be bonded to the grounding electrode conductor, grounded service-entrance conductor, nonflexible grounded service raceway, any grounded service enclosure, or as specified in 250.32(B). At ABR Electric, we can assist you in ensuring compliance with these requirements, promoting a safe and reliable grounding system.

[@vince6829]

My answer to your question(I’m not a licensed electrician) is this…the NEC is a minimum standard.

[@leestokes6761]

My home in American Fork, Utah is on the eastern edge of what was ancient Lake Bonneville. The base of Mahogany Mountain (~9,000 ft.) and Mount Timpanogos (11,752) are about four miles away. What, do you ask, is on the bottom of a prehistoric lake? ROCKS! They start about 2 inches down, sizes ranging from dime sized and up. I’ve dug up several soccer ball size monsters. Every time I plant a tree or a shrub, out comes the 2” diameter, 6’ long steel digging bar. Takes me a hour or more to dig up a 2’x 2’ x 2’ deep hole. The guys installing my new service entrance a few years ago managed to drive the ground rods in anywhere from 4’ to 6’ before giving up and cutting them off. My garage secondary panel is bonded to the service entrance. It also has a 12 AWG wire bonded to the local ground bus and to the galvanized pipe of my culinary water main line.

[@wmcomprev]

While increasing the distance may be better, it doesn't mean that 6 ft isn't good enough. There is a minimum spacing for stapling the cable, but stapling it more frequently may be considered better. Putting 15A receptacles on a 20A circuit is allowed, but putting 20A receptacles on it is better.

[@vk2zay]

Twice their length seems like a lot of spacing, but I guess they are aiming for well and truly in the plateau region of the fall of potential to "earth" so the grounds are redundant and effectively parallel - not sharing much of the same volume of earth? It seems like this would still be a strong function of the earth conductivity which depends on everything, composition, water content, even ambient temperature, etc. I believe NEC specifies 25 ohms or less - which strikes me as actually quite a high value, that wouldn't take too many amps into the ground to hit pretty unsafe touch potentials, or even stand ones! Fortunately for residential ground faults the current won't be too high, at least not for too long before the main breaker opens (or I guess the link in the fused disconnect to the pole pig in the street if the main breaker happens to be welded closed...) An aside: It really surprised me that there isn't more protection for the cable that feeds the service; fault interrupters downstream serve to protect the wiring thermally at least. I guess everything is sized so the fault will burn clear before the transformer secondary is damaged or the disconnect link will open before the oil boils? My guess is the leakage inductance of the transformer is sized to limit the maximum dissipation in the transformer to something the disconnect link will physically protect, and the service cable is basically considered a consumable fusable linkage that hopefully doesn't start a fire?

[@chrisf3875]

Glad to share,who lives next to the Granite State!! There's so many stories of cut ground rods that I'll say I can't list, one of the most interesting things is the damage you can do by driving 8 feet of steel into the ground, utilities hitting their own underground at poles they were installing tripping there owen fuses. Water and gas underground systems also victims of. My personal favorite is when they have septic problems,they will send a camera those pictures of the ground rod going through the pipe priceless. But I do believe16 feet distance between, it's just not practical for a minimum, you can easily end up on someone else's property!! Plus that's if you want to increase efficiency of paralleling, what where doing is supplemental. what I understand is that length of a ground rod should actually determine the distance to the next ground rod. I forget where I get this technical information from, I'll see if I can retrieve it and post it sometime. Personally I would like to see us use more Plate Electrodes, it's required to be two feet by two feet and then 30 inches below grade9, always a special order and you can never get them easily from the supply house( you need to order beforehand) like to hear feedback from any of your viewers on these plate electrodes with there experiences.

[@mike_realityi]

Not Electrician but I do read a lot. Thoughts: Having the Ground Rods 6' apart vs twice the length of longest. What is the gain of efficiency in the Ground Rods being further apart vs the Increase of Grounding Conductor Length? Question: I have heard some say that once you meet code you can go above and beyond. This note could possibly be for if a secondary, in addition to code requirement at Main Disconnect, Grounding is being made from a Sub Panel having these grounding rod(s) being at least twice the length of the longest rod apart from the grounding rods at the Main Disconnect.

[@bloomerb4162]

I really doubt spacing it like that increases its efficiency. I think closer together would be better. There just saying it's more effective that way, but you don't really need to have it that optimal.

[@windward2818]

I think the Grounding Electrode System, when referencing rods inserted in the ground, should really be called earthing and not grounding. I say this because in the USA the electrical grid is earth referenced to combat the possibility of a lightning strike on the equipment, as well as other safety reasons. On KZbin there are some videos that show power poles being hit by lightning, which is interesting to watch. The lesson learned is once cloud to earth lightning finds a path it takes the most direct route to earth. In order to accommodate a lightening strike (and other utility personal safe guards) at the pole where there is a connection of the primary and secondary neutral (3 phase Y 4 wire) to an earthing wire running down the pole to earth (using a rod or butt coil at the base of the pole). If lighting hits the pole it will (hopefully) flow down the wire and into the ground. It may vaporize or damage the wire and/or damage other equipment like the transformer at the pole or at an adjacent pole. However, the equipment safely shunted the lightning to ground without endangering a home. The danger is if the lightning finds its way towards a residence (which can happen, especially if there is a tall tree next to the home), where it could start a fire, and obviously damage electrical gear and/or appliances. So, what to do? If we focus on lightning then the dual rods act to attract lightning, they have a low resistance to the earth, which can initiate lightning streamers, and once the lightning starts a rod can shunt it to ground without entering the home. This is why the ground rod closest to the main power service panel be directly below the panel. Envision lightning coming down the mast shunted by the panel down the rod wire and into the rod as the earth connection. The intent is that the lightning find its way to earth and not enter the home.

[@SavedByFaithInJesus]

I never heard of a rod making a u-turn... hilarious. Here in Ohio, it's a mixed bag on how hard it is to drive. Most of the time it's just trying to miss the gas/water/septic/sewer lines, and you hit the occasional "hard thing" at 5ft. I bought a rotary hammer drill to do the work for me. It burns up the batteries some times but not my back.

[@abrelectric]

Save your back! Good thinking. Someday you'll be old and you don't want to look like you drove a bunch of ground rods 😀

[@rustyclark6263]

Cool video!!!

[@abrelectric]

Thanks Rusty!

[@electricalron]

Good video but I really feel that ground rods are a bit useless, especially when people drive them to "ground" their standby generators!

[@abrelectric]

I agree

[@Dead_Aim556]

How so?

[@ayen3224]

😈 'promo sm'