Earth Rod - Advice please!

[Kaydee]

Hi, I am not an electrician, but need some advice from one, if you wouldn't mind helping, please?
We've just paid £3,500.00 to have a 3-bed semi completely rewired and are told the job is now finished. (We paid half up front, they now want the other half).
Outside the front of the property, they've installed what they've told us is an 'earth rod'. There's a long piece of thick, black, plastic tubing, leading to a unit that is fixed to the ground.
It comes almost onto the driveway, right in front of an attractive bush to the side of the front door and looks really unsightly.
We questioned them about it and were told it was 'regulation' that it had to be installed that way, a metre from the house, in a straight line.
I haven't seen anything like this in front of any other property, including ones that have been recently rewired, but want to check my facts before challenging them on this.
Is this normal? Can it/should it be buried underground?

 

[telectrix]

going by the OP's location, shall we send pete999 round on his mobility scooter.

 

[Kaydee]

Without sounding out of turn, the electrician should have known that an earth rod needed installing upon surveying the property during quoting purposes. The method you described is quite common and tends to be the cheapest easiest solution. This said, personally I would have discussed this with the client prior to commencing work and made provisions in the quote to install the rod within the regs as per clients spec. As its a "basic" re-wire and we know nothing of your agreed contract with the electrician, its difficult to make comment about your situation.
My guess is he/she will advise that the alterations you require will be charged extra to the original quote if nothing was agreed prior.

I think you're probably right David, but as he knew we were preparing the house for marketing it, I would have hoped he would have discussed this sort of thing with us, which he didn't!

 

[Kaydee]

Without sounding out of turn, the electrician should have known that an earth rod needed installing upon surveying the property during quoting purposes. The method you described is quite common and tends to be the cheapest easiest solution. This said, personally I would have discussed this with the client prior to commencing work and made provisions in the quote to install the rod within the regs as per clients spec. As its a "basic" re-wire and we know nothing of your agreed contract with the electrician, its difficult to make comment about your situation.
My guess is he/she will advise that the alterations you require will be charged extra to the original quote if nothing was agreed prior.

I think you're probably right David, but as he knew we were preparing the house for marketing it, I would have hoped he would have discussed this sort of thing with us, which he didn't!

Can you post a picture of the earth rod's current set up? Is your propery in a remote location or do you have other properties close by.? Hard to comment on the price without a full spec but it doesnt sound that unreasonable.

I'd also like to see a pic. has he installed a decent rod, or just a 3ft. "twig". and is the Ra/Ze suitably low.

 

[Midwest]

Looks okay to me, guess until the bush is cut back!

PS seen worse, lot worse.

 

[Kaydee]

Looks okay to me, guess until the bush is cut back!

Is this normal then? It's just that I've never seen it like this before on other properties.
I'm mainly worried about buyers wondering what it is and what it's doing there.

 

[telectrix]

Looks okay to me, guess until the bush is cut back!

yeah. it's not as bad as i thought. a bit of greenery planted in front would disguise it. bearing in mind that it should be accessible for maintenance purposes.

 

[Pete999]

I'm afraid I have no idea what that is, westward10

Note to my self don't interfere with someone else s thread

 

[Des 56]

There is nothing out of the ordinary with what can be seen.
I suppose an eyesore depends on the perspective of the viewer

 

[telectrix]

Is this normal then? It's just that I've never seen it like this before on other properties.
I'm mainly worried about buyers wondering what it is and what it's doing there.

seen far worse, just a rod banged in with no enclosure whatever. worry not. it's compliant even if you don't like the aesthetics.

 

[Midwest]

It seems you electrician has contained the earth cable in black plastic conduit, to give some form of mechanical protection, i.e. when you cut back that bush.

 

[Kaydee]

Thank you very much, everyone. Seems I've been worrying unnecessarily!

 

[telectrix]

Thank you very much, everyone. Seems I've been worrying unnecessarily!

yeah. nothing to worry about. it's just the look of it you need to get used to.

 

[Midwest]

It seems you electrician has contained the earth cable in black plastic conduit, to give some form of mechanical protection, i.e. when you cut back that bush.

Always remember the father-in-law (god bless) cutting his Sky cable in half, trimming his hedge with new trimmer

 

[telectrix]

haha. he should have utilised some sky hooks.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

I am looking forward to trying to tell a customer when the 18th kicks in that they now need a supplementary earth rod to add additional layer of protection to the dno earth.. No doubt they will curse and accuse me of robbing them..... oh the joys of being an electrician