Installing earth rod

[Plonker 3]

Cutting a long story short, I may need to install a earth rod soon at a domestic property but have never installed one before, I am more than happy to carry it out, I know about the regs side of things, but I would like some pointers as to what to look out for how to do it and any surveys that may need to be carried (like finding underground services etc) before I commence with the job.

 

[DurhamSparky]

get rod..

get lump hammer..

hit into ground

pray you dont hit anything!

 

[robsparky1975]

have you done a pme enquiry? or is it right in the sticks

 

[Marvo]

It might be different in the UK but here the records of buried services are hit and miss. To play it safe we usually dig a hole about a meter deep then start whacking in 2.3 meter rods one after another with brass couplings. We test after the first four rods are in and formulate a plan from there depending on what readings we get.

 

[Rockingit]

go deep to be of any use (as in 2-3m min)

and don't mushroom the heads or you won't get the next rod or clamp on!

 

[cbw]

Urine is apparently better than a watering can full of water....

Drink much coffee,

Then proceed as DS says,

Then relieve yourself all over the spike.

 

[cbw]

On a serious note, rarley have I had to go deeper than 4 foot here, infact only twice in the last year have I had to go 8 foot.

As also mentioned, dont mushroom the end, just incase you need to connect that second rod. (Good advice!!!)

 

[DurhamSparky]

unless you hit an incoming service then relive your self in your trousers..!!

 

[Plonker 3]

have you done a pme enquiry? or is it right in the sticks

Bit of a rush job, currently no earth at premises, had a extension built and certified 5 years ago said it was a PME but earth coiled up under DB . Asked customer to enquire but may need to be done sooner rather than later unfortunately.

 

[Guitarist]

Bit of a rush job, currently no earth at premises, had a extension built and certified 5 years ago said it was a PME but earth coiled up under DB . Asked customer to enquire but may need to be done sooner rather than later unfortunately.

Interesting to see what readings were recorded on that certificate...

 

[Marvo]

On a serious note, rarley have I had to go deeper than 4 foot here, infact only twice in the last year have I had to go 8 foot.

I'm not sure 4 foot depth is going to give sufficient earth stability. The shortest rod we would ever use is 4.4 meters.

 

[Plonker 3]

They are good, I have photos of the install, will upload them tomorrow if I get a chance. Ze of 0.2 ohms very good for just a gas pipe providing the earth.

 

[cbw]

Thats amazing!!!

As I said 4 foot round this way usually gives a reading below 50 ohms.

 

[Plonker 3]

I know, just realised that it was a PIR they gave the customer not a EIC but still no remedials on it, makes you wonder what some people actually do with certs, even ticked the box saying Suppliers Facility for earthing arrangement.

 

[Engineer54]

On a serious note, rarley have I had to go deeper than 4 foot here, infact only twice in the last year have I had to go 8 foot.

As also mentioned, dont mushroom the end, just incase you need to connect that second rod. (Good advice!!!)

4 foot?? lol!! And what sort of Ra values do you get with 4 foot of rod in the ground then?? I won't even ask whether you have checked on, or confident on the stability of those values, because unless your going into salt or brackish marshland it's unlikely you'll have any....

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Dont forget BS7070 (amendment E54).....'Thou shalt achieve TN values of Ra before proceeding'......and you thought BS stood for British Standard.

 

[parker56]

I thought BS stood for bacon sandwich

 

[Engineer54]

Dont forget BS7070 (amendment E54).....'Thou shalt achieve TN values of Ra before proceeding'......and you thought BS stood for British Standard.

Still trying to clever are you??

Here's some more BS for you, ...just bung a flimsy rod in the ground, and that's it, basically don't bother even trying to get a decent Ra, and don't bother with trying to obtain any form of stability. Just close eyes, put hands together and pray while your installation is totally relying on a RCD device!! Ring any bells in your shell like??

 

[trev]

For the extra money, time and effort involved I would much rather go with coupled rods than one little twig, I'd be a lot more confident in my Ra being stable. Yes, stable TN values are achievable pretty easily.

 

[BillyTheSparks]

To stop the mushroom effect you can buy driving nuts which go in to the coupler on the end of the rod, and you whack that instead of the rod. I now keep one in the van, good thing to have.

 

[Marvo]

There's a few different percussion heads available for earth rods and none of them seem to last last long, even the threaded ones. We buy them by the dozen and just price a couple into each job.

There are attachments for SDS Max jack-hammers which work well and they seem to last a lot longer but they're also quite pricey.

 

[Silly Sausage]

There's a few different percussion heads available for earth rods and none of them seem to last last long, even the threaded ones. We buy them by the dozen and just price a couple into each job.

There are attachments for SDS Max jack-hammers which work well and they seem to last a lot longer but they're also quite pricey.

Or anytime one is banging the end of a threaded bar, 2 nuts locked together at the end always suffices for me.

 

[High Tower]

I just put the coupler on then beat that.

 

[Engineer54]

There's a few different percussion heads available for earth rods and none of them seem to last last long, even the threaded ones. We buy them by the dozen and just price a couple into each job.

There are attachments for SDS Max jack-hammers which work well and they seem to last a lot longer but they're also quite pricey.

Or make your own, from a worn out, cut-off SDS drill and an old appropriately sized socket. Braze or ark weld together. I have such a tool, that i had made on site a good few years ago now. I haven't seen rods being club hammered in for donkey's years now, SDS is the only way to go, if being direct driven into ground.