I'm about to install 2 ground Rods 5/8 by 8ft. Can anyone give me any hints on how to install these without damaging the rods. Also I heard that general rule of thumb is 8 foot down and 8 foot apart can anyone shed some light on these locations.

Any help will be a great help.
Thanks again,

Ryan

I'm not an electrician, so wait for other posts to correct my response or to offer other advice. Tkrussel is usually the man with the plan. Do whatever he says.

A steel post driver can work (pipe looking thing with handles... might be able to rent one?) if the soil isn't too hard. You'll need help though, as driving in a rod while on a ladder sounds as dangerous as it is. I've done this once with a friend, but his soil wasn't rocky or too hard and he knew he could get less than 25 Ohms resistance in his soil with a couple of rods deep enough. Some soils require more depth or more rods to get adequate resistance.

There are also mechanical drivers, I haven't used these... again, you might talk to a rental place to see if they have anything.

The 8 feet down and apart was probably about what my friend did. I didn't measure, just showed up to help.

As kp mentioned there are various tools available to drive in ground rods. I have used a 3 or 5 pound sledge hammer using a pair of channel locks to keep the rod still and keep my hands away from the hammer.

By damage, do you mean the mushrooming from hammering? If you are using the acorn type ground clamp, I slide those over the rod first. Other wise if the mushroom prevents a clamp from slipping over, just cut that bit of rod off.

When two rods are needed, both rods must be no closer that 6 feet apart. Which means not 5'11" but more than 6 six feet. Each must connect together with the ground wire from the equipment being grounded.

If you encounter ledge, then you can drive each rod in at an angle no more than 45 Degree. If there is ledge too high to grade. Then the rods can be buried in a trench no less than two feet deep, again six feet apart.


The top of each rod must below grade, so the wire and connector is below grade, and the connectior must be rated for direct burial.