Several months ago an electrician upgraded my 60/100A electric service to 200A. (I call the old one a 60/100A service since the old breaker box was a 70s era 100A box but the service feed was the original 1940s 60A service. Main breaker 100A) There is a ground rod (iron pipe) through the basement floor that was connected to the old panel. The electrician installed a ground to the cold water pipe before the water meter (also jumped the meter) as well as a new ground rod (2 of them, actually) for the electric meter. He never connected the old ground rod in the basement. Should he have? As far as I know the cold water line isn't considered sufficient. Also, the new ground rods were installed _sideways_ - laid in a trench a few inches below ground. Is _that_ OK?
Should I connect unusued ground rod?
May 14, 2004
2 Replies
The connection to the water pipe is really bonding the piping system, not grounding the panel. He probably assumed the old pipe you see may or may not have been a legal ground so he avoided it. Personally I think "more is better" and there is nothing to prevent you from using it. In fact, if this is tied to your foundation steel (a Ufer ground) you are required to use it.
yeah, I have no idea how far down it goes. It's iron pipe, not copper, but from what I've seen, they _always_ used old pieces of iron pipe for ground rods in those days.
Me too.
As far as I know there is zero steel in the foundation. The walls are concrete block, and this piece of pipe appears to have been driven into the dirt before they poured the concrete for the basement floor around it.
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