Heatwave Heating Cooling Plumbing & Electric

Electrical grounding, as the name suggests, is a method of routing electrical current safely into the ground. It consists of wiring that serves as a return path for electricity, which follows the path of least resistance. This makes electrical grounding systems highly effective at preventing surges from entering your home, where they could shock or burn people or overload and destroy electronic devices.

Proper grounding requires the use of ground rods, or grounding electrodes, typically made of copper. These rods connect your grounding system to the earth. Ground rods are usually 8 to 10 feet long and come in several different diameters. They can be stacked or joined using special clamps. According to the National Electrical Code (NEC), ground rods must be at least six feet apart if more than one is used, and the grounding system must have a grounding resistance of 25 ohms or less.

A ground wire links the ground rod to the service ground connection. This is typically a copper wire of 6 AWG or larger; however, a 4 AWG grounding electrode conductor is required for 200-amp systems. Other essential components of electrical grounding systems include grounding clamps, which connect the conductor/wire to the ground rod. These include oval-shaped acorn clamps, suited for direct burial applications, and two-piece brass-toothed clamps, which are best for use inside the home around water pipes.