ground rod install & wire

[sky jumper]

my AHJ is ignoring me, so hoping you all can help me. need to install two 5/8" ground rods 6ft apart at my detached garage. the feeder is 1/1/1/6 copper. for the feeder my AHJ requires RMC for the burried elbow and up to the metal LB. and then EMT once inside. it can be PVC before the elbow if burried 18" .
my questions for the ground rod install:
1) does the grounding electrode conductor have to be in RMC once outside? if yes, does it have to be burried 18" like the feeder?
2) does it have to stay in the conduit all the way to the rods?
3) do you just end the conduit underground with an open end with the conductor coming out of it into dirt? no bushing or seal required? seems iffy.
4) how many conductors are required? two separate, one for each rod? or can both rods be ganged off a single continuous conductor? does it matter if the conductor is solid 6ga or stranded, or insulated?

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

my AHJ is ignoring me, so hoping you all can help me. need to install two 5/8" ground rods 6ft apart at my detached garage. the feeder is 1/1/1/6 copper. for the feeder my AHJ requires RMC for the burried elbow and up to the metal LB. and then EMT once inside. it can be PVC before the elbow if burried 18" . **Why NOT PVC into the panel? Where does he come up with RMC?
my questions for the ground rod install:
1) does the grounding electrode conductor have to be in RMC once outside? if yes, does it have to be burried 18" like the feeder? **NO
2) does it have to stay in the conduit all the way to the rods? **NO
3) do you just end the conduit underground with an open end with the conductor coming out of it into dirt? no bushing or seal required? seems iffy. **NO
4) how many conductors are required? two separate, one for each rod? or can both rods be ganged off a single continuous conductor? does it matter if the conductor is solid 6ga or stranded, or insulated? **#6 Stranded insulated wire jumped from one rod to the other.

#6 Insulated wire buried 2-4” deep..... Hit rod #1 then jump to rod #2. Drive rods below grade an make sure you use the proper "acorn" ground rod clamp.
Run this wire to your ground bus and DO NOT install a bond screw on the neutral bus.

 

[pattenp]

The ground wire to the rods is typically #6 bare copper and usually not placed in conduit. If the ground wire is placed in metal conduit it needs to be bonded to the conduit.

 

[nadogail]

Apparently rules vary, my Solar System with 26 panels has the 2 ground rods driven through holes drilled into the side walk between my house and the property line fence. The solid bare conductor is run exposed on the exterior of the stucco and is clamped to the few exposed inches of grounding rod that sticks out the side walk.

The installation crew was obviously very professional and the city inspector was very pleased with their work. I was fortunate to be able to watch the crew, from the ground. There's no way I will go on the tile roof of my two story home.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

my AHJ is ignoring me, so hoping you all can help me. need to install two 5/8" ground rods 6ft apart at my detached garage. the feeder is 1/1/1/6 copper for the feeder my AHJ requires RMC for the burried elbow and up to the metal LB. and then EMT once inside. it can be PVC before the elbow if burried 18" .
my questions for the ground rod install:
1) does the grounding electrode conductor have to be in RMC once outside? if yes, does it have to be burried 18" like the feeder?
2) does it have to stay in the conduit all the way to the rods?
3) do you just end the conduit underground with an open end with the conductor coming out of it into dirt? no bushing or seal required? seems iffy.
4) how many conductors are required? two separate, one for each rod? or can both rods be ganged off a single continuous conductor? does it matter if the conductor is solid 6ga or stranded, or insulated?

Why did you use #1 cu? How long is the run? What size feeder did you want?

1) no

2) if you use bare #6 cu it does NOT need to be in conduit

3) no conduit

4) use 1 conductor and go from to rod to rod

#6 Insulated wire buried 2-4” deep..... Hit rod #1 then jump to rod #2. Drive rods below grade an make sure you use the proper "acorn" ground rod clamp.
Run this wire to your ground bus and DO NOT install a bond screw on the neutral bus.

It doesnt need to be insulated

 

[wyliesdiesels]

Apparently rules vary, my Solar System with 26 panels has the 2 ground rods driven through holes drilled into the side walk between my house and the property line fence. The solid bare conductor is run exposed on the exterior of the stucco and is clamped to the few exposed inches of grounding rod that sticks out the side walk.

The installation crew was obviously very professional and the city inspector was very pleased with their work. I was fortunate to be able to watch the crew, from the ground. There's no way I will go on the tile roof of my two story home.

Why did they put ground rods in? Did your main service panel not have rods already?

 

[sky jumper]

Why did you use #1 cu? How long is the run? What size feeder did you want?

my motto in life is go big or go home. also I already put 2" conduit in the ground and the cost difference to go #1 was negligible via local supply house. the run is 130ft. AHJ requires copper for this. #1 allows me to use 125A panel which is all that Menards had in stock at the time, etc etc. I was originally going for 100A but this will be about the same cost. I will be using a repurpsoed 100A main breaker in the panel for now as I couldn't find a 125A in stock anywhere. but someday when I sell this place I can advertise 125A service to charge your EVs, mig welder, etc...

so if the conductor is bare copper it doesn't need to be in conduit outside - that is how I read your statement. what about through the wall? how do you do that? if LB, then what? just come out the LB with bare copper and run it to the dirt? at the house side the existing ground circa 1991 is some kind of LB coming out the meter base with a flat ribbon cable coming out of it through some kind of grommet. I have not seen anything like this available for purchase, and I'm sure its no longer code. inside the house I see no corresponding connection at the main panel, so I don't know where that ribbon cable connects to.

 

[pattenp]

Sky_jumper what is your location? At least give country. State is better if in US.

 

[sky jumper]

cook county, IL. chicago suburbs. EMT required for all interior wiring.

 

[pattenp]

In alot of cases the bare copper electrode conductor is just run through a small bored hole in the wall to the outside then run along the wall surface to the earth.

 

[Terry D]

It does not have to be in conduit at all. If im coming out of a bottom of a meter socket, which i know is not your case, I will put it in PVC up the side of a house. I think it just looks better. Dont know what you mean about a ribbon cable

 

[Terry D]

cook county, IL. chicago suburbs. EMT required for all interior wiring.

You have to run everything in EMT?

 

[sky jumper]

yes. all wiring is in metal conduit. through the whole house. metal pipes everywhere. to every switch, every recepticle, every light, every fan, etc. everything. the entire Chicago area and suburbs is this way. it ensures you have to hire an electrician to do basic wiring.

 

[Terry D]

yes. all wiring is in metal conduit. through the whole house. metal pipes everywhere. to every switch, every recepticle, every light, every fan, etc. everything. the entire Chicago area and suburbs is this way. it ensures you have to hire an electrician to do basic wiring.

Wow. Must be very pricey to wire a house up there. I have heard of some cities requiring MC cable for houses for protection from rodents.

 

[Norcal]

You have to run everything in EMT?

Chicago and suburbs are EMT land no roping houses there.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

yes. all wiring is in metal conduit. through the whole house. metal pipes everywhere. to every switch, every recepticle, every light, every fan, etc. everything. the entire Chicago area and suburbs is this way. it ensures you have to hire an electrician to do basic wiring.

I guess the reason is: VERMIN and Copper Theft.

 

[Norcal]

I guess the reason is: VERMIN and Copper Theft.

Union make work rules.

 

[ttpete]

Union make work rules.

Unions BRIBE politicians to require EMT.

 

[engineer2]

I think it was originally for fire safety. In the old days interior lighting in some of our towns was coal gas, then natural gas. Household electricity was knob and tube with cloth covered wire. When lighting was converted from gas to electric, they sometimes ran the wire through the old gas pipes.

it ensures you have to hire an electrician to do basic wiring.

Nah, it's actually pretty easy to work with. The nice thing is if you need a new outlet, it's easy to extend the conduit and pull wire.

BTW, an air hammer drives ground rods quite nicely.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I guess the reason is: VERMIN and Copper Theft.

no the reason is because of a cow tipping over a lantern...

just kidding