Residential Electrical Service Grounding Requirements

Author: Joy

Jan. 13, 2025

Residential Electrical Service Grounding Requirements

Ground Rod Length

The grounding rod that connects the home grounding system into the earth is a long metal rod, usually copper bonded to steel, galvanized iron, or stainless steel.

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Ground rods come in both 8-foot and 10-foot lengths, with 8-foot being the most common size used in residential installations. As a rule, ground rods must be a minimum of eight feet long and should not be cut down. In very dry ground, which provides more resistance than moist soil (meaning it does not accept electricity as readily), ground rods are sometimes stacked and joined with a special clamp so they can extend deeper into the earth.

Another option is to add a second ground rod. This is usually a better option, but the rods must be at least six feet apart, according to the NEC.

Note: Most local jurisdictions and local power companies require the 2-ground rod method to pass inspection. Some counties also allow or require a footing or foundation ground connection for new construction.

Whenever possible, ground rods should go into moist soil around your home. Usually, the area close to the foundation has enough moisture due to runoff water from downspouts.

It is unwise and unsafe to install the shorter, 4-foot ground rods often sold for grounding things like TV antennas and other individual devices. These are not legal for grounding the home electrical service, and they can cause your grounding system to fail when it is needed most.

Grounding of devices. What, why and how to make it?

Reliable insulation of electrical appliances is an important component of electrical safety. However, no matter how reliable isolation is, you cannot rely on it completely. Overvoltages occurring in the electrical network for various reasons lead to damage of insulation, which carries a direct threat to human life.

Grounding of household appliances

Grounding is used to protect against electric shock. It is possible to achieve electrical safety by using grounding devices consisting of ground electrodes and grounding conductors. Grounding can be used in networks designed for any voltage.

Many people consider grounding of household appliances in an apartment as an unnecessary precaution. However, the number of household electric trauma associated with the operation of equipment with damaged insulation indicates the opposite. Most accidents are caused by simultaneous contact of the damaged insulation of the household appliance and the conductive object. In residential buildings, radiators and central heating pipes, metal sinks and ungrounded cookers most frequently act as such items.

Which household appliances need to be grounded in the house

Most part of home electrical equipment is a source of increased danger of electric shock in everyday life. To completely eliminate possible risks, it is necessary to ground washing machines, electric and induction cookers, microwave ovens, personal computers, boilers. The safety of boilers should be given the utmost attention. Water is the best conductor of electricity. Damane in the boiler's insulation will lead to the fact that, touching the water heater a person will get an electric shock. The mounted grounding will take most of the current upon itself. The contact of the phase with a grounded boiler tank leads to instantant operation of the circuit breaker.

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&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;- outlets

&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;- garage

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Link to Ziyu

&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#; &#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#; &#; incoming switch

&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#; &#; electric meter

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&#;&#;&#;&#; &#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#;&#; &#; grounding bus

Why you need to ground household appliances

According to the established standards, the voltage in household electrical systems can not exceed 220 V. Household appliances are connected to the networks through sockets. There are two wires to each outlet. One of them, called phase, is directly current-carrying conductor. The second wire, called zero, serves to drain electricity after the contacts of the socket and the switch are closed.

If the phase and neutral wires come into contact outside the outlet, a short circuit occurs. In such situations, the current reaches a high value, which leads to the activation of circuit breakers, which perform a circuit break and disconnect the wiring from the power supply.

Real short circuits are quite rare. Wearing of insulation more frequently leads not to the closure of two wires, but to the appearance of leakage currents. As a result, the voltage that has appeared on the body of household appliances can lead to electric shock. Leakage currents should be fixed by a residual current device (RCD), which opens the circuit in case of exceeding the dangerous current for a human.

Grounding rules for appliances

For the grounding of appliances, a special design of the socket with ground contacts is required. There is a grounding point of the appliance on such sockets. If connection of the ground wire directly to the housing is foreseen, the grounding is indicated on the appliances with a special sign.

A three-wire cable must be connected to the outlet. Modern cables used for wiring have three wires, which are marked with different colots for identification. The zero wire is colored in blue, the phase wire is brown or black. The third conductor is grounding, it can be yellow, green or two-color (yellow+green).

With three-wire networks in the apartment, the phase, zero and grounding must be taken in the distribution panel, relating to the line of outlets. Grounding of appliances, in the case when the wiring is two-wire, is done somewhat differently. With two-wire networks, when there is no ground wire, it is conducted from the electrical board. It should be noted that the cross-section of the copper ground conductor must not be less than 2.5 mm. It is strictly forbidden to use water and gas pipes or central heating pipes as a grounding conductor.

Universal modula grounding

When organizing electrical safety in residential and industrial facilities it is convenient to use ZANDZ modular grounding. This type of ground electrode consists of copper-plated steel rods. All components of the structure are integrated into one single grounding device by means of a threaded connection. At the same time, welding of grounding elements is not required, all the installation is performed by one person with a jackhammer. The ground area occupied by the ground electrode is less than 0,6 m2, due to which it is possible to mount a modular grounding in the cellars of houses and in the immediate vicinity of the walls. Copper coating of grounding rods is resistant to corrosion, which ensures stable grounding operation for many years.

Possible variations of modular grounding:

Grounding can be purchased in the form of ready-to-install kits or individual components.
Correct design and installation of grounding of residential and industrial facilities is the basis of electrical safety. In order for the grounding to perform its functions fully, it must be of high quality. Do not save up on safety! Use high-quality grounding by ZANDZ!!

See also:

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Grounding Wire Clip.

  • Instruction: grounding and lightning protection for a private house, cottage, cottage   
  • Grounding systems TN-S, TN-C, TNC-S, TT, IT   
  • Protection of a private house from overvoltages   
  • Lightning protection of a single-family house   
  • Find an Eepert in your region

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