grounding rods

[adamw1]

easy lads, im doing some diy and iv dug down under the footings to underpin, in one of my sections is a earthing/grounding rod. im only goin down about 80cm, do i have to remove the rod and re-place or can i dig around it? or should a sparky come and sort it out for me? answers on a postcard..

 

[Marvo]

It's difficult to say without more info, a couple of photos might help. I would say if the rod shows any signs of becoming loose (even slightly) whilst you're excavating then get a sparky in to relocate it. Also the rod needs to be accessible for visual inspection so if your groundworks will result in the rod ending up being completely buried in earth or concrete it might need moving anyway.

 

[Strima]

You'll also need the rod testing the ensure you're still getting a good earth, a spark will be able to confirm the earthing arrangements for your property as they may have changed over the years and the rod may not have been removed if things have changed.

A photo of the incoming service head would also help.

 

[Amp David]

Personally you should stop digging near the rod and have it repositioned.

When you back fill your excavations, there's a chance that the earth around the rod may not be as compacted as before, and could possibly affect the Ra reading of your property.