TT earth rod question

[Colinmc1]

Is it sufficient to just use a decent terminal cover on an earth rod or must it be protected by a proper inspection box?

 

[telectrix]

an earth pit is recommended. dig down first to make sure you're not going to bash your rod through gas/water/electric supplies.

 

[JD6400]

Don't forget your warning label .

 

[richy3333]

You can get some wee sized pits if size is a problem?

 

[telectrix]

quatermass and the pit. remember it well. also pit and the pendulum, edgar alan poe..

 

[Marvo]

We often use an irrigation valve box, they come in different sizes and as long as there's no trucks going to drive over it they work well and they're cheap to buy.

 

[Piratepete]

Electrifix sells a suitable cheap box.:sailor:
Pete

 

[Engineer54]

Always use a flush to ground earth pit box, either made for purpose, or as Marvo suggests a valve pit box. Just never use one of those small black plastic earth rod boxes They are next to useless, and won't last anytime at all, in areas of pedestrian or car traffic.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Always use a flush to ground earth pit box, either made for purpose, or as Marvo suggests a valve pit box. Just never use one of those small black plastic earth rod boxes They are next to useless, and won't last anytime at all, in areas of pedestrian or car traffic.

yep...just dyin to get knocked off the top of the rod...lol...

 

[Geordie Spark]

You can get some wee sized pits if size is a problem?

........... and wee in it to improve the Ra.

 

[Piratepete]

Just never use one of those small black plastic earth rod boxes They are next to useless, and won't last anytime at all, in areas of pedestrian or car traffic.

Hey don't knock the plastiic boxes - they're fine in a back garden close to the house wall. 'Horses for courses' and all that stuff! I've never had to install one in a pedestrian walkway or where there's car traffic and I've fitted a fair few.:coolgleamA:

Pete

 

[Engineer54]

Hey don't knock the plastic boxes - they're fine in a back garden close to the house wall. 'Horses for courses' and all that stuff! I've never had to install one in a pedestrian walkway or where there's car traffic and I've fitted a fair few.:coolgleamA:

Pete

Well, there you go then, You shouldn't be driving earth rods close to the house walls to kick off with, that's where all the building rubble is going to be!! Your driving a rod into a non-existent soil, as it'll be made-up of all manner of crap below ground!! Those plastic boxes are totally useless, and as far as i know, fit for only those short thin 3/8'' non-extendable excuse for an earth rod. Which tells me a lot about those fair few electrodes you've fitted, save to say, none of those fitted rods will be providing any form of stability!!

 

[MDJ]

The small 4 ft rods are just pants as well, I like the 5ft rods with a thread on, you can screw another to it and go down 10 ft, a pit is the way to go, the plastic covers are mickey mouse covers he and pluto put their plasterscene in :sifone:

 

[Piratepete]

Well, there you go then, You shouldn't be driving earth rods close to the house walls to kick off with, that's where all the building rubble is going to be!! Your driving a rod into a non-existent soil, as it'll be made-up of all manner of crap below ground!! Those plastic boxes are totally useless, and as far as i know, fit for only those short thin 3/8'' non-extendable excuse for an earth rod. Which tells me a lot about those fair few electrodes you've fitted, save to say, none of those fitted rods will be providing any form of stability!!

Excuse me! No need to be so nasty! Do you always talk such crap? It's replies like yours that bring thiis forum into disrepute!

The plastic boxes are open at the base and will take any size rod you care to fit.

I agree with you about 3/8" (usually plated steel) rods. I don't use em. I only install 5/8" extendable ones.

How close is close? Don't be so literal! How would you know what I'm driving into? Did I say? N0! Clay fyi.

Around here - a country area, hundreds of properties have earth rods, and they are all within 300mm of brick walls. They've been there for 10s of years and every one that I've tested has been good. Maybe they are into rubbish but they're certainly stable.

Pete

 

[Engineer54]

Excuse me! No need to be so nasty! Do you always talk such crap? It's replies like yours that bring this forum into disrepute!

The plastic boxes are open at the base and will take any size rod you care to fit.

I agree with you about 3/8" (usually plated steel) rods. I don't use em. I only install 5/8" extendable ones.

How close is close? Don't be so literal! How would you know what I'm driving into? Did I say? N0! Clay fyi.

Around here - a country area, hundreds of properties have earth rods, and they are all within 300mm of brick walls. They've been there for 10s of years and every one that I've tested has been good. Maybe they are into rubbish but they're certainly stable.

Pete

The black plastic boxes i'm talking about don't have open bases, those i'm talking about are the thin black things that are basically modified adaptable boxes... There are very good reinforced plastic earth rod pits out there, i have no complaints with them whatsoever!! I am not in the habit of talking crap, and any rod that is that close to a house wall, will be in the house debis area, where builders always bury the rubble. Any domestic rod should be brought out at least a metre or so from the house boundary, the further the better, also less chance of hitting any other services!!

Depends on what you call good, if you consider a 200 ohm Ra good, then we are certainly not in an area of agreement. If these existing rods you talk about have been in the ground for ten's of years they were probably installed by electricians that knew what they were doing and would be around 10 feet or so long. They also would have been aiming for 10 ohms (which was once the standard) and more often than not, achieved better in suitable soil conditions!!