How to Install a Grounding Rod for a House

Lightening strikes can cause damage to a home's electrical system and pose a safety hazard to the occupants. Properly grounding the house will combat these deleterious effects of lightening. A properly grounded house consist of wires attached to the neutral buss in the electrical panel and to a grounding rod outside the house. Installing the grounding rod is not complicated, but there are a few factors to be considered in the installation. Installing a grounding rod is completed in about an hour.

Things You'll Need

• Gardening trowel
• 6-foot ladder
• Pole pounder
• Sledge hammer

Instructions

1. Check with your local building department to ascertain the codes in your city that pertain to grounding rods. City codes vary, but generally the rod must be inserted 8 to 10 feet into the ground and 1/2-inch to 5/8-inch in diameter.

2. Choose a location for the rod that is close to where the wires from the electrical panel's neutral buss exit the house. The location should be 12 inches from the foundation to avoid the footer.

3. Dig a hole 6 inches deep with a gardening trowel so you have a hole into which to put the rod. Place the rod into the hole.

4. Setup a 6-foot step ladder next to the rod on level ground. Ensure the ladder is stable before climbing it.

5. Place a pole pounder over the pole and slam it down on the pole. Lift up the pole pounder and slam it down again. Each time you slam it down the pole will drive further into the ground. Continue this process until the pole has been inserted to the proper depth. Use a sledge hammer for the final inches that the pole pounder is too long to do.