Pounding ground rods in

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old tired rebel said:
I guess Dynamite is out of the question?
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To close to the garage. I spoke with the inspector the other day and he asked me if we had filled the power ditch yet, he told me to pound the one in close to the building and to pound the other one a couple of feet into the bottom of the ditch and then just bend it. He told me that he lives in the area so he is well aware of the rocks.....
 
Our code here on the hill I had to drive one under my meter base and another ten feet away with #10 grownding wire
And yes!! rocks gave us hell getting these 10 foot ground rod's dun, I used, or I should say WE used a post slide hammer that was well over 25lb's home made by some one.
Between my two sons and friends it took about 2 weeks :banghead: while the house was being built, a few inches at a time I bet the top of each rod was 1 1/2'' at the top when we finely got them drove in this hill... There is no way a sledge hammer would have got this dun if that is what you are using inkjunkie, a metal post hammer is the way to go
 
Use a small demolition hammer. Pull the chisel out and set it directly on the rod and squeeze the trigger. A piece of gas pipe over the rod keeps it from deflecting. I drive 1inch gas pipe under drives like this and pull them out with an excavator to run waterlines across drives.
 
memike said:
Our code here on the hill I had to drive one under my meter base and another ten feet away with #10 grownding wire
And yes!! rocks gave us hell getting these 10 foot ground rod's dun, I used, or I should say WE used a post slide hammer that was well over 25lb's home made by some one.
Between my two sons and friends it took about 2 weeks :banghead: while the house was being built, a few inches at a time I bet the top of each rod was 1 1/2'' at the top when we finely got them drove in this hill... There is no way a sledge hammer would have got this dun if that is what you are using inkjunkie, a metal post hammer is the way to go
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I don't feel so bad, our rods are only 8 feet long......One needs to be by the meter base and the other six feet from it. The first one is about 14" from being done, hopefully I finish it today. Been using the fence post pounder, waiting to break thru the lid. And to think before I put on some years and weight I used to enjoy this kind of crap:wack:.....

daredevil said:
Use a small demolition hammer. Pull the chisel out and set it directly on the rod and squeeze the trigger. A piece of gas pipe over the rod keeps it from deflecting. I drive 1inch gas pipe under drives like this and pull them out with an excavator to run waterholes across drives.
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This was my first thought. A neighbor has one but he is in Yellowstone with his family until the end of the month. Stopped by the "local", if you want to call them that, rental places the other day and neither one had one to rent, they were all rented.....
 
One hour trip, each way, to town to pick up a 70 pound jack hammer. Five minutes to pull out the generator and 4 minutes later both were in.......
 
Everyones soil is different but I use a water pipe slightly smaller that the ground rod hooked to a water facet. With water going through it it will "drill" its self down with the water going through the pipe. Then pull it out and put the ground rod in with a few taps. Or at least you can find a place with out rocks that way.
 
i have been driving them at work a lot lately, setting up temp. power skids for other trades. its always tough. the ground is so hard a roto hammer wont drive it in. it just takes 20 minutes with a single jack and an 8 ft. ladder. good work out in the 90 degree weather though.
 
I bought 2 10' copper pipes and water jetted them in. Easy Peasy
Then just connected the ground line to the pipe.

Of course there was no inspection so I don't know what an inspector would say about using copper pipe as a ground rod. Should be the same the ground rods are shorter and made from copper plated steel, I think.
 
I don't think water jetting them in would have helped with all the rocks. Spoke to the inspector the other day, he said ground rods, hammered in or he will not pass it.....
 
joel d. snyder said:
of course you could cut the ground rod off short. how many inspectors pull them out to measure?
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Steel rods are used up here, cutting them would have removed the bevel that is put on them. Spoke with a local electrician and he told me that the inspectors are pretty lax, unless you tried to cheat. He went on to tell me he tried to get a cut rod thru, the only thing that happened was he got on the inspectors s..t list. He said that the now has to do everything to the letter of the code or he will not pass......my neighbor also tried this, they nit picked him to death. Took 5 or 6 inspections before they would pass him......
 
inkjunkie said:
Steel rods are used up here, cutting them would have removed the bevel that is put on them. Spoke with a local electrician and he told me that the inspectors are pretty lax, unless you tried to cheat. He went on to tell me he tried to get a cut rod thru, the only thing that happened was he got on the inspectors s..t list. He said that the now has to do everything to the letter of the code or he will not pass......my neighbor also tried this, they nit picked him to death. Took 5 or 6 inspections before they would pass him......
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Can you use a Jack hammer to hammer them in?
 
Gald to see you get er done Doug, I agree with ya, in the younger days, I enjoyed the haying...not so much now, when my buddies parents(farmers) call, I dont answer the phone!
 
I have had to do this all summer, it is awesome when you get all the way down and have about 11inches left and hit a rock, even more so when it is over 95 degrees outside. Then when you are done there you get to run wire in the attic.
 
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