Yes the additional water and gas lines need to be connected but it is not necessarily for grounding resistance. The gas meter is grounded not to be part of the grounding electrode system but because the internal pipes may become energized. Code actually requires this.

Are two grounding rods required?

If it has a ground resistance of 25 ohms or more, 250.56 of the 2005 NEC requires you to drive a second rod. But many contractors don’t bother measuring the ground resistance. They simply plan on driving two rods because doing so will meet the requirements of 250.56, regardless of actual ground resistance.

How many grounding electrodes are required for service?





The NEC requires a minimum of two grounding electrodes, unless one electrode has a resistance to earth less than 25 ohms. However, commonly in construction, the ground resistance is not measured again after a supplemental grounding electrode is installed.

How many ohms should a ground rod read?

25 ohms

Check the resistance reading on the meter.



Your clamp-on ground tester will have a screen that will show you a numeric reading. The lower the number on the meter, the better your grounding rod is working. In general, a reading under 25 ohms means that your ground rod has a good connection to the earth.

Do you need two ground rods for 200 amp service?

The requirement is 2 rods spaced at least six feet apart unless you can prove one rod will turn less than 25 ohms resistance. That is all the requirement is.

Can you have too many ground rods?





Two ground rods near each other is never worse than just one ground rod, but increasing the spacing of the ground rods reduces their interaction and makes an overall lower impedance path to ground.

How do you install two ground rods?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: You want to make sure that your grounding rod as well is perpendicular to any wire path leaving the controller it needs to be at least 8 feet away if it's an 8 foot ground rod.

How many ground rods do I need for a 200 amp service?

Grounding Wire



Ground wires for residences typically are made of copper and are #6 (6 AWG) or larger. for 200 Amp services, a #4 grounding electrode conductor (ground wire) is required.

Where the resistance to ground of 25 ohms or less is not achieved for a single rod electrode?

NEC provides an exception: If a single rod, pipe or plate electrode has a resistance to earth of 25 ohms or less, the supplemental electrode shall not be required.

Does a grounding rod have to be 8 feet?



The NEC and UL require a ground rod to be at least 8 feet in length. This specification was obviously created by engineers that had never driven a ground rod or noticed that most people are not 8′ tall. Longer rods are more dangerous to install and bow more when being driven.

How far should a ground rod stick out of the ground?

You need to drive your rod all the way into the ground. The electrical code states that it must have 8 feet (2.4 m) of contact with the ground, so you need to drive it all the way down. Driving a ground rod into the ground can take a long time and can be difficult work.

How many ground rods do I need for a 400 amp service?

How many ground rods do I need for a 400 amp service? Two ground rods should be at least 6′ apart. The ground wire should be 1/0 copper with a rod 4 to 6 below grade. It’s possible that the conductors for 400 Amp services are 400 cir.

How do you ground a 200 amp service?



Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: In order to get 25 ohms resistance you have to have two ground rods a minimum of 6 feet away and that's what we're accomplishing with the number 4 solid wire based on the amperage of the panel.

What size ground do I need?

Table 250.122 Minimum Size Equipment Grounding Conductors for Grounding Raceway and Equipment

Rating or Setting of Automatic Overcurrent Device in Circuit Ahead of Equipment, Conduit, etc., Not Exceeding (Amperes) Size (AWG or kcmil)
Copper Aluminum or Copper-Clad Aluminum*
20 12 10
60 10 8
100 8 6

Can you use rebar as a grounding rod?

Proper Grounding Rod



In most cases, pipe or rebar can be used. The grounding rod needs to be made of galvanized steel and also needs to be at least four feet in length for best results.

What size wire do you run to a ground rod?

The NEC code specifies that a solid copper wire used to connect to a ground rod must be at least either #6 or #8 gauge (depending on the size of your electrical service cable). #6 cable cable will always satisfy the sizing requirement, though in some cases larger is desirable.

Should ground wire be solid or stranded?



Outside, aluminum or copper-clad aluminum cannot be within 18 inches of the earth. The grounding conductor can be bare or insulated, stranded or solid, and must be securely fastened in place and run in a straight line from the discharge unit to the grounding electrode (Photo 2).

How long should a grounding rod be?

eight to 10 feet

A ground rod is usually located very close to your main electrical service panel and is often made of copper or copper coated steel. They’re approximately ½” in diameter and eight to 10 feet in length. It must be electrically tied to your main service panel to provide an approved ground connection.

How far apart can ground rods be?

six feet



The NEC requires all driven rods to be a minimum eight feet in the earth and for multiple connected rods a minimum spacing of six feet between rods. The width of the rod has little effect on reducing impedance to earth, however, the depth of the rod and spacing for multiple rods have a significant effect.