Connect Grounding Wires and Bonds
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Installing Ground Rods isn’t as Easy as it Looks #hendythesparky #electrician #tips
What happens here
After both ground rods are installed, connect them to the electrical service. Attach an acorn clamp to the top of the first ground rod. Run a continuous bare copper ground wire (e.g., #6 AWG) from this clamp, burying it in a shallow trench, towards the second ground rod and ultimately up to the main electrical service panel. Connect the ground wire to the service panel's grounding bus. For a 200 Amp service, add an intersystem bond connection, typically a green ground wire connecting the service panel to other metallic systems like water pipes or communication grounding points. Ensure all connections are tight and secure.
Goal: Electrically bond the ground rods to the service panel and other systems.
Tools and materials
- Acorn Clamp — Securing the ground wire to the ground rod
- Shovel — Digging a shallow trench to bury the ground wire
- Wire Strippers — Stripping insulation from the ground wire if needed (though usually bare)
- Wrench — Tightening the acorn clamp
- Bare Copper Ground Wire — Connecting ground rods to each other and to the service panel
- Green Insulated Ground Wire — For the intersystem bond connection