Old guy on a rural run in Vermont taught me something about grounding

I was hooking up a new drop at a farmhouse outside Montpelier and this 70 year old farmer came out and said "you gonna bury that ground rod like that?" before I even started. He showed me how the frost heave had pulled his neighbor's rod up three inches over five winters. Anyone else run into homeowners who don't get why we pound them deeper up north?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane7511mo ago

Ha, yeah that frost heave is no joke. I've seen ground rods pop up like daisies after a rough winter up here in New England. You'd think folks would trust the guy who's been doing it for decades, but nope, they always think they know better. I've had to explain to more than one homeowner that a shallow rod is just asking for trouble when the ground starts moving. Gotta go deep enough so the frost can't kick it out, usually 8 feet minimum around here.

robinson.leo1mo ago

Yeah @shane751 nails it, I always drive mine a full 8 feet too, saves a lot of headaches later.