Earth Rod - DIY

[dunny]

Electric board were at my house just before Xmas and discovered I dont have an incoming earth to the property. For now they have fitted a temporary RCD but I obviously need to get an earth fitted.

Is this something I could tackle myself or does it need a qualified spark?

Obviously it would be pretty straightforward for me to put a chamber in, sink a rod, connect a cable and run back to a block at the CU but I am somewhat concerned it would need testing and I don't know how to do this.

It is a case of 'I don't know what I don't know!!"

Thanks

D

 

[John D v2.0]

Yes you could, just the last part which is testing which you would have to make sure it is under 200 ohms. To be honest you could install it, get it inspected by an electrician and tested, then you'll know it's sufficient.
Just be careful not to bang it in to another service eg sewer pipe.
You'll need the connection to be accessible in your chamber for inspection, don't bury the cable if possible and use 4mm2 earth cable. It will be taking such a small current it doesn't need sizing very big. If you bury you'll need to protect it and increase the size.

 

[JohnD]

Do you know that the Electricity distributor (there are no Boards now) can/can't provide an earth?

Are you perhaps in an isolated home with an overhead supply?

 

[dunny]

Thanks both.

@JohnD - I am indeed on an overhead supply and they have said I will need to provide the earth. As a matter of interest can I put the earth in the ground inside the house?

Thanks

D

 

[John D v2.0]

Yes you can but the ground needs to be suitable ie soft and wet enough, and you don't want to go through any damp proof membrane if any.
I would recommend trying to find an electrician first and discussing, maybe they would tell you in more detail which bits they'd give a discount if you do (mostly heavy labour/drilling/digging) and which parts they would do anyway.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Like most electrical work, theres no point doing it unless you can test the result before firing up the main switch.
AS John has said above

Yes you could, just the last part which is testing which you would have to make sure it is under 200 ohms.

So you will need a device that can measure impedance. That is the (AC) characteristics of the copper rod. to do this you will need either an earth electrode impedance tester or many electricians will just use an Earth Fault Loop Impedance tester.
A multimeter cannot do these tests.

The impedance MUST be properly tested or you will not be certain that the RCD will trip if there is a fault.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Nor can he be sure that the one the DNO fitted will trip. Presumably it's relying on incidental earthing via the main bonding.

Electric board were at my house just before Xmas

OOI - why was that?

and discovered I dont have an incoming earth to the property.

How old is the property, and how old the electrical installation?

Do you have any earth cables going to the CU/fuseboard?

 

[dunny]

Thanks chaps.

It is the testing patrt I am concerned about as I don't have the necessary skills to do this. I can however do all of the manual parts of the job.

The issue with having no earth was discovered when a bloke came to fit a smart meter. He told me that there were 262 volts on the incoming supply and that I should call the electric supplier. They came out and whilst looking at this they noticed there was no eartth. They are coming back in a few days to put a voltage recorder in but they suspect that they will have to do some work on the transformer located on a pole in my garden.

In the meantime they want me to get the earth sorted.

The house is 1896.

D

 

[Taylortwocities]

Call a registered electrician. Have him agree what work you can do and if he will test and certify what you have done.

Don’t do it and then try and find somebody afterwards, you’ll get a lot of hung up phone calls !

 

[SimonH2]

The issue with having no earth was discovered when a bloke came to fit a smart meter.

I suggest you look at some of the other threads that discuss the so called "smart" meters, and why many of us tell our suppliers that "no we won't be having one thank you very much".

 

[dunny]

Thanks chaps.

Some good adviced as usual.

The guy who fited the supply for my compressor will do this for me so I will give him a call.

D

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What kind of compressor do you have that it requires its own circuit?

 

[Lectrician]

And why didn’t he flag up the earthing issue? A new circuit for a compressor from an earthless supply. Not sure I would be calling him back.

 

[dunny]

What kind of compressor do you have that it requires its own circuit?

Sorry for such a very late reply - it is a twin motor compressor, the biggest one Clarke do on a normal domestic supply. I got the spark in to fit the supply and he recommended a new CU and a dedicated circuit on the basis that I will be getting a house rewire anyway.

 

[dunny]

And why didn’t he flag up the earthing issue? A new circuit for a compressor from an earthless supply. Not sure I would be calling him back.

Good question, it took the man from the electric board to check. I think he said it looked like it was meant to be earthed to the neutral with a connector in the switch but he checked this and it wasn't. I didn't fully understand what he was on about though.

I am fitting the earth rods on saturday and my plan was to fit 2 under the living room floor. The spark has aked for 16mm squared cable but this seems a lot to me?? Am I best fitting 2 completely separately or cross bonding them and running 2 cables to the CU position?