Earthing Spike

[Holly64]

Hi

We've just bought a house and it is going to need a full rewire. Also the earthing spike is surface mounted and just outside the kitchen door. The spike isn't covered - it is totally exposed. The electrics are also in the kitchen.

Does this earthing spike need moving or at the very least covering?

Many thanks

 

[flameport]

The top should be below ground level, with a protective cover fitted which is flush with the surrounding surface.

Then there are the questions of whether one is sufficient, or whether you need one at all.

 

[Holly64]

OK, I will get the electricians to advise me.

Thank you.

 

[sparkwright]

Get them to test it (Ze).

These things are a bloody nusciance because they deteriorate.

Depending if the electricity board's equipment has recently been upgraded, PME may be available so you can get the earth from there, but this is very unlikely.

Mention all this to your electrician, and hopefully he can help.

Much older earth stakes never had a cover on them.

 

[Holly64]

Thanks. I'm guessing it is very old. Some of the wiring coming out of the ceiling is still the corded type.

 

[ericmark]

My mother house still has an earth electrode but it has nothing to do with the mains supply it is a left over redundant item from when the house had a party line telephone.

Today a TT supply will always have a RCD so in real terms the cover being missing is not that much of a problem. However before the RCD under fault conditions an earth electrode can be at a higher voltage than the surrounding earth and there is a voltage gradient between the earth at the rod and earth a few meters away from the rod. So the rod is sunken below ground level and covered with something like this

all you will see is the lid and around it we place some non conducting surface like concrete slabs so animals including the human kind can't get to close to it.

the longer the rod the better and in the main they come in 1.2 meter lengths and you can join them together. However with a domestic we often only use one rod and expect to see some where between 40 and 80 ohms. Above 200 ohms is considered unstable.

Over time a ionised path is made and the rod gets better and better until the point where the copper coating is lost then the rod can rust through. We normally use copper coated rods but I have seen steel rods specially where used to supply steel boats.

 

[Echo the husky]

Thanks. I'm guessing it is very old. Some of the wiring coming out of the ceiling is still the corded type.

Got any photos?

 

[Holly64]

I have some good news on the earthing spike. The electricians have just been around and they said its a simple notification to the electricity board and they will come out and rewire the earth and the spike can be removed. They did say a word but I have forgotten it - something like PME?

 

[securespark]

Got any photos?

You perv.

 

[Holly64]

Got any photos?

You perv.

ROFL

 

[sparkwright]

I have some good news on the earthing spike. The electricians have just been around and they said its a simple notification to the electricity board and they will come out and rewire the earth and the spike can be removed. They did say a word but I have forgotten it - something like PME?

Yes, I mentioned PME.

If PME available, you may be able to get the earth from the cable rather than an earth stake in the ground.

 

[Holly64]

Yes, that was it. PME is available

 

[sparkwright]

Then eventually they will be able to remove the stake and you will have a much more reliable earth to the property!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or you could leave the stake and make it, in effect, one more PE.

 

[Risteard]

Or you could leave the stake and make it, in effect, one more PE.

It is far better to leave it in. In fact most of the rest of the world requires a customer's electrode with a TN-C-S supply, and rightly so.