another wiring question

[Gary_in_Indiana]

<font color=blue>"Makes for a lot easier task and suffices the code per the inspector here in NH."</font color=blue>

I'm not sure what code here says about that. I know I just assumed they meant '"vertically" into the ground' but I sure never asked. I'd sure want to defer to the inspector on something like that.

 

[Inspector507]

I think (without looking) you can drive it in at a 45 degree angle. You need to have it in permanently damp soil for it to do it's job well. If you hit rock, you are allowed to put it in a trench.......2.5' deep.

 

[Bird]

I learned to put those 8' ground rods in the ground from one of the employees of our electric co-op. Instead of trying to drive it in the ground, just put a half cup of water where you want it, jam it in by hand, then start working it up and down (or in an out). When it doesn't go any further, pull it out, pour in another half cup or so of water and work it in and out again. That works just fine in this clay with no rocks. When you get about 6' of it in the ground that way, you can finish driving it in with a hammer.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I may be too far gone to give that a try, Bird. I was trying to drive them in on the morning after a 6" drencher here so I thought the ground would be wet enough. I got them each in about halfway before I waived the white flag and went and bought a fence post driver.

That idea makes a lot of sense, though. I'm just afraid at this juncture it'd be as much work to get either of them back out as that method would save over using the post driver to finish them off.

 

[Inspector507]

Gary,
Just try not to mushroom the heads of them with a sledge hammer. You have to cut the musroomed part off to get the clamp on. If the inspector sees that, he may make you put a new one in. He doesn't know how much was cut off. Danged Inspectors. We had a fellow cutting them in half and using each peice at a new house. Saved him all of 3 bucks a house til he got caught.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I think I'll put the acorn connectors on first thing tomorrow morning and securely tighten and tape them near the top. That way if I mushroom the heads it's no big deal. Thanks for the tip. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif

 

[bgott]

Around here the electricians all tell you to just go four feet. They say that it's o.k. in our wet ground. They get quiet when I ask about our occational month or two drought, though. I go the full eight feet because I'm afraid of losing the crappy neutrals they have around here. If you mushroom the end of the rod just cut it off when it's a foot off the ground, put your acorn clamp on it and then re- mushroom it pounding it the rest of the way in.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

If the electrician I hired doesn't die from his alleged current malady I may do the deed myself. I finished up all the work I'd contracted for him to do. The ONLY thing he did I didn't have to redo was mount the riser from the meter base. The toughest part by far was putting in those damned 5/8" copper ground rods.

I literally tried every suggestion here from the water in the hole to the fence post driver to little or no result. I finally waived the white flag and got out the backhoe. I dug a trench about 6' deep and 7' long in this hard clay THEN started driving the rods. When I got them set about a foot I backfilled to with 6" of grade then used the sledge hammer. It was probably overkill ,but I was tired of fighting it and I'm sure this was faster.

On the subject of the wayward electrician who now won't even return a call I have a question. I paid this guy $250 of his quote up front (yes, I know better). He did provide the 200 Amp panel, meter box, 15' of galvanzed riser and maybe 10' of PVC and an elbow. The hole he cut in my siding looked like it was done with a hammer and chisel. I bought all the rest of the material and did all of the labor including remounting both of the boxes and all the PVC (it didn't line up with the hole he made).

Is it worth going after this guy in small claims? I don't think he ever got the appropriate permit, either. Wouldn't he, as a licensed electrician, be required to do that before he does ANY part of the work? Do I have any recourse there? Am I better off just eating this and looking at it as $250 spent for the two boxes, the pipe and the impetus to do it myself?

 

[Inspector507]

Gary,
Yes the electrician SHOULD have gotten the permits before starting the work, but the simple fact is they usually get it the day before they need an inspection.
As far as small claims court, figure out the cost of the material he did supply, and see whats left. Probably not worth the hassle for just the few bucks that would be left over, IMO.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Thanks for the reply, Jerry. That about sums up what I thought but I wanted your opinion on it. I figure he spent maybe $75 tops on materials that were there and did mount the galvanized riser in a useable manner. That leaves me down $175-$200 less his labor for the riser installation.

If it was half that, I'd just eat it. If it was much more, I know I'd go after him. At this point, I don't know which way I'll go.