Main vs. sub panel for dedicated lines

lowrider574,353 posts   

06-03-2021  
 3:04pm


Question: why are two ground rods used?

Hi @lowrider57

From one of my above posts:
06-02-2021
8:24am

Minimum required number of driven ground rods for the main service panel technically is one, * IF *, the ground rod to soil resistance is 25 ohms or less.
How can the electrician know for sure if it is 25 ohms or less? With testing equipment that is made to test it. If an electrical inspector sees only one ground he will ask to see a print out of the test. It is cheaper by far for the electrician to just drive two ground rods and be done with it.

I am curious what’s going on with the two ground rods in the basement. Sure would like to know. 3 ft apart? Not 6 ft apart? Are the two rods connected together by a bare #6 solid copper wire?

How about the old ground rod that was used for the old service? Did the electrician use it for the new main electrical service as one rod and the new rod(s) in the basement for the other? Curiosity killed the Cat.....

Best regards
Jim.

@jea48 
Sure, I'll check for you. 

Are the two rods connected together by a bare #6 solid copper wire?

I don't recall seeing them connected. Can each rod individually be connected to ground in the main panel? 

Can each rod individually be connected to ground in the main panel?

Sure. Especially for your situation. Both rods ground wires would connect to the service entrance neutral conductor neutral bar.
.

Ground the sub panel to the main which is grounded to earth. 

I would also recommend grounding the ground to ground, and then grounding the Earth to ground. You never can be too sure, so I would ground all the grounds to all the pipes as well. Because, like, they go into the ground. 

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. There he goes being a a-hole again. But no, this actually is code now. The difference between all this BS everyone is so intent on doing, and what actually works, is so obvious if you could hear it that would be the end of that. But you can't. It is way too much work. You never in your life will do it to compare and know. That's why I did it. To know. Then comes the reason I hardly ever bother posting on the subject, https://youtu.be/9FnO3igOkOk?t=39