<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Drake;<div><br></div><div>I have kids, and I agree with you; an exposed ground rod would be a nasty thing to land on. <div>I always had a fear of falling on one with my knee (ugh!), however, I have had inspectors require 4" of ground rod above grade.</div><div>(most installs in New Mexico I see keep the connection above grade)</div><div>250.53(G) says flush or below grade, so I'm not sure where the 4" above grade AHJ ruling here is coming from.</div><div>Your inspector had it right IMO.</div><div>I leave a few extra inches of conductor, and loop it back over the top of the rod after the clamp, to make a softer top for it.</div><div>I also will stack rocks around the rod after, to protect it as well.</div><div>My previous post was just trying to find a bright side of an otherwise disagreeable local requirement.</div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>R. Walters</div><div><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a></div><div>Solar Engineer</div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span>
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<br><div><div>On Apr 18, 2010, at 1:38 PM, Drake Chamberlin wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div>
<blockquote type="cite" class="cite" cite=""><br>
(another reason to leave the ground rod sticking out of the ground a few
inches)</blockquote><br><br>
I had an inspector require me to drive the rod flush. His concern
was that it was a hazard. A child playing, or anyone for that
matter, who fell face down on it could be severely injured. Other
problems are that it is a trip hazard, and it could create issues with
lawn moer blades. I always pound mine below grade. If I need
to access the rod, I just dig around it a bit. <br><br>
<br>
<x-sigsep><p>
<font color="#0000FF">Drake Chamberlin<br>
Athens Electric<br>
OH License 44810<br>
CO License 3773<br>
NABCEP </font><font size="1" color="#0000FF">TM
</font><font color="#0000FF">Certified PV Installer <br>
Office - 740-448-7328<br>
Mobile - 740-856-9648 </font></p></x-sigsep></div>
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