(For pictures of what I'm talking about below, see
http://www.n4fla.org/Grounding.htm )
I found a copper strap at my local Lowes that is designed to ground 3/8"-1"
copper pipe. The strap is 3/4" wide x 6" long. It comes with a copper screw
and nut that tighten a plate (zinc coated?) to hold the ground wire and
compress the ring created by wrapping the strap around the pipe; the end
where the screw/nut is located has been rounded to accept a ground wire
(probably up to #4). The other end has a series of four holes that are used
depending on the pipe size.
I discard the screw/nut/plate and bend the end designed for the ground wire
so that it will fit around the ground rod. After cleaning everything, I
connect the rounded end of the strap to the ground rod using copper paste
and a stainless compression clamp. I drill a hole through the copper ground
strap and connect it to the Lowes ground strap using 1/4"-20 stainless
hardware (large fender washers to ensure maximum contact area and mechanical
strength). This connection is also covered with copper paste before being
made.
The ground strap can be attached to the Lowes ground strap either vertically
or horizontally (depending if you are connecting the ground rod to something
above it or horizontally away from it).
In my local Lowes, the straps are in both the plumbing section (located by
the various copper pipe hangers) and in the electrical section (located with
other grounding items such as bronze ground rod clamps. The cost is around
$1.75 each.
Doug
K4DDR
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