[TenTec] [Ten Tec] Grounds

[Don Allen]

The deck was in the process of being built when the two Illinois Power electrical utility employees installed the buried electrical service to the meter, and the ground rod was installed directly beneath the deck within 3 feet of the house's poured concrete basement wall.  Not only did they install it where the deck was being built - and, they knew it was being built over the ground rod - they provided absolutely no protection to the joint of the ground wire from the meter and the 8' copper ground rod.  I was present watching this, and I told them they should use something, such as Coax Seal or whatever they normally use to seal the joint, but they looked at me like I was crazy.  They hammered the ground rod and ground wire below ground level without any joint protection.  So, now years later, I am sure that rod/wire junction is filled with copper oxide (not a good conductor!), and other contaminants.  You can't tell these union electrical utility workers anything - they know it all, or at least they think they do.

73
Don W9CW


/Technically, a ground wire covered by the deck is a violation of the
National Electrical Code.  Likely the rod was there first, and the deck
was built over it./