Currently I do not have ground in my house wiring. I am planing to install ground wiring but the floor around the main service panel is cemented and I don't think I can place a ground rod in the floor. There is an iron rod sticking horizontally out of the wall behind where my main service panel is(main service panel is in the garage). There is a wire wrapped around that rod, which seems to be made out of steel, going into the ground. I think it was installed when the house was built (1968). can I connect the ground wire to that rod?
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\$\begingroup\$ Electrical Engineer != Electrician. Electronics != Electrical wiring. \$\endgroup\$– Jay CarlsonAug 8, 2013 at 5:47
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1\$\begingroup\$ This question appears to be off-topic because it is about DIY house wiring. Try diy.stackexchange.com \$\endgroup\$– Dave TweedAug 8, 2013 at 11:32
1 Answer
Get a licensed electrician to do any work with electrical grounding of a house. It could save your life one day.
That said, you should check what you local electrical laws state but I'll think you'll find that your existing ground wire, if that's what it is, won't meet regulations.
It may be a simple case of putting a grounding rod in the nearest patch of open ground. It may also mean that you have to drill through the slab to get to the ground. It's up to the local laws.
EDIT: My advice would be to NOT use the existing infrastructure if you have any doubts about it at all. Ideally, grounding should be really easy to trace and access. Good grounding could save your life one day and you want to trust it.
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\$\begingroup\$ I don't think there are any local laws or regulations. I live in a small town in a developing country. As far as a electrician is concerned I trust those at the time of my grandfather than the ones today. I have seen the work of both of them. I do all the electrical work around the house. I wish I could pay someone to do it but usually an electricians answer to a broken switch on a socket is, bypass the switch. So back to my question. Is adding a ground wire to the rod better than not having a ground. \$\endgroup\$– khizAug 8, 2013 at 1:16
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\$\begingroup\$ Updated. :) I would say more but there could be a liability issue. A quick research of how to put in an earthing should give you results. \$\endgroup\$– SLaGAug 8, 2013 at 1:24
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\$\begingroup\$ Thanks SLaG you have made me changed my mind. Now all I have to do is find an earth rod or maybe get one made. Sorry I can't vote your answer up I don't have the rep :( \$\endgroup\$– khizAug 8, 2013 at 1:47