Auxiliary ground rods… Time to go
Once a common practice for telephone companies was to install an auxiliary ground rod for their equipment. This has shown to be a bad practice and should be removed and the phone and/or communication systems should now be grounded/bonded to the homes main grounding electrode system or an intersytem bonding terminal.
Inter-system bonding is to create a low-impedance connection of grounding from different systems, which creates an equipotential plane during transient events (lightening or surges).
The National Electrical Code (NEC®) defines an Intersystem Bonding Termination as “a device that provides a means for connecting communication(s) systems grounding conductor(s) at the service equipment or at the disconnecting means for
buildings or structures supplied by a feeder or branch circuit.”
One of the primary purpose of the grounding electrode is to establish and maintain the electrical equipment and any grounded system conductor at the potential of the earth at the grounding electrode connection to the earth. For electricity to flow we need a difference in potential.
The other primary purpose of grounding electrodes is to dissipate over-voltages into the earth. These over voltages can originate from the electrical grid or from the home itself as well as lightning strikes in the area.
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NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
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