If you’re reading this, chances are you have enjoyed the sense
of accomplishment that comes from driving an 8-foot long, mostly
steel rod into the earth and connecting a ground wire to it.
It’s tough work. At the end of the day, you know that your
effort was justified because you have installed a system that
will protect people from electrical shock, help safeguard
expensive electronic equipment, limit neutral-to-ground voltage
and satisfy the NEC along the way. There is an increasing
awareness in the electrical industry of the benefits of a low-
resistance, high-quality grounding system. This article takes a
nuts-and-bolts approach to examining one the most commonly
installed components: the ground rod. Copper-bonded, galvanized,
and stainless steel ground rods are available in many different
sizes. We will not focus on stainless steel rods as their high
cost prohibits widespread use. More commonly used are copper-
bonded and galvanized steel ground rods. Besides price, what
really makes these rods different?