Grounding In A Private House

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The conductive system (grounding) has a multifunctional meaning, it is an obligatory part of the electrical system of suburban housing. Protects against electric shocks when working with a faulty appliance, protects electrical appliances when operating in a humid environment (broilers, washing machines, instantaneous water heaters). It removes the level of high-frequency magnetic interference produced by the power grid and household appliances, preserves the functionality of equipment, and performs a fire-fighting function. Read how to arrange grounding without the help of specialists

Rules for creating grounding in the country

To perform the work competently, simple requirements should be observed when creating a down-conductor circuit and installation diagram.

1. When placing the electrodes, it is important to maintain a lower resistance relative to the human body, usually 4 ohms. Therefore, the choice of parts must be consistent with these parameters.

2. The design provides for certain depths for immersion of the discharge electrodes, taking into account the structure and properties of the soil. If you have close groundwater, then bury the structure at 0.5 meters from the wet horizon. Under normal conditions, a depth of 1, 2-3 meters is maintained.

3. Maximum safety is ensured when the structure is placed at a certain distance from the wall of the house - this is 3-5 meters.

4. Rationality of grounding depends on the number of power consumption devices, in relation to which the number of rods is selected, in most cases 3 conductors are used, connected in a single loop.

Installation technology of the down-conductor system

The work begins with the determination of a suitable free space, preferably against a wall with a shield. The classic version is digging a triangular trench, each side corresponds to 1 meter, the depth is determined according to the characteristics of the soil. An additional trench extends to the wall of the house with an electrical panel.

It is permissible to change the shape of the contour and create any polyhedron, rectangle. The linear grounding option is located along the blind area or along the perimeter of the house. If the land on the site is loose, without stones, then you can abolish the excavation measures and drive the electrodes directly into the ground or drill nests for them - this is the most common method.

The easiest way to ground

Steel blanks of different lengths are cut, 1, 2-3 m, at least three pieces, 4 or 5 can be used. An iron rod (10 * 15 mm2) or a corner (4 * 4 mm), which must be sharpened on one side, serves as the grounding device. Holes are made in the ground with a hand drill, they are simply driven into the loose soil with a sledgehammer. Deepening should be started with a short specimen and continued in a row as the length of the conductors increases.

Further, the metal is cut in a hole, with a depression of 20-30 cm. A groove is made between the rods on the same horizon, steel strips (50 mm2) are laid and a metal system is assembled with their help (we connect the pins). For this, it is better to use welding or use a bolt fastening. The reliability and durability of the weld is not discussed, and the bolts will have to be periodically excavated and tightened the contacts.

From the resulting contour, an iron conductor is laid underground and brought to the switchboard, the diameter of the material is chosen at least 8 mm. You can enter the house anywhere: through the wall, foundation, floor. For ease of installation in the house, at the end of the contact conductor, it is required to make a thread and form a bolted connection. Next, a tip is mounted corresponding to the diameter of the material, a copper wire (section 2-4 mm) is pressed in, which must be led along the walls, the plinth - to the switchboard.

Fastening is carried out to the contacting zero potential (ground) with a bolt. To ground the additional conductor, you need to fasten it under the same bolt or parallel it next to it. It is forbidden to break the connection with automatic machines, fuses, switching devices.

Grounding check

Testing of the conductive system is carried out by the tester Ohmmeter. The network in the house, which has 220 volts, should not give out a resistance of more than 30 ohms, ideally, you need to strive for a zero value, which will correspond to the complete absorption of current by the ground.

If you do not have the necessary device to check the system performance, use a 100 W light bulb. Connect the control lamp contacts to ground and phase. Visually determine: bright light indicates a small resistance in the grounding structure. Dim light is an indicator of poor contact at the joints. If the lamp does not light up, the system does not work, you need to look for the error, starting with the circuit itself.