[sdiy] Home Wiring question?

[Dave Magnuson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "drheqx" <drheqx at heqx.com>
To: "'mark verbos'" <mverbos at earthlink.net>; "'Tim Curtis'" 
<sexsymbol at execpc.com>; "'synth diy'" <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2005 11:35 AM
Subject: RE: [sdiy] Home Wiring question?


>I agree with Mark, if you have the means to run a new wire back to the
> box that would be your best bet. Also check the ground rod outside of
> the farmhouse to be sure that the wire is still intact. The utility may
> or may not provide a Ground wire from the pole. Older homes use the
> local ground rod as the true earth ground. If the wire breaks off you
> have no ground reference at all. The other thing you can do is look for
> the ground wire which may be connected to a cold water pipe under the
> house. Sometimes that corrodes off as well.

By code you *must* have a copper ground rod in the US (or at least in New 
Hampshire and Massachusettes). Grounding to the cold water pipe is no longer 
accepted since many well pumps use plastic pipes these days...

And let me tell you... banging an 8 foot long copper rod into the ground is 
*really* fun :)     Can you say "repetitive motion injury"?

Dave Magnuson