Which is Better, Copper or Galvanized Grounding Rod?

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When grounding electricity on your job site, you have a few types of grounding rods to consider. Two of the most popular options are copper grounding rod or galvanized grounding rod. At Southern Grounding, we offer both because we believe each has its advantages. But how do you know which is best for your project?

Here we'll take a quick look at each grounding rod's pros and cons. If you need to talk specifics or are ready to order the materials you need, you can reach out to our experienced team. We can talk you through your project and help you get the best price on the right materials for you.

Copper Grounding Rod: Conductive and Connected

Copper grounding rods are a classic choice for electrical contractors and project managers. There are few reasons this option remains standard on job sites:

• Copper is conductive and connects to the Earth easily
• Copper has high corrosion resistance, which extends its lifespan
• Copper grounding rods maintain their integrity better during installation

The main drawback to copper grounding rods that has led to a search for alternatives is its cost. While copper is a great option for most projects, it is significantly more expensive than galvanized steel. For short term projects, the extra expense is unnecessary. If that's the case, why not use galvanized grounding rods for every project? We'll cover that next:

Galvanized Grounding Rod: An Affordable Alternative

Galvanized grounding rods are finding their way into more construction projects. The primary reason for this is their affordability. Galvanized grounding rods are a great option for short-term projects (ten years maximum) on a budget.

Galvanized materials also behave best together. If you are working on a project where a portion of your grounding rods will be in contact with an existing, galvanized material, you will want to stick with galvanized grounding rods. This is because galvanized materials do not interact well with copper.

As long as materials that have negative reactions to each other do not cross, then galvanized grounding rods can still be a good option to consider.

Other Things to Consider When Choosing Grounding Rods

When choosing the grounding rods for your project, there are other things to keep in mind to make the best selection. The type of soil will determine a lot about the thickness your project needs and what materials will hold up better. The lifespan of your project will also make a difference in where to invest your budget.

Link to Ziyu

There are some situations where the soil composition demands an even stronger material. When that is the case, stainless steel grounding rods are a reliable option. As stainless steel grounding rods are at the highest price points, they will only be an option for jobs with large budgets or significant reasons to not consider the alternatives.

Meeting and Exceeding Industry Standards

Whether you need long-term corrosion protection, a reliable option for a short term project that fits within a tight budget, Southern Grounding has the right product for you. In addition to copperclad, galvanized, and stainless steel grounding rods, we have a full range of accompanying grounding products to build the right system for your project.

Learn more or contact our team today for questions or to request a quote.

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Another good way to make a long lasting ground 'rod'.

Get some copper tubing as others have mentioned: 1/2 inch
is enough. While at the store, buy a cap for one end.
Also go to the part of the store where they sell dowell
rod and buy one that will just slip into the copper
tubing.

Flatten one end of the tubing, cut it to a 'v' shape
to make it go into the ground more easily, and solder
it shut. Insert the dowel rod to make the tubing
stiff, then solder on the end cap. You can now pound
it into the ground without it bending.

If you can't find a dowel rod that just fits into the
copper tubing, you can consider filling the tubing with
sand before soldering on the end cap. That should also
keep the tubing from collapsing.

I saw an article a long time ago that suggested a
variation on this for areas with high ground resistance.
You use copper tubing or pipe with the end flattened as
before, but you also drill some holes into the sides of
the tubing near the pointed end. Fill with sand, possibly
with the addition of some copper sulphate. You don't
solder the top cap on, though you may have to slip it
into place while driving the tubing into the ground.
You can then feed water and/or water with copper sulphate
down through the ground rod where it will come out of the
holes near the tip to lower ground resistance. I've never
done this myself, so I don't know how it works. I would
certainly make the rod very long or else not have it too
close to any plants I wanted to keep growing, because
too much copper sulphate might be bad for them. I also
wouldn't do this in any area where the end of the rod could
get into the ground water supply: but then, if the ground
water is that close to the surface, you wouldn't have to do
anything like this to reduce ground resistance in the
first place.

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