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Reviews For: Home Depot 8 Foot Ground Rod

Category: Lightning & Surge Protection/Supression

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Review Summary For : Home Depot 8 Foot Ground Rod
Reviews: 4MSRP: 13.00
Description:
Copper plated steel rod for grounding systems.
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0044.8
W2ZOU Rating: 2011-08-12
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Not too much to say about this rod. My main issue was where to buy it, shipping was too $$. I walked into home depot and they had a dozen or so. I bought 2 units. Best deal in town. I think they were $8 each.

Don't go buying radios and be cheap on the grounding. Also, some ground is better than no ground.
K0IC Rating: 2011-08-11
Grounding is Best: Time Owned: more than 12 months.
When I moved to this home in 1990 there was no home earth grounding. I have added several parallel grounds and no lightning problems any more. I think 20-foot ground rods should be considered to keep the grounding in moist earth. I have a ten foot rod in the basement, an eight-foot ground outside installed by an electrician plus I added the steel connections from an old water pipe system. I have not had a problem since. Also, I grounded the neutral to the earth ground at the service entrance box. 6AWG or equivalent should be used for grounding in the last Electrical Code I checked. I use 1/4-inch copper tubing for one grounding circuit.
KB1NXE Rating: 2011-08-10
Good Rod - Cheap Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've got 16 of these pounded into the ground at my QTH. Copper clad steel, pounded in over a granite ledge. They took a beating from the Hilti and still went in without issue. For the price and convenience, you can't beat them. Except, into the ground!
KI4SDY Rating: 2009-07-27
Inexpensive Basic Lightning Protection Time Owned: more than 12 months.
A couple of years ago I was having trouble with lightning hitting all over the yard, the trees, electical lines and antennas. I had massive property damage and financial loss. I actually was living in lightning terror. Having never experienced this before, I checked around for a possible cause. Finally, I found there was no ground rod installed below the outside electric company power meters. They had a copper wire running to a power pole about 30 yards away. Whether or not that was effectively grounded is anybody's guess, but I would guess not.

I called the power company and they cheerfully offered to install a rod for $45.00 and a $7.00 maintenance for the rest of my life! I decided to do it myself. I went to Home Depot and found the same 8 foot copper plated steel rod for $13.00. I also picked up a bronze clamp and 3 feet of 8 AWG copper wire, for a total cost of about $16.00. I went home, had it beaten into the ground just below the meters and hooked up to the existing ground wire in about 15 minutes. I have not had a problem since. It has been the most cost-effective investment in my home and shack I have made. Think of the radios I have saved!

My only gripe is the rod is not solid copper, but copper plated steel. In Florida, the humidity oxidizes the copper off the steel rod in a short period for time and it starts to rust, reducing conductivity. I am thinking about pulling it and replacing it with a copper pipe of the same diameter and length. In the mean time, it has been protecting my home and ham equipment. I still disconnect all the antennas and unplug the AC power when I am not using it because I am shell shocked.