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Topic: Ground ring or not

User: hhsting, Location: Glen bunie, md, us

Asked on: Friday, April 11, 2025 at 10:05 am EDT
Answered on: Friday, April 11, 2025 at 10:05 am EDT

Question: I have three ground rods 8 feet apart connected by one continuous 24 feet long minimum #2 awg copper in a circle but does not encircle the building. Would this be ground ring or just ground rods?

That would be considered three ground rods connected by a bonding jumper, not a ground ring. Here's why: Ground Ring (as defined by the NEC)

A ground ring is defined as a conductor encircling the building or structure.


NEC 250.53(G) Ground Ring

A ground ring, if installed, shall encircle the building or structure in direct contact with the earth. It shall consist of at least 20 ft. (6.1 m) of bare copper conductor not smaller than 2 AWG.Since your configuration doesn't encircle the building, it doesn't meet the NEC's definition of a ground ring. It's simply three ground rods that are electrically bonded together to enhance grounding effectiveness.Important Note: While your setup is not a ground ring, it is a good practice to connect multiple ground rods together, as it significantly lowers the overall grounding impedance. Also, if your total conductor length is 24 feet (3 rods * 8 feet apart), you may be able to qualify it as a ground ring if it encircles the building and meets all other requirements of NEC 250.53(G).

In summary:
Your installation is a system of three interconnected ground rods, but not a ground ring according to the NEC definition. Flag for review

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