Final Electric: Ground Rods and Flagged for Underground Power

We did not need an electrician to set up our modular cabin. All the wiring was done by Westwood Cabins, www.westwoodcabins.com and the electric meter was already mounted.

I keep thinking we are done, but there are still things I didn’t think of.

The only part of the electrical system that can’t be installed before they deliver the house is the ground rods. Now that the plumbing inspection is finished and we can cover up the work, the ground rods can go in.

What are ground rods for?

Ground rods* give electricity a path to the ground. If there is a power surge or the cabin gets struck by lightning, electricity will have a path of least resistance into the ground instead of blowing up appliances or electrocuting someone.

Grounding is the method used to connect an electrical system to the earth with a wire. Grounding adds critical protection against electric shock and electrocution by using a grounding rod to provide a third path for conducting electricity in the event of a short circuit or an overload. Grounding will help protect the person working on the system, the system itself, and any appliances and equipment that are connected to the system.

Understanding Your Home Electrical System
Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI)

A ground rod is just a long metal rod. One end of the rod has a point on it.  Taylor Fowler, Fowler Excavating pounded two of them into the ground. He started them with a post driver tool and finished with a sledge hammer.

The ground rods need to be 8 feet apart, close to the electric panel and far enough away from the cabin to not hit the footers as they are pounded in.

We know exactly where the foundation is, so we didn’t have to go the 2-feet out that is suggested.

The ground rods connect to the cabin with a grounding electrode conductor, bare 6-gauge copper wire.

Copper wire  runs from the ground rods to the electric panel to act as a conductor.

The wire is connected inside the electric panel and attached to the wall. Then it runs through a shallow trench to the rods. There is a little slack in the wire so it has a little give instead of easily being tugged loose.

The wire gives electricity a low resistance route to the rods.

This critical safety feature is designed to greatly reduce your chance of shock or electrocution should a short circuit occur. Grounding wires are connected directly to the earth through a metal grounding rod or a cold water pipe. Should a short circuit or an overload occur, any extra electricity will find its way along the grounding wire to the earth.

Understanding Your Home Electrical System
Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI)

Taylor ran a copper wire to each ground rod and clamped them on with grounding clamps.

After the final inspection, we can bury everything and finally get electricity.

Bringing Power to the Cabin

Subcontractors for Duke Energy have visited half a dozen times, talked to us and taken photos. Now they have put in flags. We have the route for electricity to the cabin.

It seems like the most convoluted way to get power to the cabin. There are three pedestals near us and they chose the one that is the furthest away. There is probably a reason.

The route starts at the pedestal in front of our neighbor’s house and runs along the property line.

The underground power line will turn the corner, run along the waterway, then run under it.

The power will cross the waterway here, so it will have to be pretty deep.

It looks like they expect to go under the waterway at an angle. We have requested another inspection for Monday.

*In some areas it is called “earthing” instead of grounding.