Discover How Grounding Increases the Safety of a Home’s Electrical System

Many homeowners install grounding as an emergency system that kicks in when needed.

Electrical grounding provides an alternate path that directs an electrical current into the earth instead of the home’s circuits. It’s a crucial part of the property that keeps electronics safe from harm, including fires. Many homeowners install grounding as an emergency system that kicks in when needed.

Here’s why grounding a property’s electrical system increases the homeowner’s safety:

How grounding works

A home with electrical grounding will have extra wires parallel to the hot and neutral wires. The latter two are primarily in charge of carrying the current where users need them. However, damage like rodents gnawing the wires or loose connections can be hazardous.

That’s where grounding comes in. An electrician will connect a copper conductor to the wiring system that ends with a ground rod or another device. Note that it’s possible to follow the wiring and locate these objects.

Grounding types

Most houses have ground rods; copper sticks pushed eight feet into the soil. The rod can be visible or concealed in the ground, depending on how it was installed. The ground wire is clamped or welded to the rod. Modern building codes call for at least two rods for safety purposes.

Other locations use grounding plates, which consist of thick metal plates buried under a concrete foundation or similar spot. They’re often used for areas contractors find hard to excavate, such as rocky terrain.

Some ground wires are connected to cold-water pipes and lead to underground piping networks. These wires must be clamped securely to the pipe. Because hot water pipes lead to a water heater, they’re not acceptable candidates for electrical grounding.

How grounding keeps the home safe

Power surges and lightning strikes can damage anything connected to the home’s wiring. In addition, excess electricity can cause electrical overloads, which damage appliances at best or cause electrical fires at worst. Some cases even result in electric shocks.

With grounding, the extra currents are directed into the soil, where they become harmless. Home appliances and electronics are protected from damage this way.

Grounding can also stabilize an electrical system’s voltage levels. With stable levels, devices don’t get blown as quickly.

The earth is ideal for grounding as it has low resistance. This allows the excess electricity to flow elsewhere without destroying electrical appliances and causing fires.

Contact a reputable electric company

Electrical grounding is essential for safety because it can direct excess currents elsewhere. However, some homeowners can find the rods or plates challenging to detect. If one is unsure about the property’s grounding or whether there is any at all, contact a reputable electrician for assistance and a site meeting.

Zimmerman Electric is here to serve your residential and commercial electrical needs throughout the Phoenix Valley metro area. Call us today if you need electrical work performed 602-497-3365.