PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-595
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 595
JUNE 2002
Prepare the Soil
PS 595
37
Grounding in the Desert
Grounding in the Desert
Soils like clay
and loam are good
conductors. Dry
sand is
not.
You’re not
done
yet?
What’s the
hold up?
hey, I gotta
get to that
water table!
The best salt is
magnesium sulfate.
Next are copper
sulfate and then
calcium chloride,
(ordinary rock salt
or kitchen salt).
Start with
5 gallons of
the mixture.
Because sand is a
poor conductor,
getting a good earth ground in the
desert requires extra time and effort.
Before You Drive
Dig a shallow trench
around the ground rod
at a distance of 18 inches
so that the mixture
does not run off.
Pour it slowly
so it sinks into
the ground.
Use the salt and water mixture
often. In the desert it may take
a
daily mix
to do the job.
Soil conductivity can be
improved
by keeping the soil
moist
and by adding a salt-
water mixture to the area
around the ground rod.
Use a pound
of salt for
each gallon
of water.
You’re doing
that again
today?!
yep.
today and
every day!
If you can, locate your
equipment near an oasis
or subterranean water.
Use a sectional
ground rod and add
extensions to reach
deeper into the soil
until the rod no
longer can be driven.
If you can’t,
make sure you
use the salt and
water mixture.
In the desert,
it is a good idea
if the grounding
rod reaches the
water table,
but that may
not always be
possible.
sounds
like you’ve
gone far
enough!
Make sure the
grounding rod is
clean. Grease, oil,
paint and corrosion
on the rod make it
a
poor
conductor.
If you use a sledge hammer, wear
safety gloves to protect your hands
from metal fragments when you
drive in the rod.
Before you drive, dig a hole
at least 12 inches deep and
36 inches square.
The top of the rod
must
be below
ground level.
Drive the rod in the
center of the hole.
Drive it straight.
If the soil
won’t
permit the rod to go
in straightly, make
sure the driving
angle is
no more
than 45 degrees.
Wear
safety
goggles,
too!
12
36
36
595. 36-39 (C)
4/27/02
1:53 PM
Page 1
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