TL;DR
A ground rod is a copper-bonded or galvanized steel electrode, typically 5/8 inch by 8 feet, driven into the earth near the service entrance to connect the electrical system to ground for lightning and surge dissipation. The NEC requires the connection to measure 25 ohms or less to earth, or a second rod at least 6 feet from the first, which is why most modern installs simply drive two.
What it means
A ground rod is a copper-bonded or galvanized steel electrode, typically 5/8 inch by 8 feet, driven into the earth near the service entrance to connect the electrical system to ground for lightning and surge dissipation. The NEC requires the connection to measure 25 ohms or less to earth, or a second rod at least 6 feet from the first, which is why most modern installs simply drive two. The clamp joining the grounding electrode conductor to the rod must be listed for direct burial.
Where it sits in the glossary
Ground rod is part of the Trade jargon group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
This is a term Ohio homeowners encounter when reading contractor quotes, hiring paperwork, or inspection reports. Understanding it well enough to ask one good follow-up question is usually all the protection a homeowner needs.
ProFix Directory keeps definitions short on the index page and saves the longer context — Ohio-specific rules, where the term comes from, and which ProFix tools touch it — for these per-term pages so the term is easy to cite and easy to share.
ProFix tools that touch this term
See also
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