Unless otherwise specified you need a 5/8th inch by 8 foot copper clad rod. A great trick is to drive it in at a 45 degree angle and bend it up as you go so it ends up straight after it drive in all the way. This keeps you from hitting hard pan and keeps you from having to get on a ladder to drive the rid which can be kinda dangerous. Leave about 4 inches out of the ground for you ground clamp. For a 200 amp service use #4 armored ground. For 125 amp or 100 amp you can use #6 armored ground wire and an armored ground clamp.
The NEC allows that for ANY connection to ground rod, #6 solid copper is the largest conductor required. The ground rod is SUPPLEMENTAL, and only in rare circumstances is the ground rod your primary ground. The sizes given above are for your primary grounding connection, such as a metal water line.
Chat with our AI personalities
You need 2 ground rods of 8' in length. One under the meter base and another one 6' to either side of the meter base. Drive them into the ground with just enough sticking up to connect the ground wire.
Most municipalities and power companies require that meter bases be installed by licensed electricians.Do not attempt to install the meter base yourself. There are far more realistic ways of saving a few dollars.
when reading voltage at the meter base where power comes in the house.
Ground rods in the U.S. on a residential home are 8 foot long and are driven 8 feet into the ground. The top of both ground rods should be flush or just under the surface. One ground rod is placed directly under the meter base and another one is placed 6 feet to either side. They are connected together and grounded to the meter base with the correct size ground wire based on the amperage of the serviced being installed.
For new 200 amp services the conduit size should be 3 inch PVC.