Quite often, owners of private houses say that if there is a “good” zero, there is no need. But this is a rather dangerous misconception - after all, the “earth” gives additional protection not only for household appliances, but also against electric shock to a person. Today we’ll look at the possibility of making 220 V grounding in a private house with our own hands, let’s try to understand how it differs from 380 V, and also figure out how difficult this work is. But the main question to be resolved is whether grounding is really that important and necessary.
Read in the article:
Why is grounding needed and how necessary is its installation in a private home?
Let's start with what almost all owners of household appliances often encounter - a minor but sensitive electric shock from the body of some device in the house. And this happens from a violation of insulation and contact of live parts with the body of the device.
Let's consider another option. Sometimes it happens that after opening water tap, a person feels a tingling sensation electric current from water. The neighbors who are trying to steal electricity are already to blame for this. Of course, such a number will not work with newer metering devices, but with the old ones it worked quite well. This happens because an unscrupulous consumer, taking a phase for the device from , connects zero to the water pipe. In this case, the consumption drops by 2 times.
Important information! If a consumer is caught in such theft, he will certainly face administrative punishment.
So, returning to our topic - why grounding is needed. It is this that will save you from such unpleasant sensations, and sometimes from more serious electric shocks. We will not consider its installation in apartment buildings - after all, a common circuit is installed there. All residential premises are connected to it. It will be much more interesting to understand the grounding for a private house, which you can install yourself.
The main task is to understand how to do such work. Moreover, they usually take old ones to the dacha household appliances, which demand special attention. It is the installation option in such areas that will be our priority. But first let's look at it general concepts and the nuances that grounding in a dacha has.
The concepts of “grounding” and “zeroing”: what is the difference between them
The fundamental difference between these concepts is as follows. Grounding reduces the voltage in the damaged circuit to a minimum that is not dangerous to humans. Zeroing, with the help of automation, turns off the power to the network in the event of a short circuit. The danger of the second is that the automation may not have time to work, and a person will receive an electric shock, dangerous to health or even life.
In houses where it is impossible to install a grounding loop, a neutral wire is sometimes used in this capacity, but in this case it is necessary to install devices protective shutdown and automatic machines together, or installation of difavtomatic machines. But most often it is possible to install grounding and lightning protection in a private house, which means you need to understand the technology of installation and operation.
Related article:
What to avoid when installing a ground loop - the most common mistakes
Of course, when installing a grounding loop with your own hands for the first time, mistakes cannot be avoided. One can say more - they are even allowed experienced craftsmen. But, as they say, “forewarned is forearmed.” That is why it is worth mentioning the most common of them.
Expert opinion
ES, EM, EO design engineer (power supply, electrical equipment, interior lighting) ASP North-West LLC
Ask a specialist“Loop grounding cannot go directly to the device. Grounding to the device must come from the bus located in the power panel. That is why the first and most common is, of course, an incorrect connection.”
Next error– this is the use of a gas supply or sewerage pipe as a circuit. Under no circumstances should this be done. The rules for electrical installations also speak about this. Also cannot be used as an outline metal fence around the house.
Another common mistake is using conductors (tires and electrodes) that are too thin. This will lead to very rapid corrosion and disintegration of the metal, nullifying all the work. The length of the welds is also important when installing the ground loop. This parameter should not be less than 10 cm (for example, connecting two sections of a tire). As for the connection of the tire with the electrode, the place of contact must be welded along the entire length and on both sides. Process welds anti-corrosion composition need to be processed. But this does not apply to the entire grounding fabric.
Next. The grounding strip, which is located above ground level and on which the contacts for connecting the grounding wire are fixed, must be painted (preferably black). In this case, the composition of the painting material does not matter. It can be either nitro paint or any bitumen mastic. It is also advisable to put a “grounding” sign on the wall in this place (see photo).
Also, you should not make electrodes less than 1.5 m. This will lead to a loss of quality of the entire grounding circuit. Also, you should not leave the tire on the surface or with a small depth. The depth of the grounding bus should be 0.5-0.8 m. This is mandatory!
And one more thing. Many people, when conducting grounding from the bus contacts to the power panel, make the wire long. After that, they have to twist it into a spiral to achieve required size. This cannot be done. Surely someone remembers from a school physics course that any turn of wire is already a coil that creates inductive currents. And in the grounding system, any inductance is unacceptable.
Installation of grounding for lightning rods in private houses
There are quite a lot of debates these days around whether lightning protection is needed for private homes. And yet the majority is inclined to believe that it is necessary. Moreover, its installation will not require a lot of time, effort and money. Let's figure out what is needed for this. The following material will be required:
- three iron electrodes, 1.5-2.5 m long;
- iron busbar for connecting pins;
- steel wire rod, 6-8 mm in diameter 2 for grounding supply to the lightning rod;
- single-core copper wire with a cross-section of at least 6 mm 2 and a length of 1-1.5 m as a lightning rod;
- wooden support for attaching a lightning rod, 3 m long.
Now you can get to work.
Important! The grounding loop for the lightning rod should be located at a distance of 5-8 m from the entrance to private house.
At the required distance, we dig a trench 0.5 m deep in the form of an isosceles triangle with sides of 1 m. We hammer electrodes into the corners and perform the same actions as with home grounding. The difference is that a steel wire will go from the circuit to the house as a down conductor.
Now a wooden support is attached to the roof, on top of which a copper lightning rod is fixed. The wire rod should come to him. At the same time, when installing wire along the wall and along the roof, it makes sense to lay asbestos fabric between it and the surface as an insulator. As you can see, the process is not at all complicated and will take a little time. If desired, you can make a lightning rod on a tower separate from the house. At the same time, you should be prepared for the fact that its length should be 3-4 m above the roof ridge.
Well, now, having figured out how to make a lightning rod in a private house, you can move on to the cost of ready-made kits for installing grounding, as well as clarify the prices for such work when hiring professionals.
Cost of grounding kits for private houses
Many people do not know that grounding kits for summer cottages can be purchased at finished form. Let's try to figure out what is included in them, in what quantity and how much it can cost. In addition to the main supplier on Russian market– Polish company ZANDZ-GALMAR, it makes sense to pay attention to the Russian manufacturer - the company Elcom.
| Manufacturer | Name | Quantity, pcs. | Cost of the set, rub. |
|---|---|---|---|
 ZANDZ-GALMAR | Stainless steel rod steel 16mmX1.5 m | 4 | 24 000 |
| Coupling for connection | 4 | ||
| Tip | 1 | ||
| Impact head | 1 | ||
| Conductive paste 0.15 g | 1 | ||
| Insulating tape | 1 | ||
| Conductor clamp | 1 | ||
Zandz ZZ-000-015, universal grounding kit 15 meters (Galmar) |
|||
 Elcom | Stainless steel rod steel 14mmX1.5 m | 4 | 5800 |
| Coupling for connection | 4 | ||
| Tip | 1 | ||
| Impact head | 1 | ||
| Conductive paste 0.15 g | 1 | ||
| Insulating tape | 1 | ||
| Conductor clamp | 1 | ||
Grounding kit "ZN – 6", galvanized |
|||
As for the cost of installing grounding in private houses, it varies from 10,000 to 15,000 rubles. Of course, the cost of the kits Russian production significantly lower. It is for this reason that some people buy grounding for a private house, the price of which is 5-6 thousand rubles. much easier than making it yourself.
Article
A properly equipped grounding system for a private home is a guarantee of the safety of both the building itself and everything in it, as well as its residents. Creating a ground loop is quite simple work. You can cope with its implementation yourself.
There is a protective and working grounding. The main purpose of protective grounding is to ensure reliable protection of residents from electric shock, and electrical engineering– from breakdown due to various types of network failures. If the system includes a lightning rod, the presence of which is highly desirable in private households, grounding will also protect against lightning damage.
Working grounding is primarily responsible for protecting electrical appliances from damage in various emergency situations. In private construction, it is activated exclusively when failures occur.
For most household appliances and electronics, ordinary grounding through a modern European socket is sufficient. However, there are some things that are recommended to be grounded “tightly”, namely:
- washing machine. This technique has a serious electrical capacity. In conditions high humidity the machine can “pinch” relatively safely, but it is still unpleasant;
- microwave. The main working element of microwave ovens is high-power magnetrons. If there is a failure in the outlet, the microwave will begin to “siphon” at a level that is extremely unfavorable for humans. The back panels of many microwave ovens are equipped with a special terminal for a separate ground electrode;
- electric ovens, induction cookers (modern built-in hobs). The design features of these products are such that the probability of breakdown remains quite high. high level, so separate grounding will definitely not be superfluous;
- personal computer. Attempts by manufacturers to make computer power supplies as compact as possible have led to the fact that the level of normal operating leakage of the mentioned units is at the level of a stylish car, or even higher. Such impacts have an extremely negative impact on the performance and condition of computer components. You can connect the solid ground to any mounting screw on the back of the system unit.
What does the grounding system consist of?
The grounding system consists of a number of important elements. The first of them is a ground electrode. Usually there are several of them. They are metal conductors driven or dug into the ground.
The optimal length of the grounding conductor is 200-300 cm. Specific recommendations on the number and length of grounding conductors are specified in separately at the local energy service office.
The second important element of the house grounding system is the metal connection. This unit is metal structure, providing connection of the upper ends of the ground electrodes.
The metal connection is brought into the house as a grounding bus. In a private house, several grounding busbar inputs may be present at the same time, but one of them must necessarily ground the input distribution panel.
In the complex, the metal connection and grounding conductors are formed into a grounding loop.
Electrical installations are connected to the grounding bus through grounding conductors. There are flexible and rigid conductors.
When using flexible conductors, it is important that their cross-section is at least 4 mm2.
The grounding conductor can be transferred to the grounding bus. Conductors are connected to this bus through contact pads. They look like shiny spots covered with grease with pre-prepared holes for bolts.
Thanks to lubrication, oxidation and the development of electrocorrosion will be prevented. Contact pads can have different markings, usually black oblique stripes. It is prohibited to carry out continuous painting of grounding bars.
The electrical resistance of the metal connection is measured from the grounding terminal of the electrical installation to that part of the circuit that is furthest from it. On any part of the metal connection, the resistance level should be no more than 0.1 Ohm.
Incorrect grounding
In accordance with the requirements of the relevant regulatory documents grounding is prohibited electrical installations for any kind of pipelines.
Nuances of grounding a private house
There are several options for arranging a ground loop. The specific method is selected taking into account the type of soil on the site and the characteristics of the house. Regardless of the chosen method, it is recommended to make grounding electrodes from pipes, one of the ends of which is pre-flattened to a point.
On the lower section of each pipe (the length of the section should be about 50 cm), 10-15 holes with a diameter of about 5-7 mm are made randomly.
IN hot weather It is recommended to pour grounding conductors inside the pipes brine. To prepare it, just dissolve half a pack of salt in a bucket. clean water. This solution will help maintain resistance at a normal level.
The grounding bars also remain the same regardless of the method chosen. You should refrain from using galvanized steel to create metal bonds - the material will very quickly lose its performance properties.
DIY ground loop
Having familiarized yourself with the theoretical part, you can begin to create a ground loop. The work is relatively simple and is performed in several steps.
First step. Calculate the contour. To do this, you need to find out the soil resistance value in your area. This information Consult relevant reference books or local services. The same service can give you recommended circuit parameters. This will save you from unnecessary hassle, because the calculation formulas are quite complex and voluminous.
Second step. Pick up suitable place for the circuit device. Install the circuit in some place that is rarely visited, the minimum distance from the foundation of the building is 100 cm.
Third step. Prepare the electrodes. They can be made from steel corners. Minimum width products – 5 cm, optimal length – 250-300 cm.
Fourth step. Dig a square or triangular hole about 100 cm deep. The electrodes will be placed in the corners of the pit. Therefore, select the depth and width of the pit so that the distance between the installed electrodes is equal to the length of these products.
Fifth step. Drive the prepared electrodes into the corners of the dug hole. A sledgehammer will help you with this.
Sixth step. Weld a strip of metal to the electrode pins. Welded joint must be reliable and of high quality. Be sure to treat the welding areas with an anti-corrosion compound, for example, bitumen mastic.
Seventh step. Pull the metal strip to the input shield. Next, you will need to connect a ground bus to the strip.
If it is not possible to use a full-fledged bus, connect a high-quality one to the metal strip copper wire. The cross-section of this wire must be at least 10 mm2. Use a bolt and nut to secure the wire. Treat the connection point between the metal strip and the copper wire with an anti-corrosion agent.
Eighth step. Fill the hole. Firmly compact the backfilled soil.
Grounding control after installation
After the grounding loop is ready, it should be checked for your own safety. This is done by measuring the resistance of electric current spreading in the soil and the level of metal bond resistance.
Professional electricians do this using special devices. You can do this using a tool called a megger. Specialized organizations provide such equipment for rental.
These manual electric induction megohmmeters are still popular today. They do not contain electronics, they do not need to be connected to the network, they do not create unnecessary noise along the circuit, and have many other advantages.
The only thing is that metal connections cannot be measured using a megger. However, provided there is a high-quality connection and correct connection Problems with these areas have not arisen for decades.
To determine the resistance, it is necessary that a pair of measuring electrodes be located at a distance of about 12-15 m from the edge of the metal connection. Electrodes must be thoroughly cleaned. The measurement is carried out on electrodes buried approximately 70-100 cm in the ground and installed at a distance of about 150 cm.
It is important to observe the polarity of the megger connection. Protective grounding The home must be able to withstand a lightning strike. Simple lightning has negative polarity. There are also positive lightning, when a thick column of fire shoots from the ground towards the sky. However, such natural phenomena are extremely rare and have such destructive power that no grounding will help.
The actual measurement with a megger is carried out like this: you take the tool, turn its handle and study the arrow readings on a preset scale. Previously mentioned optimal performance, focus on them.
Under no circumstances should you measure grounding using a milliammeter, mains voltage and a special quenching resistor - this is a deadly undertaking.
Thus, the installation of grounding is an extremely important stage in the arrangement of a private home. Pay due attention to this procedure, and your home will become not only convenient and comfortable, but also completely safe.
Good luck!
Video - Do-it-yourself grounding of a private house
When staying in apartment building There are no problems with grounding - each floor electrical panel has a ready-made grounding circuit. But if you live in a private house or in a country house, it is not at all necessary to invite paid specialists, because you can make a grounding device in a private house with your own hands. 220 V is a strong current supply, so ignoring grounding is dangerous.
Before you take on self-production grounding loop, you need to figure out Why do you need to ground electrical appliances at all?. This will help to take a responsible approach to both the choice of the circuit and materials of the grounding loop, and to the process of its manufacture.
Anti-interference
The problem of interference mainly concerns owners of high-quality sound reproduction/recording equipment and PCs. Built into such devices network filters“collect” impulse noise from the power supply network and send it to the device chassis, and in the case of a PC, to the metal casing.
Fragment of the PC power supply circuit (the filter is circled in red)
If the device housing is not connected to ground (PE terminal on the power plug), then all interference remains on the housing and creates an electromagnetic field around it, which induces interference on signal wires, microphones, headphones.
Anyone who has encountered such a problem knows that it is difficult to get rid of such interference. No amount of shielding or super cables solves the problem - interference from the case penetrates into external devices even along the shielding braid of the connecting wire. But it’s worth connecting the case of the same PC to the battery central heating or running water, how the background in headphones or speakers disappears in the most miraculous way.
If the interference during sound reproduction is, although serious, but only an inconvenience, then the voltage that gets to the casing of the device for one reason or another can threaten life. The worst thing is that equipment malfunction during an insulation breakdown on the housing often does not manifest itself in any way- The device works and appears to be absolutely fine. But as soon as a person touches the casing of the same washing machine, a current begins to flow through his body into the ground (damp floor, tiles, concrete), the value of which even at 50-80 mA is fatal:
Electrical shock to a person when touching faulty equipment
To eliminate this situation, it is enough to connect the device body to the ground, and even a faulty washing or dishwasher will not pose any threat to humans. In case of an incomplete breakdown, the voltage from the casing will simply flow into the ground along a special bus, while a complete breakdown of the insulation will cause a short circuit and tripping of the protective equipment - a fuse in the device, a circuit breaker on landing or in the house panel.
Touching faulty but grounded equipment is absolutely safe
For a quick and easy connection to the ground, all devices that require grounding are equipped with a special power plug with grounding contacts or a grounding terminal.
The contacts marked with arrows are grounding.
How to make a ground loop
From all of the above, it is clear that not only convenience and peace of mind, but also people’s lives depend on the reliability of grounding. Therefore, the manufacture of the circuit must be approached extremely seriously. Do you know how to hold a shovel and a hacksaw in your hands and are confident in your abilities? Then let's get to work! But before finding out how to properly make grounding in a private house, it is necessary to resolve the question of what to make it from and what design to choose.
Design selection
The main problem that needs to be solved when making grounding is good electrical contact of the circuit with the ground. It would seem that the simplest solution is to dig in a voluminous metal object.
If you have at your disposal a couple of old but strong barrels, a rear axle from a KAMAZ, or something similar, then the option is quite feasible. You weld a metal tire to the object, dig in the object itself, and bring the tire to the surface. But, simple in appearance, This method has a lot of disadvantages:
Much more reliable and durable grounding can be achieved using long pins driven into the ground to a certain depth and electrically connected to each other. The key factor here is the number of pins and their length. By design, these types of grounding are divided:
- linear;
- volumetric.
Linear grounding consists of a series of pins driven into the ground and connected in series. The volumetric type involves several pins driven in a circle and connected into a ring.
Linear (left) and volumetric types of ground loops
In principle, both types provide high-quality grounding of equipment; the slight difference is only in reliability. If one of the jumpers in the linear grounding breaks, a certain number of grounding pins are excluded from operation, which leads to an increase in the resistance of the grounding loop.
The electrical characteristics of the three-dimensional structure will be practically unaffected. However, with high-quality jumpers, the likelihood of such an accident is low, so when choosing the type of grounding, it makes sense to be guided only by the feasibility and ease of manufacturing a particular structure, depending on specific conditions.
Material options
You should not save on materials - after all, they the right choice Your safety depends. A corner of 40x40 and above is ideal for pins.. It is strong enough, which is important when driving, and has a large surface area, ensuring minimal contact resistance. If you don’t have a corner at your disposal, then a thick-walled one will do. water pipe or a pin with a diameter of at least 15-20 mm.
There is an opinion that reinforcement cannot be used as grounding pins - it allegedly rusts quickly. This statement is absolutely groundless - the corrosion resistance of the reinforcement is no worse than the resistance of the same angle or pipe, and driving in the reinforcement is much easier than, say, a soft rod. So if you have fittings with a diameter of 16 mm and above at your disposal, then you can safely use it. The length of the pins must be at least 2 m, and their number depends on the type of grounding you choose, but not less than three pieces.
An iron strip (tire) with a width of 15 mm and a thickness of 5 mm is ideal as jumpers. This cross-section was chosen solely for reasons of durability, since even an eight-millimeter wire rod will withstand the emergency short circuit current. It just rots faster and is more difficult to cook. An ordinary corner or reinforcement of the appropriate cross-section will also work for jumpers, but this will naturally cost more. In any case, all materials should not have a dielectric coating - paint, mastic, etc.
Manufacturing process
If you picked necessary materials, you have a shovel at your disposal, welding machine, a sledgehammer and a hacksaw for metal, then you can start working. The entire process of manufacturing a circuit can be reduced to the following basic operations:
- Marking.
- Digging a trench.
- Driving in grounding pins.
- Connecting the pins to each other with jumpers and bringing the grounding bus to the surface.
- Backfilling the trench.
- Checking the quality of grounding.
Regardless of the circuit design you choose, you must use a minimum of 3 pins located from each other at a distance of at least 1.5-2 m. If your personal plot- a continuous lawn, then it is most convenient to use a linear diagram, digging a contour along the wall of a building or garden path.
Having marked the place for the pins, you can proceed to digging a shallow (20-30 cm) trench connecting the marking places. There is no point in digging deeper - the bus laid in the trench will act as jumpers, not grounding. Contrary to the opinion of “experts,” it rusts absolutely the same at any depth. The main purpose of the trench is to hide the tire so that people do not trip over it.
Because there are many near the house free space, the “triangle” scheme was chosen
Now the most important and difficult operation is driving in the grounding pins. To do this, their ends need to be cut at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. You can drive it in with a regular sledgehammer, but some people use a regular hammer drill for this purpose.
Grounding pins can be driven in with a sledgehammer or hammer drill
The pins are hammered in over their entire length, only the ends 10-20 cm long remain on the surface. Jumpers will be welded to them. After all the pins are driven in, they need to be connected to each other with a bus. To do this, it is better to use welding - it is much more durable and reliable than a bolted connection.
A welded connection (left) is less aesthetically pleasing, but much more reliable than a bolted one
Immediately weld the outlet bus to the almost finished structure - the house circuit will be connected to it.
Outlet bus and option for connecting a house circuit to it
All that remains is to paint over the welding areas with any paint or mastic, wait for it to dry and fill the trench. If possible, it is advisable to do this with sand for better drainage - and the tire will last longer, and the ground around the pins will be wetter. If sand is unacceptable for technical or aesthetic reasons, then you can use earth - no problem. Go to sleep, plant some grass. Question. You have decided how to make grounding in a private house, but the circuit needs to be checked.
Now you need to make sure that the circuit is reliably connected to the ground electrically and can serve as an emergency grounding. To check, you can call power engineers with special equipment for a fee, but it is quite possible to conduct high-quality tests on your own.
To do this, you will need any powerful electrical appliance with a power of about 1 kW. An electric stove, iron, heater, etc. will do. You also need a voltage indicator (screwdriver-indicator), a piece of wire and an AC voltmeter.
Using a pointer, find a phase in the socket and measure the voltage between it and your ground. Record the device readings. Now connect the device between the phase and the circuit. He should earn quite well. Repeat the measurement and compare with the readings obtained without load. If the voltage under load drops by no more than 10-15 V, then the ground loop can be considered working.
Grounding test diagram (a light bulb is shown as a load)
If the voltage drop is greater, repeat the measurement operation, but now instead of the circuit, use the standard zero in the socket. It also drops a lot - your electrical wiring cannot cope even with a relatively small load and the problem is not grounding. If there is no big drop, you will have to add a few more ground pins to your loop and repeat the tests.
A modern private house is equipped with a large number of household appliances electrical appliances. To connect them to the power supply, it is necessary to ground them for safety reasons. From this article you can learn how to properly make a ground loop in a private house with your own hands.
What is grounding?
This is the name for a specially made connection to the ground of electrical equipment elements. Its main purpose is guaranteed protection against the effects of electric current when a household appliance fails.
Grounding kit
On sale you can find special grounding kits, the price of which is about 4,600 rubles. You can also purchase separate components for installation, they are inexpensive. For example, a steel rod (electrode) 1.5 m long will cost 500 rubles, a coupling - 200 rubles, a connecting bus - 850 rubles. Each grounding kit has corresponding installation instructions, which take into account the specifics of all products.
However, most of the required elements can be made independently. In addition, the choice of materials is quite wide. You just need to know the requirements that apply to them.
Vertical ground electrode
- Corner 50x50x5 mm.
- A pipeline with a diameter of at least 32 mm, and the wall thickness must be 3.5 mm or higher.
These electrodes can be used with electricity consumption volumes of no more than 15 kW.
Horizontal ground electrode
- Steel wire with a cross-section of at least 10 mm 2.
- Strip mm.
Conductors
You can use a metal strip or copper wire as conductors. For example, a SIP wire with cores of the appropriate cross-section and without insulation. When laying in a trench - at least 25 mm 2, when laying openly - at least 16 mm 2.
Features of the scheme
Marking and choosing a location
Installation of the ground loop should be carried out closer to the house, taking into account the distances indicated above. The length of the connecting “line” in this case will be minimal, which will reduce material consumption. And most importantly, in the future it will not interfere with the conduct economic activity- gasket engineering communications, laying out flower beds.
Calculation
It is beyond the power of a person who does not have deep knowledge to make an accurate calculation. Since for the calculation it is used complex shape, which contains many coefficients characterizing soil properties, soil moisture, and climatic conditions zones. These coefficients can only be obtained through complex additional analyzes and calculations, which requires certain qualifications and, accordingly, will not be cheap.
For this reason, we will consider how to make a ground loop in a private house with our own hands more in a simple way. Taking into account the fact that household equipment operates within a certain range of circuit resistance in which it will function normally.
Installation
Making a grounding loop in a private house with your own hands is not so easy. This process is quite labor-intensive and includes the following steps:
How to bring it into the house?
The ground loop is connected to the metal strip that was used to connect the electrodes as follows:
Checking the ground loop
For an accurate contour, special equipment will be required. If it is not available, you can use the folk way, which will determine the performance of the resulting circuit.
It is necessary to take a powerful consumer (from 2 kW) and connect it in this way: to the phase in the apartment - one end of the supply wire, to the ground - the other, and the device should work. Then you should measure the voltage in this network with the equipment turned off and on. A slight voltage difference (5-10V) indicates that you have made the correct ground loop, which is completely ready for operation.
If the test shows a significant voltage difference, then you will need to add more electrodes. From the top of the triangle, another trench 2.5 m long is dug in any direction and at its end an additional corner is driven into the ground, which is connected to the strip, and the test is carried out again. If everything is normal, then the ground loop (diagram above) can be considered ready.
Prohibited
- Connect conductors to metal pipelines of any utilities.
- Coat the elements of the circuit with paints and varnishes.
- Use the “neutral” wire to connect the ground.
- Place horizontal grounding conductors and connectors at the top (ground laying is used in rare cases).
1. Before starting work, it is recommended to draw up a temporary circuit diagram, which it is advisable to save. After all, over time, a lot is forgotten, and in order not to later guess where the connector goes and in what place the electrodes are laid, you will always have a circuit diagram at hand.
2. Electrodes can be placed not only at the vertices of the triangle. They can be placed in an arc, on a line. It is important that the total resistance of the grounding system does not exceed 3 Ohms (voltage circuit up to 500 V) and 4 Ohms (up to 1 kW). If necessary, this indicator is reduced by installing 1-2 more rods.
3. If it is not possible to take measurements yourself, then for absolute confidence in the quality of installation of the circuit, it is advisable to invite a specialist. This service on average it will cost 400-500 rubles.
Very often, energy workers literally force this service on, convincing that this type Only licensed organizations have the right to carry out work. However, in none regulatory documentation there is no indication of a ban on self-installation contour.
Naturally, installation can be ordered from power engineers, accepted finished work and pay for it. But if you are sure of own strength, why not install the ground loop yourself.
Do-it-yourself grounding in a private home will not only help you avoid danger, but will also save your budget. After all, electric current can cause irreparable damage to human health and life. At emergency situation even a touch of the ordinary washing machine or microwave oven can lead to tragic consequences. If the zero phase is broken, then the housing of the electrical equipment becomes dangerous, while the ground loop acts as a phase through which the electric current goes into the ground.
Grounding installation is necessary measure for any building, be it a private building, apartment building or cottage. To avoid short circuits and to safe operation For any electrical appliances, grounding is simply necessary. How to make grounding? Voltage 220 volts and 380 volts require a different approach and perform different actions, in fact they are two different networks. At a voltage of 220 V, it is possible to carry out standard grounding without constructing a circuit, but for the second option (380 V) a grounding circuit is required.
In any case, if you are installing new wiring or trying to revive the old one, grounding must be installed.
Installation of the circuit, photo:
Grounding loop - requirements for conductors
Let's figure out what a grounding loop is: essentially, these are buried vertical grounding conductors connected to each other by horizontal ones. This design is accompanied by a grounding conductor, the main function of which is to connect the circuit and the electrical panel. According to the rules for electrical installations (edition No. 7), it is recommended to use a steel angle (50×50×5 mm - ideal) for vertical conductors, and a metal strip (with rectangular cross-section, size 40×4 mm). The grounding conductor must be made of a round steel rod with a cross-section of 8 or 10 mm². The exact parameters of the grounding elements are described in more detail by the rules for electrical installations (PUE) - section 1.7
When describing metal elements, the thought of using reinforcement suggests itself - this is absolutely forbidden! Reinforcing bars have a hardened surface layer - this factor disrupts the uniform passage of electric current across the cross section. This material is also susceptible to oxidative and corrosive processes.
Materials for horizontal and vertical elements, photo: 
How to make grounding - circuit installation
First we make a contour: for this, next to the house (without exceeding the distance of 1 m from the foundation) we mark on the ground isosceles triangle. Then, along the borders of the resulting triangle, we dig a trench; a depth of 1 m will be sufficient. The width of the trench should be such that it is convenient for you to carry out welding work(0.5-0.8 m). Initially, horizontal grounding conductors are placed along the perimeter of the triangle, after which vertical grounding conductors are driven in at the corners - they should be buried to a considerable depth - 2 or 3 meters. This is easy to do with a sledgehammer; for the convenience of the process, it is better to sharpen the angle itself at the end.
Now we install the ground loop. The requirements are as follows: the edges of the vertical grounding conductors must protrude 25 cm from the burial site. To close the circuit, we weld the horizontal grounding conductors to the vertical ones. The parts must be connected exclusively using a welding machine and nothing else. After this we connect the circuit to electrical panel: we take a steel wire (section 10 mm), weld it to the circuit, lay it in the trench towards the shield, weld an M6 (or M8) bolt to the end of the wire - it is necessary to secure the wire. If you do not have a steel wire, then a steel strip (the same as that used to make horizontal ground electrodes) can be used as a grounding element.
Grounding circuit, photo: 
According to practical experience, a steel strip is more suitable for grounding than wire, but it is quite difficult to bend it in the required places in the trench. Don’t be too lazy to treat the welding areas with special anti-corrosion agents, the main thing is to never use this product instead regular paint! Metal parts must be in extremely close contact with the ground, and a layer of paint prevents contact and creates resistance. After all the manipulations have been completed, fill the trenches with earth, and the process of arranging the circuit can be considered complete. All the above steps also apply when installing lightning protection - the process is the same.
Welding contour parts, photo: 
Separately, it is worth mentioning ready-made prefabricated grounding kits (for example, ZANDZ, KZTs-5, KZM-3, KZM-10, KZM-20), which are sold in electrical equipment departments. This grounding kit already has all the necessary parts for setting up the system: copper-plated pins, a guide head, a tip, clamps, brass couplings for connection, as well as a special anti-corrosion agent. It's pretty convenient solution, since when you purchase this kit you will receive everything necessary elements for high-quality grounding.
Connecting the electrical panel is the final stage of grounding
This process should be carried out by a qualified specialist or, at least, a person who has previously repeatedly dealt with similar work. Beginners who are familiar with grounding installation from hearsay or who have scoured the Internet about the stages of the process - even if they have thoroughly studied the theoretical part - cannot perform these steps. This matter must be taken extremely seriously, because any wrong step poses a threat to your life and health.
Near the place where the circuit leaves the trench, it is necessary to install on the wall of the house junction box. Inside this box, a tire is mounted with two fastenings for bolts. The ground loop strip is connected to one fastening, a copper cable must be connected to the other, its cross-section must be greater than 10 mm². It is important that the cross-section of this cable is not smaller than the cross-section of the input wire. Instead of bolting, you can use a welder to join these parts together. After this, the copper cable must be laid to the electrical distribution panel, then connected to the grounding bus. All grounding wires will depart from this bus. The main condition of this process is the requirement for the integrity of the grounding cable at all stages of installation - it must be solid and have no breaks. Checking the grounding and measuring its resistance is carried out at last stage the whole process.
Direction of the lane towards the house, photo: 
In private homes there may be different-phase electrical networks, so the grounding of 220V and 380V must be separated. However, it should be taken into account that they can be directed to the same circuit. Sometimes on the relevant forums you can see comments about the fact that for a 220V network it is not necessary to equip a grounding loop, you can only make a grounding. In fact, this is so, but still the presence of a circuit will not be superfluous for a 220V power supply.
If you carry out 380 V grounding yourself, then the presence of a circuit is prerequisite. 380V power transmission is very demanding on the quality of the ground loop.
How to check grounding
The inspection is carried out after all installation work has been completed. There are special devices for this (for example, Extex GRT300, TH200, EP183M), the process of checking grounding is the same for them. First you need to deepen two pins (the depth should be at least 50 cm) and clean the area on the tire. Then, according to the instructions supplied with the device, the wires of the corresponding color must be connected to the ground bus and to the pins. Measurements are carried out as indicated in the device instructions. According to the PUE, the resistance indicator for a 220V power supply network should not exceed four ohms. Before burying the pins, make sure that there are no underground utilities in this place.
The phase in the socket can be checked using a special tester; it should be in only one of the holes in the socket. When checking the grounding contact, the tester indicator light should not light up; if it lights up, it means you need to check the correct connection or identify possible damage. When you open the socket (of course, the electricity must be turned off), you should find three wires connected, if there are two, and there is a jumper between the terminals (zero-grounding) - this is an indicator that grounding has been done, but not grounding. If everything is done correctly, all three wires are in their place, then the socket is closed, the electricity is turned on, using a multimeter, the voltage is checked phase-zero, phase-ground, zero-ground. If there is no voltage at phase-zero, this may indicate a break neutral wire, if there is no voltage from phase to ground, this means that there is no grounding. If there is voltage at the phase-zero and phase-to-ground ratios, but there is none at zero-to-ground, then, most likely, this indicates a grounding.
If you don't have the appropriate measuring instruments, but you need to check the grounding; you can use the old proven method - a light bulb with a socket and two wires. The ends of the wires must be cleaned and inserted into the socket, and the light should be on. Next, you should remove one of the wires and touch it to the grounding antenna; if during these actions the light does not light up, then check the other wire in the same way. If a residual current device (RCD) is triggered, this indicates the presence of grounding. If there is no protection, but there is a ground-phase connection, the light bulb will also light, but its glow will be much brighter than with a zero-phase connection.
Do-it-yourself protective grounding will protect you from possible electric shock, and your household appliances from breakdown. Today we can no longer imagine our lives without a variety of electrical appliances that make our life easier. Electricity helps us tremendously, but it also brings mortal danger, if you don’t know how to handle it correctly. Organizing proper grounding is the most important stage when installing wiring in any home. Qualified electricians know how to properly ground a private house, but if you take on this task yourself, it will be better if an experienced person is next to you.
