# Be careful out there!!!



## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

For those of you with new home builds, do not forget to walk your yard Everytime before your mow. Never know what you are going to find even if you have not run into anything in a long time.

I got lucky today when I got hung up on something. Stopped my mower right away and checked it. No damage luckly but ended up digging up a rod that was at least 8 feet long buried vertically in the yard. It was sticking up about .5 inches above the ground.

Here is a pick of what I dug up



Luckly I was able to pull it out of the ground and was surprised when it kept on coming.

Be careful and don't get lazy with your pre check walks before mowing!


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## Rivah (Jun 5, 2018)

I hope that's not the ground rod for your electric service panel


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

Rivah said:


> I hope that's not the ground rod for your electric service panel


I don't think so. It was in the middle of my backyard.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Sloppy contractors. Piece of Rebar they did not pick up. They like to bury trash. Ground rods are totally smooth, often made of Copper or else Copper plated and not that long.


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

Greendoc said:


> Sloppy contractors. Piece of Rebar they did not pick up. They like to bury trash. Ground rods are totally smooth, often made of Copper or else Copper plated and not that long.


It is not rebar. It is smooth and looks to be copper plated. Nothing was connected to it though.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Old Ground Rod. There is normally a thick copper wire clamped to the top of the rod. It normally does not need to be that long though. In my state 36" is enough. That thing looks taller than me.


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## ABC123 (Jul 14, 2017)

Coulda been for a temporary generator ground or fuel tank/propane ground during construction.


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

Ok that's making me feel better now. I was thinking I just cost myself a bunch of money by pulling it out of the ground.


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## Movingshrub (Jun 12, 2017)

Greendoc said:


> Old Ground Rod. There is normally a thick copper wire clamped to the top of the rod. It normally does not need to be that long though. In my state 36" is enough. That thing looks taller than me.


Not the case in every state. NEC requires them to be at least 8' I think.


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

Either way I should be safe right because there was nothing connected to it at all?


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Salty soil is very conductive. I have not seen an 8' ground rod in my state yet.


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## Ral1121 (Mar 19, 2018)

From what I found,. San Antonio has a requirement of at least 8 feet long for ground rods. Supposedly they are usually buried within a few feet of the electrical box. This one was at least 50 ft from my electrical box.


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## fp_911 (Apr 10, 2017)

I should have had a yard sale with all the junk I pulled out of under my sod.

I think that's why builders use Bermuda, because it will grow on the sidewalk if you let it. Keeps them from having to clean up their work area.


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