With items gotten from @Topsy23 and his guidance I was able to do my first earthing installation. Click arrow for DIY motivation. I needed an effective earthing system. I’m too scared to leave this for craftsmen to do in my absence because: most sensitive electronics gets destroyed from electrostatic charges due to improper earthing. leakage in electricity can cause shock or fire if the earthing is not effective to operate the breaker (ELCB or RCD). voltage transient due to lightening and high current device switching can destroy equipment too if there’s no path to bypass to earth. In conjunction with SPD this will be eliminated. Pictures from the installation follows.

DIY installation of earthing

mank1234

With items gotten from @Topsy23 and his guidance I was able to do my first earthing installation. Click arrow for DIY motivation.

I needed an effective earthing system. I’m too scared to leave this for craftsmen to do in my absence because:

most sensitive electronics gets destroyed from electrostatic charges due to improper earthing.
leakage in electricity can cause shock or fire if the earthing is not effective to operate the breaker (ELCB or RCD).
voltage transient due to lightening and high current device switching can destroy equipment too if there’s no path to bypass to earth. In conjunction with SPD this will be eliminated.

Pictures from the installation follows.

mank1234

The pit was dug 1.2m x 1. 2m x 1.5m (lbh)
Earthing rod driven down and wire used to link all rods together with the mat

mank1234

Pipe placed in readiness for soaking the soil.
Charcoal was added to improve conductivity.

mank1234

Salt poured.
Earthing charcoal & calt are used in earthing. The layer of charcoal and salt helps to maintain low resistance for earth fault currents. Because of ionic behavior of salt and charcoal they will maintain moisture.

In addition, a vertical pipe was placed before covering the pit. This is for water to enter the pit as conductivity is greatly improved in moist environment. Salt too can be added through the pipe in future if it is suspected that the one placed has leached away.

mank1234

Installation of residual current device (RCD) and surge protective device (SPD) will be shown in due course.
RCD to detect leakage and prevent shock.
SPD to protect sensitive equipment against lightening and voltage transients.

mank1234

mank1234
On the left is the residual current device RCD: the purpose is to detect leakage to ground and disconnect the house thus preventing electric shock. If wire is accidentally touch, the device will trip rather than the person receiving fatal shock.

The yellow replaceable cartridge is the surge protective device SPD: it ensures that appliances in the house does not see voltage spike in excess 385V due to ON/OFF of high surge current devices like compressor, pump etc. It also ensure that lightening surge doesn’t go beyond 1.5kV. These two occurrences, which happens in nanoseconds to microseconds accounts for majority of failure of household appliances, especially electronics. As can be seen, the device has taken many hit from such surges in its 3 months of operation and is deteriorating. When the window completely changes to red (from green), it means it needs replacement.

Judy1

I was told that I need to do this at the four corners of my building and link all of them together. Is that right? How much did it cost to do this?

mank1234

Judy1 I think it depends on the resistivity of the soil. Is your area prone to lightening?

Topsy23

Weldone boss