Grounding a house electrical system. One of the things i am interested in when inspecting the electrical system of a home is documenting what methods of grounding have been employed. This grounding system provides a path of least resistance for electricity to follow back to ground should a break in the wiring system allow electricity to leak out of the preferred system of black and white circuit wires. While this method of grounding has been known since the 40s its employment as the primary means of grounding residential electrical systems has only recently been required in most jurisdictions. It allows your whole house surge protector gfci outlets appliances and more to operate safely.
This earth ground is a very important part of your electrical system to ensure electrical safety. According to the national electrical code or nec a ground system should have a grounding resistance of 25 ohms or less. For the majority of your electrical devices and appliances this is accomplished with the round third prong that your electrical cords often have installed. Achieving this may require more than one ground rod.
For your home to be properly grounded there must be a physical connection between the ground and your homes electrical components.