I was weeding the side garden when I struck something metallic. Thought it was an old sprinkler or something interesting. It turned out to be a copper ground wire for electrical service attached to a rod buried deep beneath the earth.

Flashback again to my dad talking about grounding in the olden days — “It’s like your seatbelt.” I get it now.

What Is This Thing?

The one riveted into a long metal rod with a fat, braided cable? It’s you grounding your electrical system.’ It links your home’s main panel to a metal rod that is buried some 8 feet deep. Its role is to route excessive electricity to the ground.

Power surge? Lightning strike? Faulty appliance? (All of that machinery is grounded, and the ground wire is what takes the hit and makes sure everything else stays safe.) It is not flashy, but it is indispensable. Continues…