Do you have to call to locate utilities when pounding a ground rod?

Answer 1

Definitely!!! Call for a dig test! It is a free service (in most communities) they would rather come out and check and mark the area rather than have the entire area be without elec. or phone or whatever. It will be safer for you to know before you dig.

Answer 2

It depends on where you are. In washington state or montana, you have to call 48 hours in advance to the call before you dig service. www.callbeforeyoudig.org. It is a free service and it gives the phone number there as well as some other national numbers for other states. If you are going to dig more than 12 inches down, I would suggest having the utilities located, only because yes there are requirements on how far down things are buried, think of when your house was built? 50s or 60s? Land can change and the undergound utilities can end up closer to the surface than you thought. Some utilities can charge you double the damages as a penalty. Plus you wouldnt want to put yourself or your neighbors out of power, gas, water, sewer, etc. Call before you dig!

Answer 3

A rod driven into an underground gas line is the cause and shows the importance of locating utilities ahead of time

Investigators have determined that a natural gas explosion Monday afternoon outside Tigard was caused by somone driving a ground rod into an existing natural gas line.

Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue initially responded to the fire that destroyed a house at 16229 S.W. Stahl Drive outside Tigard, slightly damaged another one and injured two people.

Homeowners Michael and Kim White were having remodeling work done on their two-story home when contractors reported a natural gas smell.

Kim White, 42, was initially alone inside the home, but after her 8-year-old daughter Madeleine arrived home from school, she noticed the rotten egg smell growing worse.

She had already called Northwest Natural for the contractors and called a second time before evacuating.

A few minutes later, gas company workers arrived, and two of them began looking next to the garage for the leak. A crew leader was walking toward the home to meet White when the blast occurred, according to Storm Smith, TVF&R community liaison.

“The explosion knocked the garage door 20 feet into the driveway atop a Ford SUV and shoved outward a wall on the west side of the garage,” he said. “The SUV also sustained heavy fire damage.”

The two Northwest Natural employees closest to the house were injured and were treated at the scene by TVF&R firefighter/paramedics before being transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital by Metro West Ambulance. All others escaped injury.

On Tuesday, J.R. Gonzales, head of the Oregon Public Utility Commission’s safety staff division, confirmed the cause of the fire.

“This unfortunate incident in Tigard exemplifies the importance of the Call Before You Dig Law,” he said. “This incident highlights how important it is for everyone, including homeowners, to make a phone call before digging.”

According to Gonzales, most people never consider the small jobs they are doing around their homes, including planting bushes and trees, installing sprinkler systems or even placing a real estate sign or mailbox, as excavating.

Firefighters from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the scene at 3:51 p.m. With a visual sighting of 40-foot flames and a report that a neighbor’s home had ignited from the heat, fire officers requested a second alarm to bring additional resources.

Altogether, 40 firefighters from TVF&R and the Lake Oswego Fire Department battled the blaze.

According to Smith, the damage estimate will likely top $350,000.

To call the Oregon Utility Notification Center, dial 1-800-332-2344.

The center is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days a week. The service of marking underground utilities is free

Answer 4

Depends upon how long the ground rod is...two feet for like a personal generator, don't worry. A real ground rod for some sort of heavy/industrial generator or house, i.e. one that is about 10 feet long, yeah better check with phone, power, and water people.

Answer 5

Depends on how much you value your safety. I would - Worked for a co where someone was electricuted just pounding a pipe 4' into the ground. Besides it is the law in most states. If you damage Fiber Optic Lines and Cable it can run you in the thousands in damages and fines

Answer 6

absolutely. My dad drove a stake (6 ft) into the ground and about 2 ft down hit a power main and put out the power in a 12 block area for 2 days. Needless to say he had to pay the electric company and had to deal with pissed off neighbors. Thankfully he had on rubber gloves and boots so he didn't get injured.

Answer 7

It is always best to call Miss Utility. It is a free service in most places. You will prevent damage to other utility lines which can be very costly and prevent injury. If an electric service line is down there, you will be preventing your own death.

Answer 8

If you have buried lines for telephone, electrical, gas etc. then call the local utilities. It will be far cheaper to pay any location fees they might charge, than it will to have them dig up & repair a damaged line.

Answer 9

Definitely call, many areas have quite specific regulations on haw a service is grounded , type of rod etc.

Answer 10

Make the call, it's a free service provided by the utilities....