Why is triangle earthing obsolete?

03.11.16

A triangular ground loop is considered traditional for small facilities such as a private house, dacha or office building. At the same time, there is not a single regulatory document that requires the installation of such earthing. Nevertheless, over many years a certain procedure formed for installing an earthing device. What was so attractive about triangle grounding systems? And why does it make sense to abandon the heritage of the past generation? Let's try to work it out.

The birth of traditional earthing

The tradition of installing earthing in the form of a triangle did not come about because of a particular love for it – it was a forced decision. Requirements for earthing in Russia have always been regulated by The Rules of Electrical Installations, the first edition of which was published as far back as 1949! Therefore, there has been a need for earthing objects since at least that time. The most popular conductive metal at that time and in the following decades was angle-bar black steel. Without the use of special tools, it can be sunken to no more than the depth at which the ground freezes, so it is problematic to drive in an angle-bar longer than 2-2.5 m. Therefore, in order to achieve the desired resistance value, the area from which current flows was increased with additional ground wires. The shape of the contour can be square, rectangular, or located along the perimeter of the house, but any owner choosing between these options would go for the simplest. That is how the tradition to make the earthing loop a triangle was born.

Land triangulation.jpg

Is the triangle earthing method good enough?

While formerly the electrical equipment in a private house or dacha was comprised of only a television set and refrigerator, the issue of property protection is now much more acute. The modern house is smart, automated and filled with technical devices. The level of comfort is directly dependent on electrical safety, and therefore it makes sense to approach the matter of earthing responsibly. Previously, the earthing market could not offer another solution, but now there is a wide choice. Manufacturers of modern earthing have taken into account all the shortcomings of black steel and changed not only the material of the earthing wire, but also the approach to installation. The installation of a black steel earthing required the excavation of trenches, hammering in the earthing switches and welding the angle-bars, but now a modern installation looks like a single depth electrode.

Advantages of deep earthing

Above all, modern earthing is about:

Quick installation. The installation of classic "Earthing in a private house ZANDZ ZZ-6" set takes 30 minutes on average!
Stable earthing resistance. The main length of the electrode is below the frost level, so the resistance of the soil does not rise significantly in winter and remains within the limits.
Long service life The excellent corrosion resistance of some materials makes it possible to provide a service life of up to 100 years.

Obviously, some traditions should be broken. Why use an outdated approach, if the new one will make it possible to save time, work and money while lasting for another century? Have you got any questions on earthing? Contact the Technical Center for a consultation!

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