What ground resistance value is considered a good ground resistance value?

The ground resistance of a grounding system primarily depends on four variables. These factors include: Length/depth of the ground electrode, the diameter of the ground electrode, the number of ground electrodes in system and the design of system.

While talking about ground, one of the most important question that arises in mind is What ground resistance value is considered a good ground resistance value? As a rule of thumb, the resistance should be as low as possible.

CaseResistance
The ideal caseZero ohms (0 Ω)
NFPA and IEEE Recommendation5.0 ohms or less
NEC*Less than 25 ohms
Telecommunications industry5.0 ohms or less

*According to the NEC, make sure that system impedance to ground is less than 25 ohms specified in NEC 250.56. In facilities with sensitive equipment it should be 5.0 ohms or less.

References/Further Reading:

  1. Fluke article on Why Ground, Why Test?
  2. Electrical Safety Handbook

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