I have the 10 or 12 volumes of the Fox Fire books. They tell you anything you need to know from the old days. FoxFire is based on Hwy. 441 in North Georgia just before coming into Dillard. Great books.
The foxfire books can be downloaded online. A school teacher could not get his class motovated at all. So they got the kids interested in making a magazine. Its ok to ground stuff. I have grounded stuff outside of here with the thick rods and cooper too. Happy New Years too. Paul in Ohio.
I totally agree with you Richard about grounding all your equipment, better safe than sorry. Read some books like that many years ago very similar like. Homesteading Guide Book and some fun things, like making a wagon wheel which I have always wanted to do. Been super busy, trying to get caught up on my SMO vids❤ Hope you guys had a great Christmas and Have a Happy Healthy New Year.
I also seen people that have out on the Poles, where their solar panels are a disconnect box with a spark arrest for a lightning spark arrester. On that juice box, before it comes into the building, you may lose a little bit of electricity for the spark arrester to be working. But it saves your whole system too. With the ground that it has to have for that. Yes, you need a ground on your system
Great update Richard, ungrounded electricity, regardless of current type, is a bad idea. Thinking it's about time to put another sow in that pen and get her ready for the smokehouse this fall. Take care and have a wonderful 2025.
For Lightning arrest, definitely ground the panel area since lines are already in place and its only a matter of ground round connections at each to do it.
Excellent books I have been getting them since they were 1st issued in the 70's there is about 13-14 issues. I passed them down to my son. they are very collectable and rather pricey
Brother you're doing fine on your grounding. Article 250 in the National electrical code states that you should ground (which is a case) ground on all electrical equipment whether it be AC or DC. I started my career in electrical over 30 years ago in the State of Florida where lightning protection is essential. Also,Transient voltage surge suppressors are an important part of any system that employes any type of control circuitry. Keep up the good work!!! p.s., if i were building out that board in the juice shack, i would add a few stand alone breakers in your circuit path between your battery rack and your inverter/charge controler. You should have means of disconnect within line of sight for all control devices in order to isolate and protect devices in the circuit path.
Happy New Year to you and your crew, hope they are all well too. Got to bring our son home from Houston Christmas Day 2024 so we were blessed . May 2025 bring happiness to everyone in your family and stay healthy wealthy and wise and your gardens and animal provide you food. Love your channel and get so much pleasure from watching it . Looking for Jennifer and family moving in next doors. Fred and family.
I think that's got electric paddle mill wheel that you could put on the creek. And as the water runs down the creek, it will power a generator way which will add power to your house. Uh, to your juice shack, think about it.Free generated power
Richard, have you ever seen Ball Lightning? When I was a young girl, I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink. There was a storm outside, all of a sudden a Blue Ball came out of the faucet, it dropped down to the floor, continued to travel across the floor, went through a window and across the street where it hit and snapped a telephone pole. The Blue Ball simmered with light from within, it was beautiful. I’ll never forget it.
Their are about 15 of the Fox Fire books written by High School students in Rabun?Gap North Carolina - well worth having in your library. Thanks for the video, The best blessings to you and your family - Danny
One thing, if it hits your shoulder panels, it's going to the nearest ground first, which you got it 1 right there next to your solar panels. If it hits the juice shack, it's not going to hit the juice shack because there's a ground on the outside which it's going. To go to the ground, I doubt if it's going to hit the juice shack, there's no no. Poles or anything on top of the juice shack so very seldom. It hits a building unless there's metal on top of it.Our metal walls or metal roof or something like that
The problem with grounding panels is the fact of magnetics and power…just like opposites attract magnetically …power opposites also attract…a ground mount is so close to the ground it shouldn’t matter much but a roof mount should only be grounded if someone is actively working on it…( switched )…the static the panels produce will actually repel lightning but they are always grounded they will attract
International and US electrical codes require equipment grounds for the DC side of solar systems. I.e. metal mounting racks, panel frames and metal equipment cases are to be grounded to prevent shocks and equipment damage. This is not a connection to the negative electrical wire, but to a grounding rod. On the AC side in addition to case grounds, the neutral side of your house electrical system needs to be attached to ground at one place only, usually the main circuit breaker panel or possibly the inverter. This neutral "bonding" in one place only, is necessary for your breakers to work correctly. And no the ground for your transformer case doesn't provide bonding. After all there is no neutral in the national grid. The neutral comes from the center tapped transformer that provides power to your house.
That is how it’s wired. Everything grounded, main is in hut by inverter, with ground and neutral common, and cabin is subbed off with ground and neutral separate
You have to ground a solar system. It is not a matter of whether it is DC or otherwise. There is a host of equipment that constitutes a matrix of distribution equipment and otherwise. Grounding is how you stabilize voltage levels, ensure safety, at least from ground loops and protect from surges and lightning.
Thanks for the tip, I appreciate the insight. I agree and that’s why I did it. It didn’t appear to have any connection point in the book for external ground. There was a bar to tie to for lines coming in as well as neutrals. So I added it to the ground bar as well. It didn’t appear to have any path to ground unless I did it.
Enjoy your show and what you talk about, but that yellow gas line behind you when you are setting at the stove is hard to look at. I know it just me probably being .... whatever. It could surely look a lot nicer. 🤙🫶
I have the 10 or 12 volumes of the Fox Fire books. They tell you anything you need to know from the old days. FoxFire is based on Hwy. 441 in North Georgia just before coming into Dillard. Great books.
The early editions of the Foxfire books were required reading amongst us kids growing up in NE Tennessee in the early 70's. 😃
They are really nice and glad to have them
The foxfire books can be downloaded online. A school teacher could not get his class motovated at all. So they got the kids interested in making a magazine. Its ok to ground stuff. I have grounded stuff outside of here with the thick rods and cooper too. Happy New Years too. Paul in Ohio.
I totally agree with you Richard about grounding all your equipment, better safe than sorry. Read some books like that many years ago very similar like. Homesteading Guide Book and some fun things, like making a wagon wheel which I have always wanted to do. Been super busy, trying to get caught up on my SMO vids❤
Hope you guys had a great Christmas and Have a Happy Healthy New Year.
My mom volunteered for years in Appalachia- I think I have 9 FoxFire books that she had purchased
You have a little treasure. They are really nice and informative on so much.
Extra grounding is not going hurt a thing it gives you piece of mind Richard I agree
I also seen people that have out on the Poles, where their solar panels are a disconnect box with a spark arrest for a lightning spark arrester. On that juice box, before it comes into the building, you may lose a little bit of electricity for the spark arrester to be working. But it saves your whole system too. With the ground that it has to have for that. Yes, you need a ground on your system
We grounded everything. Yes, another set up like that is about $250. The arrester is $100. I would need two sets.
Looks likem they would be fun books to page through. Have a good weekend!
Look them up online at Amazon. They are really nice
Great update Richard, ungrounded electricity, regardless of current type, is a bad idea. Thinking it's about time to put another sow in that pen and get her ready for the smokehouse this fall. Take care and have a wonderful 2025.
I agree, grounding is important.
For Lightning arrest, definitely ground the panel area since lines are already in place and its only a matter of ground round connections at each to do it.
Your right. I grounded everything
You've done it the right way ...better be grounded than not !
Happy New Year from the Western side of PA.
Happy New Year to you too!
They are several foxfire books. They were produced in Clayton Georgia.
They are really nice. Glad to have them
I think you done the right thing by grounding your solar system. Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed watching.
Thanks for watching!
Excellent books I have been getting them since they were 1st issued in the 70's there is about 13-14 issues. I passed them down to my son. they are very collectable and rather pricey
I really like them. They are really nice
🤠 it's all coming together nicely Richard!
Thanks
Brother you're doing fine on your grounding. Article 250 in the National electrical code states that you should ground (which is a case) ground on all electrical equipment whether it be AC or DC. I started my career in electrical over 30 years ago in the State of Florida where lightning protection is essential. Also,Transient voltage surge suppressors are an important part of any system that employes any type of control circuitry. Keep up the good work!!!
p.s., if i were building out that board in the juice shack, i would add a few stand alone breakers in your circuit path between your battery rack and your inverter/charge controler. You should have means of disconnect within line of sight for all control devices in order to isolate and protect devices in the circuit path.
They are 9 books of that series. they are soft back and hard back copies. I have all nine copies and enjoyed all of them.
They are really nice
Grounding is especially important for off-grid solar systems to protect equipment from electrical surges and maximize system performance.
You're right! It's important to ensure the system is properly grounded. That’s why it made sense to do it.
Happy New Year to you and your crew, hope they are all well too. Got to bring our son home from Houston Christmas Day 2024 so we were blessed .
May 2025 bring happiness to everyone in your family and stay healthy wealthy and wise and your gardens and animal provide you food. Love your channel and get so much pleasure from watching it . Looking for Jennifer and family moving in next doors. Fred and family.
Happy New Year to you and your family Fred. Glad you had time with family. We hope the best for all in the new year.
I think that's got electric paddle mill wheel that you could put on the creek. And as the water runs down the creek, it will power a generator way which will add power to your house. Uh, to your juice shack, think about it.Free generated power
You've done it right Richard...
Some folks 😉
Better to have grounds and not need than have needed and not have had!
Very true
Richard, have you ever seen Ball Lightning? When I was a young girl, I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink. There was a storm outside, all of a sudden a Blue Ball came out of the faucet, it dropped down to the floor, continued to travel across the floor, went through a window and across the street where it hit and snapped a telephone pole. The Blue Ball simmered with light from within, it was beautiful. I’ll never forget it.
Never seen that but other things that are strange pertaining to electricity.
I have a book by mother earth news the handbook of home made power itwas written before those books but full of goog information
Their are about 15 of the Fox Fire books written by High School students in Rabun?Gap North Carolina - well worth having in your library. Thanks for the video, The best blessings to you and your family - Danny
Thank you Danny, I hope you enjoy the video.
R I think you were very wise for grounding the solar panels you do live on top of a mountain
Your right and we did it
One thing, if it hits your shoulder panels, it's going to the nearest ground first, which you got it 1 right there next to your solar panels. If it hits the juice shack, it's not going to hit the juice shack because there's a ground on the outside which it's going. To go to the ground, I doubt if it's going to hit the juice shack, there's no no. Poles or anything on top of the juice shack so very seldom. It hits a building unless there's metal on top of it.Our metal walls or metal roof or something like that
I appreciate the input, we will be sure to incorporate all necessary safety features.
The problem with grounding panels is the fact of magnetics and power…just like opposites attract magnetically …power opposites also attract…a ground mount is so close to the ground it shouldn’t matter much but a roof mount should only be grounded if someone is actively working on it…( switched )…the static the panels produce will actually repel lightning but they are always grounded they will attract
It won't hurt to ground it for sure. Are you set for the cold weather coming? I wish I had the patience to sit and read.
Yes and yes. Grounding is important and ready to get it over with
Fox Fire books are good and great information to be gained from them.
Yes, they are a great source of information.
Be very useful to make back porch a mud room! Yeah
Yes, I have a small one just inside my back door
Primary reason for grounding is safety. AC and DC both kill!
I agree
International and US electrical codes require equipment grounds for the DC side of solar systems. I.e. metal mounting racks, panel frames and metal equipment cases are to be grounded to prevent shocks and equipment damage. This is not a connection to the negative electrical wire, but to a grounding rod. On the AC side in addition to case grounds, the neutral side of your house electrical system needs to be attached to ground at one place only, usually the main circuit breaker panel or possibly the inverter. This neutral "bonding" in one place only, is necessary for your breakers to work correctly. And no the ground for your transformer case doesn't provide bonding. After all there is no neutral in the national grid. The neutral comes from the center tapped transformer that provides power to your house.
That is how it’s wired. Everything grounded, main is in hut by inverter, with ground and neutral common, and cabin is subbed off with ground and neutral separate
hi, I was wondering why you didn't show us the construction of your daughter's house, it would have made a lot of video, don't you think?
You have to ground a solar system. It is not a matter of whether it is DC or otherwise. There is a host of equipment that constitutes a matrix of distribution equipment and otherwise. Grounding is how you stabilize voltage levels, ensure safety, at least from ground loops and protect from surges and lightning.
Thanks for the tip, I appreciate the insight. I agree and that’s why I did it. It didn’t appear to have any connection point in the book for external ground. There was a bar to tie to for lines coming in as well as neutrals. So I added it to the ground bar as well. It didn’t appear to have any path to ground unless I did it.
Ground it all
I am not an electrician BUT I would ground because it won’t hurt if you do and it’s safer too than NOT
I agree
It's always best to Stay Grounded. LOL
So true, lol
Mine are grounded when the solar company installed mine
I grounded everything. Just curious what people think
🖐😊
Yes I would ground it myself, anything metal will attract lightning!!!!!
I agree
Either have it grounded, or watch the whole system fail.
I agree
👍🇸🇪
Feliz año 2025
Happy New Year
Enjoy your show and what you talk about, but that yellow gas line behind you when you are setting at the stove is hard to look at. I know it just me probably being .... whatever. It could surely look a lot nicer. 🤙🫶
I appreciate the feedback. It’s just a temporary setup.