Step-by-Step Guide

Importance of Grounding in H2O Two-Wire Systems

Grounding on the H2O controller is incredibly important for any two-wire system. The two-wire path must be grounded with a surge arrester at key locations throughout the system to ensure proper protection.

WeatherTRAK Surge Arrester Product Details

The WeatherTRAK surge arrester is used at grounding points and has the part number WTW-H2O-SA. On the back of the product bag, you will find the installation instructions and wiring diagram showing how to attach the surge suppressor both to the two-wire path and to the grounding device in the field, such as a grounding rod. The bag also includes warnings about using the proper wiring connections.

Inside the package, you will find the proper wire nuts and the WeatherTRAK H2O surge arrester biCoder. The biCoder has a red wire and a black wire that attach to the two-wire path, and a green wire that runs to a grounding source.

Selecting a Proper Grounding Location

When choosing a good grounding location, it is critical to select a location where your grounding source is far enough away from the two-wire path so that the sphere of influence does not intersect with the two-wire path.

The sphere of influence is the area where a grounding event would occur. If you have an eight-foot grounding rod, the sphere of influence would be eight feet in all directions from that grounding rod. Therefore, you would want your two-wire path to sit further than eight feet from where the electricity is going to ground. This ensures that the grounding event does not intersect with the two-wire path, where it could be picked back up and continue down the line.

Required Surge Arrester Locations

Surge arresters are required at the following locations:

1. Somewhere within 25 feet of the controller.
2. At the end of every branch on the two-wire path that is 50 feet or greater in length.
3. At least one grounding location every 600 feet along the two-wire path.

Additional Grounding for High Lightning Areas

In high lightning areas, additional grounding is recommended beyond the standard requirements. For instance, in Florida, it is recommended to have grounding every 300 feet along the two-wire path rather than every 600 feet.

Testing Ground Resistance

When testing the grounding on your two-wire path, you should measure the earth-to-ground resistance. The acceptable standard is less than 25 ohms to meet code requirements. However, the ideal target is to achieve less than 10 ohms for optimal performance.

Installing the Surge Arrester

1. Calculate how many grounding locations you will need along your two-wire path based on the requirements outlined above.
2. Attach the surge arrester decoder onto the two-wire path.
3. Use a split bolt connector to attach the surge arrester to the number six bare copper wire.
4. Attach your number six bare copper wire to a grounding point, usually a grounding rod or grounding plate.

Video Walkthrough

Video originally published January 2021.

If you have questions, here are 3 ways to get answers:

1. Search within this WeatherTRAK knowledgebase

2. Visit the WeatherTRAK support page

3. Call 800-362-8774 or email support@hydropoint.com, hours are Mon-Fri 3:00 AM – 6:00 PM PT and Sat 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM PT.