Mustang,

I just re-read the code section on grounding electrodes. I strongly recommend that you do so rather than depend upon 'second hand' information.

While I am sure that I remember seeing that you cannot bend the electrode, I see nothing that says you can't bend the electrode. 250.53(G) describes 1) 2) and 3) of the pictures above, and requires 8ft of length in contact with the soil, but nothing about bending. I found a _Canadian_ code reference where they required driving the rod vertically and then bending, rather than driving at an angle. Go figure [Linked Image], different laws, different code bodies.

The _electrodes_ (not just the clamps) need to be at least 6 feet apart. They can be farther apart.

A ground ring is a loop of bare copper wire, at least 2ga, and at least 20 feet long, which circles the entire structure, buried at a depth of 30 inches or greater.

-Jon