Ground rods shall be installed closer or farther than 6 feet apart?

• A. Closer
• B. Farther
• C. At exactly 6 feet
• D. As dictated by soil conditions

Answer: (B)

Spacing grounding rods correctly is about ensuring the earth ground has low impedance by giving each rod its own path to earth. If ground rods are placed closer than the minimum distance, their electrical fields overlap and the rods effectively act like a single electrode with higher impedance. Spacing them at least 6 feet apart provides multiple independent paths to the earth, reducing the overall ground impedance and improving fault current dissipation. So the best practice is to install ground rods farther than 6 feet apart (not closer than 6 feet). Even with varying soil conditions, the requirement is a minimum separation of 6 feet to maintain effective grounding.