FAQ - Earthing Rod vs Plug & more...
Hey, Grounded Kiwi community, how are you? I hope your Earthing is going well. If you haven't tried it yet, stop reading this Blog and go outside barefoot right now!
But seriously, with our Indoor Earthing products, we frequently get asked many questions about Earthing rods & Earthing Plugs. In this Blog, I want to clarify what they are, how to use them and help you to choose which is suitable for you.
So, let's get into it;
Grounded Kiwi (GK) has many Indoor Earthing products, Earthing mats, pillow covers, yoga mats,pads, blankets, wristbands and more.
To receive all the incredible and natural benefits of Earthing, you need to have these products directly connected to Earth.
GK offers you two options for you to do this from inside your home.
- Uses your standard NZ / AU powerpoint.
- Only the 'Earth' pin is metal
- Connects to Earth via your home Earthing Rod buried in the ground.
- Does not matter if the power switch is on/off.
- Two connection points for two products on each plug.
- Has inbuilt protection inside both the plug and cord to make them safe in the event of an electrical fault.
- Tested and certified safe by ACT NZ, an accrdited laboratory in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Earthing Rod
- Is placed into the soil outside your room.
- Comes with a 12m cord. When combined with the 5m product cord, this gives you 17m to get from the Earth (soil, grass, dirt etc) to your Earthing mat or other product.
- The 30cm stainless steel rod is easy to push into the Earth being pointed at one end.
- Suitable for all weather conditions.
- 2mm thick cord will easily pass through your window seal and allow the window to close.
- It can be used with 'splitters' to add additional products to one Earthing rod.
- It has built-in protection in the product cord to make them absolutely safe.
Earthing Plug vs Rod? Which one is better?
They are the same when it comes to having the same Earthing effect.
99% of our community prefers the Earthing plug version. We ship all items with the Earthing plug. The Earthing rod can be purchased as an extra.
When selecting the Earthing plug version, we recommended including the power socket tester. The Socket tester is a straightforward device that will ensure that the 'Earth' connection on any PowerPoint you want to use is correctly wired and connected to Earth which ensures you will get the benefits of Earthing.
Rod vs Plug added benefits:
The Plug offers convenience & portability.
Plugs are convenient to travel with (always test an unfamiliar power socket with the tester). They can be easily moved from room to room.
I personally started my 'Earthing journey' with the rod in the ground outside my bedroom, but I have since switched to the plug version a few years back.
The Rod gives the benefit of 'mindset'; you can visibly see the connection to Earth. Our mindset in life is a valuable tool in all that we do. For this reason some Grounded Kiwi community members prefer to use the Earthing rod inplace of the plug.
Included with the Rod is a 12m cord. Combining this with each item's 5m product cord gives you up to 17m to reach from the Rod in the ground to your Earthing Underlay or other product. Of course, if not needed, you can leave the cord coiled and tied up tidy. 17m Should easily work for a home of up to three levels.
Great for use in a motorhome, camping or travelling overseas where you know you can connect to Earth safely.
FAQ's
Earthing Rod
Q) How far does the Earthing rod need to go into the ground
A) Halfway or more is best. In reality, as soon as the metal contacts Earth, it will connect to your product via the cord. The Rod needs to be in Earth far enough, so it doesn't fall over or get taken by the dog! If you can get the rod all the way in then do so.
Q) Is the Rod ok to get wet?
A) Yes, absolutely; the natural conductivity will increase. The Rod itself is made from stainless steel and will last many years.
Q) Can I use the Rod in a pot plant?
A) No, not unless there is a direct connection to Earth via the bottom of the pot.
Q) What ground is best to use a rod in?
A) Natural soil is best. If your soil is primarily sand, it may be best to find soil or go for the plug version. Remember that the 'Plug' is actually connected to your homes larger Earthing rod driven into the ground somewhere outside your home.
Q) When I test the cord attached to the Rod with my multimeter, I get a reading telling me that it is faulty.
A) Both the plug and cord have an inbuilt inline100k ohm resistor preventing any stray electricity from travelling up the cord into the Earthing product. It is not faulty. We prefer to carry out a 'Body Voltage Test' to test and see the effect of Earthing. We have a video of me carrying out this test under our 'videos and helpful guides' section.
Q) Can I close my window with the cord running through it?
A) Yes, the cord is only 2mm thick and easily passes through the window, allowing it to shut entirely. The corner of your window might be the best.
Earthing Plug
Q) Do I need to turn the power switch on or off?
A) It makes no difference to the benefits of your Earthing products if the power switch is on or off. Only the Earthing pin of the Plug is made of metal and is conductive. The other two pins are plastic and act as 'locators', so you cannot insert them into the wrong pin receptor.
Q) Can I leave the Earthing plug plugged in?
A) Yes. There is no need to remove the Plug when not in use.
Q) Can I use an extension lead or a multi-box
A) Yes, providing that the lead / multi-box is Earthed. You will know this by ensuring its Plug has the bottom middle 'Earth' pin. You can test for Earth using our 'Socket tester'.
Q) Do I need an electrician to test my power points?
A) When selecting the earthing plug, we recommend first using the socket tester to ensure each plug is safe. The socket tester will quickly show you if it's wired and connected to Earth correctly. If you get any other reading than 'correct' on the tester, then YES, you must consult with an electrician.
Q) When I test the cord attached to the Plug with my multimeter, I get a reading telling me that it is faulty?
The Plug itself and the cord supplied have inbuilt protection preventing any stray electricity from travelling up the cord into the Earthing product. It is not a broken connection
Q) If the power goes out, will my Earthing product still work?
A) Yes, no Earthing product uses power. Only the Earth is connected and will continue to deliver the powerful benefits of Earthing uninterrupted.
Safety
Q) Can I use a plug for my pillow and a rod for my Earthing mat?
No, you should only ever use one Earthing connection when in contact with multiple Earthing products, such as using an Earthing pillow with an mat. This can create a 'ground loop' where the 'electrical potential' could differ between your two Earthing sources.
Using two earthing plugs in your room is okay because they are connected to the same Rod.
Q) Can I be electrocuted during a lightning storm?
A) All GK Earthing products have inbuilt protection with a current limiting 100k ohm resistor. In the unlikely event that your home is struck by lightning, the voltage will take the path of least resistance to Earth via systems like plumping pipes, electrical wiring, telephone, fibre cable directly to Earth.
If the voltage enters the cord, the resistor will melt and disconnect the cord.
Lightning is still an unknown phenomenon; if you have any worries at all, you can disconnect the dome connection of the Earthing product while the storm passes.
Q) Can I put the Rod next to the existing electrical system rod buried in the ground.
A) You should put the Earthing rod you'll be using with your GK products at least 6meters away from your home/Office electrical systems earthing Rod to prevent any 'loop'.
Earthing Rod - Instructions
- Remove plastic cover from spike and place in soil/garden
- Take 12m cord through the window (or under your floor) up into the room
- Attach the male connector of the 5m 'product cord' to the female connector of the 12m cord.
- Attached the dome connection from the product cord onto GK Earthing product
- You are now connected to Earth when in contact with the product
Note: You may have 'splitter/s' attached to your 12m cord, allowing multiple products to connect to the one Rod. I.e. Our Premium Earthing Package deals.
Earthing Plug - Instructions
- Test power outlet with Socket tester (Recommended)
- Insert the male end of 5m 'product' cord into the female connector on the Plug and push fully in
- Connect the dome connector to your GK Earthing product
- You are now connected to Earth when in contact with the product