UL Warns of Potentially Hazardous Ground Rods

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NORTHBROOK, IL: November 14, 2008

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is notifying electricians, regulatory authorities and consumers that certain ground rods sold at various hardware and home improvement stores bear a counterfeit UL Mark for the United States.

This information supersedes UL's previous public notice dated July 16, 2007.

Name of Product: Ground Rod, Catalog Number PWC 588

Units: Unknown quantity

Manufacturer: Unknown

Date of Manufacture: Unknown

Hazard: The products in question have not been evaluated for safety by UL and are not eligible to bear the UL Mark. The thickness of the copper plating for these ground rods does not comply with UL requirements. It is unknown whether the mechanical properties and dimensional tolerances of the ground rods are suitable to ensure an adequate ground path.

Identification: The counterfeit ground rods are marked with the following information:

What You Should Do: If you suspect a counterfeit ground rod was installed on your premises, contact a qualified electrician and have it replaced with a UL-Listed ground rod. If you have in your possession a ground rod bearing a counterfeit UL Mark that has not been installed, UL recommends that the counterfeit ground rod be returned to the place of purchase.

Distributed By: The ground rods are known to be sold at electrical distributors throughout the United States.

Counterfeit Ground Rod: Photos of the counterfeit ground rods are shown below:

Legitimate Ground Rod: A photo of the legitimate ground rod is shown below:

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Source: Underwriters Laboratories