John Grabowski wrote:
drb wrote in message ...

I called a local homedepot and they said #8 was the most
common around here because it's the most flexible compared to #6 or
#4. I know I have an insulated stranded wire. One person at a store
told me #8 is rated for 55 amp which I know the house has more amps so
I'm not sure how they design this ground wire. Two stores told me
that I can splice this stuff with a split bolt connector but I have no
idea what it is till I google it or go to the store. They said all it
takes is a screw driver to work on it.

A split bolt connector is NOT an acceptable means to splice a grounding
conductor to a ground rod. You can rent a crimper and make a permanent
irreversible splice that way or buy an exothermic welding kit to weld the
wire together. The best way to go is to replace the wire altogether. Also
#6 is the minimum code approved size for a ground rod wire. Please stop
getting your advice from Home Depot.

Never get advice from a Home Depot employee who is talkative or
cheerful, but the grumpy, reticent employees know what they're talking
about since they're usually licensed contractors working there
parttime.