In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 17 Apr 2020 10:36:40 -0500, Dean Hoffman
wrote:

On 4/17/20 3:42 AM, micky wrote:
Do copper or copper-clad steel ground rods disappear with time?

After 37 years, does mine need replacing?

When I put in my first burglar alarm, 37 years ago, I put in a ground
rod to ground the system, and iiuc reduce the chance of lightening
damage. (Nonetheless, after about 20 years, when I was leaving for
work, there were wisps of smoke coming from the keypad/control usit, and
it never worked again. ;-) I have a new alarm now, grounded to the same
rod, but something told me the rod was gone. The top of it is still
there so maybe I dreamed it, but is it likely that the part above ground
is there but most of it below ground is gone, and needs replacing?

There are ground rod testers but I guess hardly anyone has one.
It's not a typical volt/ohm meter. Supposedly, one is supposed to put
the first one in then test it to see if it has under 25 ohms resistance.

So I assume this is not just for initial installation, or also for
checking-up later.

One is supposed to put the 2nd one in if not.
The rule of thumb is to put the 2nd one in the length of the rod
from the first one.
How is the connection between the ground wire and the rod? That
would be something you could clean up fairly easily.

I've been of the school tha say I connected it right in the first place,
that should be enough.

Sort of like when I told me then-wife, "I told you I loved you when I
married you. That should be enough".

Just kidding, never married, I'll tear the grass away from the
connection and check it or redo it.