Lightning rod ideas

[rogerius]

Just thinking at the last details for my barn project and praying for the 2ft snow to melt and one item crossed my mind: how I can protect the barn from lighting. I had last year a tree located at 20 ft from the future location of the barn hit by the lightning strike and I don't want to see that again. What are you guys using as a lightning rod on your barn or really I need one?

 

[Ted Summey]

I have lightning rods on my house, garage and shop. My FIL put lightning rods on his barn to protect it and his cows.

 

[MacLawn]

Do those things really work?

 

[tcreeley]

Do those things really work?

That is a great indigo bunting! Once every few years I'll see one up around here!

 

[Ted Summey]

The idea behind lightning rods is that if lightning strikes, you have a better chance of it going to ground through a ground cable and rod than to ground through your house or barn. Our house sits in a ridge above most everything else within a mile or so, I am sure the lightning rods have saved my property more than once. Some believe they attract lightning, even so, when lightning strikes, it goes to ground.

I have a strong background in electricity and electronics - based on that, I am a firm believer in giving lightning better opportunities to get to ground safely through lightning rods than through the house or its systems.

We used professionally installed lightning rods.

 

[PILOON]

They say lightening never strikes same place twice. (I hope!)
My house is on a lot that was cooked by lightening but then the hydro ground was not properly done so that did not help.
I have assured myself that my grounds (2) are deep and well bonded. Also my TV tower is additionally grounded and I use protectors on all my electronics.
Still with all that my computer got fried via the phone line once. ( I am now wireless on the puter)
Twice I have been in homes where I saw lightening dance down hanging ceiling lamps, and that's scarey!.

 

[MacLawn]

tc, I don't see many of those indigo buntings, but love them!

Okay, maybe I need to get lightening rods at my place. I lost a wifi router last year by lightening - came via Ethernet cable.

 

[cqaigy2]

I think it would be better if your neighbor had a lightning rod, to attract it away from your house.:laughing:

 

[schmism]

have lighting arrest system installed. eg spikey bits on your roof connected with weird looking braided wire connected to the ground.

 

[zzvyb6]

Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin' ...

 

[sixdogs]

Lightning once hit a telephone pole 20 ft off the side of the house a number of years ago in northern New England. Impressive sound. We had a lightning "ball" roll around the inside of the living room and up the chimney. Next day we had lightning rods on everything.
My understanding is they don't attract the lightning so much as deflect or defer it so it strikes elsewhere. I recall that conversation once but wasn't fully paying attention.

 

[k0ua]

I can tell you this much or sure. Lightning DOES strike the same place twice and forever. Put up something like a nice cell phone tower on a hill, and watch it strike again and again. I don't know where the old saying about it not striking in the same place twice comes from but I will guarantee you that is not true.

James K0UA

 

[Egon]

Lightning Strikes, check out CN Tower in Toronto.:thumbsup:

Suggest the Lighting Rod system design be done by someone certified in that area.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Do those things really work?

I wonder the same. Myth Busters needs to take this on.

Chris

 

[rogerius]

Just find out this thread with good info:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/166147-lightning-ground-rod.html

 

[Egon]

Properly designed and installed they work. :thumbsup:

For evidence google "lightning Strikes" and watch the YouTube videos of lightning hitting tall buildings!

For even better evidenced flying a kite with a wire string. In a lightning storm may impress.

 

[Dr Dave]

My neighbor's home, has been hit many times. The worst, was when the TV antenna on the roof was hit, 3' hole in roof, all apliances, and wiring in the home fried, the lightning jumped from his down spout to his pickup, blew battery and all fuses. So he installed a flag pole about 20 feet from his home, I think its too close. Was hit again 10 years later, fried wiring and cicuit panel,heatpump and TV. Hit 3 years ago 100' from home, he had thrown a 16" peice of chain up on a tree branch when moving. It hit the chain,blew the branch off, burned a 2" wide strip down the tree, into the ground following the roots. The dirt was blown clear of this root. Im sure glad it likes his place. Most electric sub stations have 4 large poles, one in each corner to direct lightning away from the transformers.

Dave

 

[MacLawn]

Well old Lou Christie says Lightening is Striking Again... sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[Danno1]

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Check out these sites:


Structural Lightning Safety Section Contents - National Lightning Safety Institute


Automatic Lightning Protection: Supplier of lightning rod parts & equipment for all applications - Do it yourself lightning protection



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[GLyford]

Dad's house was hit just once, come to find out his TV antenna ground rod had come undone. He reconnected the ground and never had another issue...