Lightning Rod For House

Where thunderstorms are seasonal problems lightning rods on the house could be practical safety measures.

Lightning rod for house.

Although it is impossible to know who constructed and erected the first lightning rod it is believed that benjamin franklin was first responsible for the widespread use of. It connects to a huge piece of copper or aluminum wire that s also an inch or so in diameter. Does my house need a lightning rod. A single lightning bolt carries 100 million to 1 billion volts of electricity.

In this installment we ll examine the variables helping you determine whether or not your home may be in need of lighting protection. The purpose of lightning rods is often misunderstood. How lighting rods work. We hear this question a lot and the answer is not always cut and dry.

Note that lightning protection systems do not prevent lightning from striking the structure but rather intercept a lightning strike provide a conductive path for the. Lightning rods and the accompanying protection system are designed to protect a house or building from a direct lightning strike and in particular a lightning initiated fire. If lightning hits the structure it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducted to ground through a wire instead of passing through the structure where it could start a fire or cause electrocution. The rod might be an inch 2 cm in diameter.

The wire is connected to a conductive grid buried in the ground nearby. Not every home needs lightning rod protection. In areas of the u s. Many people believe that lightning rods attract lightning.