Thread: Lightning Rods

Hi, not sure where I can seek for advice on Lightning Rods, but as I read below that it could be placed on the CPAC Monier PIPE VENT ROUND RIDGE SET on the roof. If I were to build a house in the middle of an open field, should I install a Lightning Rod, a distance away from the house, instead of installing one on the roof of the house? Which will be safer? After all the reports we hear of farmers being struck by lightning in open fields.

Would appreciate advice and views from those with experience please. Thanks!

Hi
Well this is my business in Thailand but I am not supposed to offer my services as per forum rules so for in depth info can be found at : National Lightning Safety Institute (NLSI) Home Page. We provide expert training, consulting, education, videos, and witness service on structural lightning safety. We also promote proactive defenses to mitigate the effects of lightning hazards. .
You can buy abook from them Lightning protection for Engineers with alot of detailed drawings and info.
This as a complicated science with dangeous side effects if you don't know what you are doing.....
search google for people in Thailand..a house usually costs 25-35 k for material and 15 k for labor. There are Thai contractors that do it cheaper using undersized conductors and poor quality g rods/ and never measuring the ground resistance (the meter costs 60 k).
There are 2 basic types of rods ESE and Franklin. ESE's are widely discredited..search google for the study in Malyasia. Franklin rods are quite cheap.
As a final word of advice..please don't do it yourself in the rainy season.....it's quite possible you will get hit.

i feel obliged to put my neck on the line here. ive never yet, once, in 50 yrs of working met an engineer to understand the concept of a , , lightning conductor,,,
i'm no expert, but my background tells me the said conductor is not to collect the lightning, or take it to ground. poster 3 is spouting total shit and is full of himself, worse if he believes the bull shit. can elaborate if needs be.

Well as you said you are no expert.....full of myself..yes i am confident in the work i do.
The conductor.....the "down conductor " in the lightning system is a bare copper wire going from the air terminal to the ground rods ( usually three 10' x 5/8" copperclad steel placed 2 m apart). In Thailand the smallest wire is 50mm2 stranded and it must be insulated from the building. Some High end ESE (early streamer emisson) systems use a coaxle cable.
As I said I'm not here to teach you guys how to compete with me so just use google and learn for yourself..i'm happy to hepl anyone who can respond in an intellegent manner.

Everytime I post here I swear it will be the last...so negative you guys!

Originally Posted by lob

but my background tells me the said conductor is not to collect the lightning, or take it to ground

So what would you suggest to the OP?

Interesting topic.
The other day lightning seemed to strike directly above our house (flash and really load sound at exactly the same time).

When I went upstairs I found the power supply in the computer had blown.

While on my way to Panthip to get it fixed. I noticed two guys working up high on a large steel sign frame. This seemed crazy considering there was lightning all around and it was still raining.

Originally Posted by panthira

Well as you said you are no expert.....full of myself..yes i am confident in the work i do.


Everytime I post here I swear it will be the last...so negative you guys!

don't worry Panthira, we all have to put up with them!

I am not sure why he responded that way, totally unnecessary

A lightning rod (USA) or lightning conductor (UK) is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning. If lightning strikes the building it will preferentially strike the rod, and be conducted harmlessly to ground through the wire, instead of passing through the building, where it could start a fire or cause electrocution.

a fairly simple concept, and the equipment is sold in most electrical stores

Smithson:

I had the same problem when i moved into my rental house.
You have to ground the electric panel. Put in a whole panel surge protector then a high quality power strip w/ surge protection.....probally will cost more than a new computer though ....sometime a ups will protect from a "sideflash"....APc is the best brand.....i have not had any problems since i did this (6 years) and i'm running 3 computers here...also you need a surge protector on your telco line to protect the modem...and on on your satelite as the energy can travel tru the tv into the panel and onto your computer......

thanks the support guys..i like the travel pics on this site...and most of you guys are quite funny.......it's like a trip to a pub.....