[TheForge] Weathervanes and Lightening

Sat Jan 31 03:59:01 2004

A properly constructed lightning rod discharges the electrical build up in
the air before it reaches the point that lightning would happen. It doesn't
always work. It uses what is called "point discharge effect". When it does
work, the current flow is not that bad. When you do get a strike, the ground
wire may be destroyed. Even while being destroyed, it provides a path to
ground IF it is a straight path and NOT going around corners. A ground wire
that runs along the peak and then does a 90 to go down the wall is bad news.
The strike will hit the high point and continue straight down through the
building.
Darrell

http://www.machinemaster.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GHS" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 7:14 PM
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Weathervanes and Lightening

> The only place I seem to see them on new installs is in locations where
> the likelihood of a strike is great in any case, church steeples and the
> like. The one installer that I talked to made a big deal of the cable
> being heavy enough to transmit the charge without causing a fire from
> overheating. Might have been a sales hype for all I know , but it sounds
> reasonable.
>
> Mike Graf
>
> pitbull wrote:
>
> > That was the thought back when lightning rods were sold, however they
> > determined that it actually made the likelihood of a strike greater and
> > caused numerous fires. That's why lightning rods where basically removed
> > from the market.
> >
> > Rick
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Ralph E Douglass" <[email protected]>
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 4:29 PM
> > Subject: Re: [TheForge] Weathervanes and Lightening
> >
> >
> >
> >>Andy Vida wrote:
> >>
> >>>Brian Hall wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>I am doing my first weathervane commission and was
> >>>>wondering if anyone had any strong thoughts on if I
> >>>>should attach a grounding cable to it to lessen the
> >>>>chance of lightening striking the building. If so is
> >>>>it just a cable that runs down the building and
> >>>>connects to a metal rod in the earth?
> >>>
> >>>        A grounded connection should be more likely for a strike, no?
> >>
> >>Yes.
> >>But ( and I am certain you know this Andy)
> >>You want a nice and solid ground so that the strike will go to ground
> >>thru the intended path and not thru say..... you phone line or house
> >>wiring... That is bad joo joo.
> >>
> >>Ralph
> >>
> >>
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