How to build a lightning rod with your own hands - preparation and installation. Lightning protection (lightning rod, lightning rod, lightning protection)

Today we will dive into the world of theoretical physics to understand how it works. In fact, this is a misnomer, since thunder is a sound effect - it is not only impossible to take it away from the building, but it does not make any sense. The correct design name is "", and it most accurately reflects the essence of this device.

Lightning rod - how it works

So, A lightning rod is a device designed to protect buildings and structures from lightning strikes.. It is a pointed metal pin that is installed in a vertical position on the roof of buildings or on a free-standing high mast. From the lower end of the pin there is a conductor that goes into the ground - grounding.

Most people think that the main function of a lightning rod is that when a lightning strikes directly during a thunderstorm, it diverts the charge along the conductor to the ground, where it dissipates without damaging the building. Yes, this statement is true, and this is exactly what will happen when lightning strikes.

However, this only happens in the case of a direct hit, which happens extremely rarely. In other situations, the lightning rod works differently. Surprised? In fact, everything is not so complicated and understandable, and now you will see it.

A bit of physics

During the formation of thunderclouds, charge separation occurs. The smallest drops of water acquire negative and positive charges, while negative charges accumulate mainly in the lower part of the cumulus cloud.

Probably everyone knows that lightning strikes tall objects: trees, towers, masts, houses. But this is not always the case, since much depends on the electrical conductivity of these objects. For example, the trunk of a tree contains moisture, which allows the induced charges formed in the ground to flow to the top of the tree, which means that the distance to the descending step leader is reduced. He needs to make a shorter path, so the impact with a high degree of probability will fall on the object in question. So it will be if we consider a lonely standing tree.

Advice! That is why you can not hide during a thunderstorm under trees that stand apart. In relative safety, you will only be in the thickets, and even that is not a fact.

The flow of charges is also valid for tall structures and buildings, however, if an object with a higher electrical conductivity is nearby, it will accumulate more induced charges in itself, and lightning will strike it, despite the fact that it can be much lower.

This effect fully explains the behavior of lightning. Sometimes people wonder why the charge does not hit a tall building, but some small shed nearby. The reason may be that it stood on an aquifer of soil, and water, as we know, is an excellent conductor and will definitely contain a greater number of induced charges.

One can often observe trees struck by lightning near rivers. As you know, due to gravity, rivers flow in the lowest parts of the relief, but since the water in the river is a good conductor containing many charges, the most optimal conditions for lightning strikes are created in this area.

Advice! For this reason, during a thunderstorm, you should stay away from rivers and reservoirs.

Prices for lightning protection and grounding

Lightning protection and grounding

So, we figured out the behavior of lightning, but it is still not clear how the lightning rod functions. Now we will explain this issue.

Agree, everything is very simple and clear, if you understand the essence of the phenomenon. We have been living in the information age for a long time, so being ignorant to a modern person is not to face.

How to properly arrange a lightning rod on a building

Having disassembled the principle of operation of a lightning rod, it would be wrong to ignore the method of its construction. In the second part of the article, we will tell you how to mount high-quality protection for your home with your own hands in order to protect yourself from lightning strikes.

LIGHTNING WIRES. Figure 1) Platinum tip of the lightning rod. 2) Wire cable clamped with a ferrule. 3) Wire cable with ferrule. 4) The connection of the upper part of the rod a, which is shortened and broken off in the drawing to save space. 5, 6) Bundles of rods. 7, 8, 9 and 10) Fastening the base of the rod to the wooden parts of the roof. 11 and 12) Couplings for connecting conductors. 13) Fastening the base of the rod with a conductor that is bent down. 14) The end of the underground conductor, lowered into the water of the well. 15, 16, 17) Underground parts of the conductor. 18) Anchor and a basket of coal - the underground end of the conductor. 19) Protection of the powder cellar, the Melsan system. 20) The same - according to the French system. 21) Tall building protection

There are many options for the execution of a lightning rod, from the simplest home-made options to professional systems from well-known manufacturers. We highly recommend using factory solutions as they are guaranteed to work(with proper installation) and, importantly, look much more attractive from an aesthetic point of view.

As an example, we will analyze how lightning protection from the Belarusian manufacturer "TerraZinc" is mounted. This system includes a wide range of accessories and components that allow installation on buildings of various shapes and complexity. The basis of the system is an air terminal, which, depending on the dimensions, can be an air terminal mast or an air terminal rod. In total, there are more than 20 types of elements.

Lightning protection "TerraZinc"

The kit will include a base, tripods and down conductor holders. The company presents 30 types of down conductors, which allows you to choose the best option for any facade of the building. The system also includes 15 types of connectors and down conductor clamps.

Interesting to know! As a down conductor for private houses, an 8 mm galvanized rod is most often used.

The TerraZinc system is also good because you do not need special tools for installation. Installation is carried out in a very short time, despite the fact that it can be carried out on buildings in operation. Components are small in size, which makes them invisible against the background of the structure.

Table. How is the installation of such lightning protection?

Steps, photo	Description of works
	Work begins with the fact that adjustable holders with a metal rod are mounted on the ridge of the roof. They are fixed very simply - by tightening the fixing screw.
	The current conduit will run along the entire roof, so the holders are installed along the entire ridge in 1 m increments.
	We fix the current conductor with a diameter of 8 mm in the holders using a plastic latch on the top of the holder. A comment. Some holders have a different conductor fastening, so be sure to read the attached instructions before installation.
	To increase the coverage area of ​​lightning protection, it is recommended to bend the free end of the conductor protruding beyond the edge of the ridge upwards at an angle of 45 degrees. We do this from both sides.
	At the next stage, it is necessary to fix the holder under the down conductor. It is mounted under tiles or other roofing materials, therefore, at the installation site, it will be necessary to make a small dismantling in order to get to the wooden truss system and the batten. The holder is fixed with self-tapping screws, after which the roof elements are returned to their place. The resulting hole is additionally sealed to prevent water from entering during rain.
	Further, the holders are attached in the same way directly along the roof to the very bottom. The installation step is also 1 m.
	In the holders 42202, going along the roof, a current conductor is installed. The fixation of the element is similar to that performed earlier with ridge holders.
	The conductors brought from the sides must be connected to the central one. This is done using clamps No. 51515 when tightening the bolts.
	Next, the installation process of the lightning rod begins. First of all, install the holder. The easiest way is to fix it to a vertical surface, for example, the wall of a chimney. 1. To do this, holes are drilled in it, into which plastic dowels are inserted. 2. Brackets are screwed into them until they are securely fixed. 3. A rod (lightning rod) is installed, which is fixed with brackets screwed to the bracket with bolted connections.
	At the lower end, the rod has a thread onto which the rod clamp No. 55422 is screwed. The height of this element should be adjusted so that it is on the same level with the ridge conductor. Next, the connection takes place according to the principle already considered.
	On the facade, from the bottom up, plastic holders are installed. Their installation is similar to how we previously attached the lightning rod holder. The installation step is also 1 m.
	Next, we connect the conductor with wall holders. At the same time, the roof overhang must be rounded so that there is no contact anywhere with the roof and other elements, especially metal ones. If it is necessary to bypass the drainage of the cottage during laying, then use holders for the drain. In this case, the conductor can be passed through the downpipe using special fasteners.
	The conductor must end at a height of 70 cm from the ground. A control clip is attached to its end.
	Next, you need to dig a trench along which metal grounding buses will be laid. The trench is 1 m long and 50 cm deep.
	Install the strip holder under the control clamp.
	Then we attach the ground strip. She plunges into a trench with a bend and passes along its bottom.
	We install a control and measuring well on the edge of the trench.
	We carry out the assembly of a set of pins for the ground electrode. Everything is simple here - an adapter is screwed onto the thread, through which the elements are easily connected to each other. Attention! The number of pins, and, accordingly, the depth of their immersion in the soil, are calculated when drafting the project.
	As you build up, the pins are driven into the ground. To do this, you will need a special nozzle for a puncher and a reciprocal impact screw, which is screwed into the sleeve, after which it is removed and the next pin element becomes in its place.
	We hammer the pin with a perforator to the estimated depth. Be sure to use anti-corrosion conductive grease when connecting its parts. We also use anti-corrosion tape, which is wrapped around all connections that are underground.
	Next, we install a clamp for the rod on the end of the pin, after which we dock with the ground strip. In this case, the clamp unfolds perpendicularly, as shown in the picture.

Prices for down conductor holders

Holders for down conductor

This is where the work ends. All you have to do is fill up the trench and mask everything beautifully. If the installation is done correctly, then the system forms a zone around the house, if it hits, the lightning will go into the ground.

Video - Lightning rod in action

The human psyche is so arranged that everything unknown and incomprehensible frightens us. It is difficult to find a person who would be terribly afraid of ordinary linear lightning, but we are all afraid of ball lightning. What actually is this clot of energy, which has a huge destructive power?

Ball lightning

Ball lightning is a glowing and floating in the air plasma ball. Despite the fact that ball lightning is a fairly unique natural phenomenon, you can find a lot of historical information about the meeting with it.

Despite this, such a phenomenon as ball lightning is a little-studied and poorly amenable to human understanding fact. Unfortunately, at the moment there is no unified physical theory of its occurrence.

Today, more than 400 theories have been presented to explain this phenomenon, but so far, none of them has received absolute recognition in the scientific community.

In our time, in the laboratory, it was possible to create a kind of ball lightning in several different ways, however, such plasma balls were very unstable and quickly disappeared.

To date, there is not a single experimental stand, through which it would be possible to reproduce ball lightning artificially in accordance with the existing descriptions of eyewitnesses.

Worthy of attention today is the theory according to which ball lightning is a natural phenomenon of electrical origin, which is a lightning of a special kind in the form of a ball, exists for quite a long time and is able to move along the most bizarre trajectory.

Despite the degree of knowledge of such a phenomenon as ball lightning, lightning protection of a private house is an important stage in the construction of safe housing. And only properly organized lightning protection for buildings will help us protect ourselves and our families from this rare, but very dangerous phenomenon.

Without a doubt, ball lightning is a dangerous phenomenon, but over the period of its existence, humanity has accumulated vast experience on how to make a meeting with it safe for themselves and their property.

Despite the fact that a lightning rod in a private house is unable to protect one hundred percent from an uninvited guest, sometimes it is its presence that saves residents from inevitable death.

In order to make a meeting with ball lightning as safe as possible, a special lightning protection for buildings and structures has been developed, as well as a lightning rod in a private house.
Let's take a closer look with you, what is such lightning protection for buildings as a lightning rod.

What is a lightning rod

It should be noted that such a concept as a lightning protection system is better known in everyday life under the formidable word - lightning rod. What do we mean by this word?

A lightning rod is a device installed on the roof of buildings and consisting of lightning arresters, grounding and down conductors, necessary to protect against lightning ingress into it.

Despite the fact that the percentage of ball lightning hitting your house is negligible, you should not underestimate it: an unloaded gun hanging on the wall for many years can also sometimes be a mortal danger. And so let's not neglect the rules of personal safety!

During a thunderstorm, inductive charges arise in the air, and the strongest electric fields are formed near the surface of the Earth. The field strength especially increases near sharp conductors, and therefore a corona discharge is ignited near lightning rods.

As a result, inductive charges cannot accumulate on buildings and, as a result, no lightning strikes are observed.

Despite its simplicity, such lightning protection for buildings works very effectively. But if any crazy heavenly guest still wants to disturb your peace, she is unlikely to succeed, since the wakeful lightning rod will immediately catch her and send her straight to the ground.

It is believed that the lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1752, but there are examples in history when lightning protection for buildings and structures was equipped much earlier.

Lightning protection of a private house

Considering ourselves smart and reasonable people, we decided to install a lightning rod. In short, first of all, we must protect people and animals in the house from electric shock, and the structure itself and electrical equipment from destruction and possible ignition.

This task is easy to accomplish if you correctly install a lightning rod on the roof, which is an example of external lightning protection for buildings, as well as organize high-quality internal protection from an uninvited guest.

Lightning protection of buildings and structures is very easy to organize if you approach this issue with all responsibility.
We make lightning protection for the building.

Lightning protection elements for buildings and structures

• A lightning rod is required to receive an electric discharge in the zone of expected contact with the lightning channel. This element can be made in the form of a metal pin, a network or a cable stretched along the contour of the building.
• Down conductor - an element necessary for the removal of electrical energy from the lightning rod and its transfer to the ground. It is made of a metal wire having a sufficiently large cross section.
• Grounding is one or more elements connected together that are in close contact with the ground. Most often it is made of a metal plate buried several meters deep into the ground.

All structural elements of lightning protection of buildings and structures are fixed to each other and to the supporting structure using special fasteners.

At the initial stage of installing lightning protection for structures and buildings, we choose a place for the future lightning rod. When choosing a place, we give preference to the most protruding parts of the roof.

After installing the lightning rod, we weld a galvanized steel wire at least 5 mm thick to it. This wire is called a down conductor and it is she who will have to courageously transfer the celestial charge to her colleague grounding.

This structural element is laid in places of a possible lightning strike. For example, along the edge of the pediment either. To fix the wire on the roof, it is advisable to use any fasteners (brackets, nails). We carry out their fastening at a distance of 15–20 cm from each other.

According to sad statistics, at least 700 people a year die from lightning in our country. Therefore, it is especially important to protect yourself and your loved ones from lightning and its consequences.

Successfully solves this problem lightning rod, or as it is otherwise called a lightning rod. In order to understand how it works, one should understand the essence of the lightning itself and its consequences. Lightning is a gigantic electric discharge with a colossal current, reaching 10-100 thousand amperes, and a voltage sometimes reaching 50 million volts. A direct lightning strike into a building in which a lightning protection system is not installed can cause a large fire, and the electromagnetic field created by lightning causes damage to household appliances that are connected to the network.

The company "MZK-Electro" carries out the calculation and installation of lightning rods in the country, multi-apartment and commercial buildings, industrial facilities and substations.

The cost of designing a lightning protection system

* in the absence of plans, drawings in *.dwg format, the cost of the project increases by 5000.00 rubles.

In our work, we use only equipment from world manufacturers!

Design terms - from 5 working days, cost - from 5 thousand rubles
System warranty - 2 years from the moment of signing the acceptance certificate.
We carry out installation not only in Moscow and the Moscow region, but also in the regions!
In addition, we carry out work on measurements at facilities with the issuance of a protocol.

The principle of operation of a lightning rod

Lightning rods are a system for intercepting lightning at the moment of discharge in the protected area. The classic version is a pin lightning rod that rises above the protected object. Due to the height and special material of manufacture, such a lightning rod for summer cottages and other buildings takes the blow on itself and transfers it further through the down conductor to the ground.

Another option is a cable system, when a stretched metal cable serves as an interceptor.

A similar solution is a lightning protection mesh laid on the roof with a certain step.

All these systems are made of durable materials with high current conductivity, such as steel, copper, aluminum and are classified as passive systems. This means that the interception of the discharge is due to the general laws of physics without generating additional actions. In addition to it, there is also modern active lightning protection.

In most cases, lightning acts predictably, despite the complete unpredictability of this natural phenomenon - it does not select a target, but strikes directly at the highest object. In general, if your house is the tallest building within a radius of 200-300m, then a lightning rod will be a useful addition to your house. It is he who will save you from unpleasant, and sometimes very dangerous outcomes associated with a direct lightning strike into the house. It will be discussed in this article, in which, together with the site site, we will answer the following questions: what are lightning rods, how are they arranged and how are they made by hand?

Lightning rod photo

Lightning rod: varieties and their designs

In principle, the design of a lightning rod is a simple mechanism consisting of three simple parts, which are easy to manufacture independently and assemble into a single system.

1. The lightning receiver is an iron element raised several meters above the roof of the building. It can be placed both directly on the building itself, and next to it, nearby.
2. Down conductor. In fact, this is a thick steel or copper core, through which the current received from the discharge of lightning that has fallen into the receiver is transmitted to the ground loop.
3. Ground loop. Its purpose is simple - it is with its help that a lightning discharge is transmitted to the ground, where it goes out without causing any harm to buildings and people.

This is how all types of lightning rods are arranged without exception. Moreover, two elements of this device remain unchanged all the time - this is a current collector and. The varieties of these devices are influenced solely by the design of the lightning receiver, which we will discuss further.

1. Rod lightning rod. This device is familiar to almost all residents of the private sector - it is an ordinary metal mast raised a couple of meters above the top edge. Such a mast can stand both on the roof of the house, and a little away from the building or nearby, along the wall of the house. In fact, a stand-alone lightning rod is simpler in terms of manufacturing - the mast itself is both a lightning discharge receiver and a down conductor. It is directly connected to the ground loop in the most rigid way (welding).

   

   Rod lightning rod photo

2. Linear, or, as it is also called, wire lightning rod. To make it easier to understand what the conversation is about, this lightning rod can be represented as a wire or cable stretched between two small masts - hence its name. What is the main difference between such a device and a conventional mast? In the ability to completely capture all lightning discharges, not allowing even a small part of them to fall on the metal elements of the structure. In most cases, such a lightning rod is connected to the ground loop through a separate powerful current-conducting core - it can be either a large copper section, or a metal strip or rod.

   

   Wire lightning rod photo

3. Mesh lightning receiver. Its essence lies in the name itself - such a current collector is placed directly on the roof of the house. From above, a full-fledged grid is created from thick conductive wires, which takes on all lightning discharges. Then everything is standard - by means of a current-carrying cable or a thick steel strip (or bar), static voltage discharges are directed to the ground loop, where they are dissipated without harming the structure.

   

   Mesh lightning rod photo

These basic designs of lightning traps are enough to completely protect your home from such a natural phenomenon as lightning.

Lightning rod in a private house and its ground loop

By and large, the grounding of lightning rods is arranged in the same way as the grounding loop of the house itself - here you should immediately understand one point that these two loops should not be connected to each other - these are two separate elements. By connecting a lightning rod to the ground loop of the house, you risk losing not only all electrical equipment, but the whole house in general, in one moment - you will have to equip a separate ground to protect against lightning discharges.

It is made in almost exactly the same way as the grounding of the house, with the exception of some differences.

As you can see, only the principle is common between the ground loop of the house and the same part of the lightning rod - the requirements for these protection elements are different. Another point that unites these two systems is the depth of their occurrence - the upper part of the contour is located at a depth of 500-800mm above the ground surface.

Lightning rod device: how to connect grounding and lightning receiver

The current-carrying or, more correctly, the current-transmitting part of the lightning rod is no less important element than its grounding and the lightning receiver itself - just imagine what will happen to the house if this element of the device simply cannot withstand the load and burns out. In this case, all lightning discharges will fall into the house, and then only a miracle can save from trouble. It is for this reason that the conductive bus should be taken no less seriously than anything else. There are only two important points that must be observed, as they say, unquestioningly.

As for the fastening of the conductive core to the walls of the building, plastic clips are used here. Ideally, in order to keep the lightning conductor intact for a long time, it is better to isolate it from the environment by placing it in an ordinary cable channel.

In principle, that's all, it remains to add not so much. Namely, about such moments as lightning protection of individual elements of the roof. If there is, then around it you need to wind at least a couple of turns of the current-carrying core and connect it to a common lightning rod. Also, all roofing elements made of metal need protection - for example, gutters and pipes that drain water. Only in this case, a lightning rod made independently will be a reliable protection of the house from lightning discharges.

What could be better than the safety of your family? This is rather a rhetorical question that suggests that everything in your power must be done in order to prevent the likelihood of an accident at home as much as possible. One of the procedures that may be required for this is the installation of a lightning rod. What kind of design is this and how to mount it correctly with your own hands? The article is devoted to these issues.

Why design is needed

It is possible to predict the location of a lightning strike, but it is quite difficult, because there are several points where it can strike at the same time. It is desirable to create a device for her that will take the brunt of it. Such a design is a lightning rod. Its task is to receive a high-voltage electrical discharge and dissipate it. In the absence of a lightning rod in a private house, irreparable things can happen. If the discharge reaches the power supply at home, then almost all equipment that is connected to electricity will fail. In addition, lightning can cause a fire.

The design of the lightning rod is not too complicated, so you can build it yourself, spending a little time. The materials that are necessary for the entire structure will be described below. Their cost is low, and some of them may already be available in the country or in a country house.

Structural Components

The whole system can be divided into three main components, without one of which it will not function:

• lightning rod;
• conductor module;
• grounding.

Each of these elements has its own materials.

Pantograph

This element in the lightning rod takes the first and main blow. Its task is to attract a lightning strike so that it does not hit other buildings that are within the range of the lightning rod system. The higher the current collector is, the higher its efficiency. It can be implemented in several ways:

• pin;
• grid;
• cable;
• roof.

In specialized stores, you can find a ready-made lightning rod design that is installed on the roof. The manufacturer provides for the stability of the structure to strong winds, as well as an element for simple fastening of the structure to the surface. The material for the current collector can be copper, steel or aluminum. Copper has good conductivity and less resistance, but the cost of such a product will be significant. GOST provides for certain parameters that this lightning rod module must comply with. For example, its height must be at least 50 cm from the roof level. In addition, the cross section of the lightning rod conductor depends on the material and is 35 square millimeters for copper and 70 square millimeters for steel. A separate lightning rod can be mounted for each building.

On tall buildings, rods can also be installed as a lightning rod receiver, but in some cases a metal mesh is also used. It is made from rebar. At the same time, its dimensions are also standardized. The minimum rebar diameter is 6 mm. Cells inside the lightning rod structure should not be more than 12 meters in size. For private houses, in addition to the pin, a cable can also be used. The installation of such a lightning rod is carried out along the ridge. It should cover the entire length of the roof. The cable can be fixed on wooden or metal supports. For the latter option, it will be necessary to isolate the racks from the roof plane with rubber or other material. The cable diameter must be at least 5 mm.

Note! In some cases, a metal roof can be used as a lightning rod in a lightning rod.

In this case, the thickness of the cladding must be at least 0.4 mm. In addition, the roof deck must be insulated from the truss system, and the latter must not be flammable. This also applies to insulation under the roof.

intermediate module

The intermediate module in the lightning rod is the down conductor part. Its task is to transmit a pulse from the receiver to the scattering circuit. In the manufacture of this part of the lightning rod, all standards must be observed. The reason is that momentum can go in the wrong direction if a mistake is made. A wire with a diameter of at least 6 mm is used as a conductor. In this case, the conductor must have a bolted and welded connection with the receiver and the circuit. The intermediate lightning rod module must be isolated so that residents cannot interact with it. The path that the pulse must travel from the receiver to the ground loop must be the shortest, which affects the choice of the path for laying the element.

Ground loop

The final lightning rod module. It should be said right away that a lightning rod must have its own circuit. It cannot be combined with a common ground in a private house. This is due to the fact that the impulse can easily go to the home power network, which will reduce the efficiency of the entire structure to zero. The final lightning rod module is a straight or triangular structure that is dug into the ground. The depth of immersion will depend on the quality of the soil and the proximity of groundwater. In a standard situation, pieces of reinforcement with a length of 2 meters are hammered at a depth of 80 cm and then connected with a metal corner. In the case of proximity to groundwater, pins in the circuit may be absent, and only a welded triangle is used.

Note! The required cross section of the conductor to be used in the ground loop must be at least 100 mm2.

Carrying out calculations

Before proceeding with the derivation of lightning rod numbers, it is necessary to understand that when installing a lightning rod, two zones are allowed, which have different protection efficiency. The first provides a tap to 99.5% of the pulse. In the second case, this percentage is reduced to 95%. In practice, this means that in the second case, the circumference of the lightning rod that covers the building is smaller. The protective effect of the entire system can be compared to a cap in the form of a cone. Its top is at the extreme point of the receiver. A circle is formed from it at an angle, which is the protection zone. One of the circles is at roof level and the other is at ground level. The first should completely cover the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house.

Most often, it is required to find out the required height of the lightning rod cone so that the lower part of the cone covers the required area. The height in this case is denoted as h1 and is also the height of the imaginary cone. The calculations also use the variable factor R1, which indicates the radius of the circle at ground level. You will need to know the height of the building, which is entered into the formula as h0, respectively, the radius at the building level is denoted as R0. If it is required to obtain data for the first protection zone, then the calculations are carried out according to the following formulas:

• h1 = 0.85×hx (hx - pantograph height);
• R1 = (1.1-0.02) × hx;
• R0 \u003d (1.1-0.02) × (hx - h0 / 0.85).

For the second protection zone, the calculations will look like this:

• h1 = 0.92×hx (hx is the height of the pantograph);
• R1 = 1.5 x hx;
• R0 = 1.5 × (hx - h0 / 0.092).

Thanks to such calculations, it is possible to obtain the required parameters for a particular building.

Installation work

The purchase of material for a lightning rod should be made after the required figures have been received. The easiest way to start work is from below, so you need to choose in advance the place where the ground loop of the lightning rod will be located. It should be removed from the entrance, as well as from walking areas. A pit is dug to the required depth and reinforcement is driven in with a sledgehammer to the required level. After that, the reinforcement is welded with a metal corner. On this, the lightning rod circuit can be considered complete, but it is not worth burying it yet. A small output is made under the lightning rod conductor.

The next step is the installation of the lightning rod. It must be fixed at the highest point of the roof. The base should have several attachment points to the roof. An insulator must be installed between the base and the roof. If the current collector of the lightning rod has a large height, then it can be made in the form of a cone by welding fittings of various diameters together. In some cases, cable extensions are used to increase the strength of the structure. After fixing the lightning rod of the lightning rod, you can proceed to the intermediate link, which is the down conductor.

The material from which it should be made is discussed above. It is better to incur great expenses, but prepare it from copper. Under the down conductor on the roof, special holders are mounted, which must also be isolated from the surface. For metal tiles and corrugated board, there are ready-made modules that are easy to fix to the deck. It is better to lay the conductor along the ridge of the roof or along the valley, so that it is combined with the general appearance. The place where the down conductor of the lightning rod will go down to the ground should be well insulated. For these purposes, you can use a cable channel or corrugation. When the down conductor is connected to the ground loop, the latter can be buried. A description of the lightning rod installation process is also in the video below.

Summary

As you can see, the lightning rod can be calculated and mounted independently. When working at height, all safety regulations for such work must be observed. The best solution is to work with a partner who can supply all the necessary tools, as well as consumables. The safety belt must be securely fixed with a rope to a solid support.