You might want to visit The Lightning Protection Institute for
answers to your questions.
http://www.lightning.org/
73's
Tom - N4NW
At 02:40 PM 7/29/2009, you wrote:
>Last weekend a house in my father-in-laws subdivision was hit by
>lightning and was totaled even though 4 fire stations were on the scene.
>
>None of the houses around have lightning rods and HOA & CCR prohibits
>antenna towers.
>
>He thinks that the practice of running the gas line in the attic is a
>big contributor to the house fires from lightning. He says the lightning
>goes through the roof, or through the metal chimney and hits the black
>galvanized gas pipe and blows off a cap and ignites. Even with flow
>valves that are supposed to shut down if there is unrestricted flow, gas
>leaks out and helps fuel the fire.
>
>If we put lightning rods on the house, will that prevent the lightning
>from jumping to the gas line in the attic? Or will it jump anyway. He
>thinks it will jump anyway so it does not matter if there are lightning
>rods or not.
>
>You folks know more about lightning and lightning protection than I do,
>so I am looking for some advice.
>
>How big should the wire be from the lightning rod to the ground?
>
>I assume all lightning rods should be tied together, and multiple paths
>(2 or 3) from the roof to the ground are preferred to split up the
>current.
>
>Should the lightning rods be coupled to the house electrical service
>panel ground also, like with antennas, or should it be kept separate
>because it is not attached to equipment?
>
>Should the gas pipe at the ground level be tied to the lightning rod
>grounding rods? My thought is that if it is not then there is a big
>potential difference between the lightning rod and the gas line which
>creates a bigger voltage difference for the lightning to jump in the
>attic. If it is attached together where the pipe comes out of the ground
>then the gas pipe will have a charge which makes the difference between
>the lightning rods and the gas pipe less so there is not as much
>difference for the energy to jump from one to the other. Is this logic
>sound or nonsense?
>
>This is in North Texas, north of Dallas. We get some pretty good
>thunderstorms here.
>--
>
>
>Kipton Moravec AE5IB .- . ..... .. -...
>==============================================
>Four Way Test
>Is it the Truth?
>Is it Fair to all concerned?
>Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
>Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
>- Herbert J Taylor (1932)
>
>
>
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>
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Tom Gregory, N4NW
n4nw@n4nw.org
N4NW LLC - Complete Merchant Services
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