I'm surprised there hasn't been more response, so I'll throw in mine. Take
mine with a grain of salt.
The lightning rods and wiring ought to be done according to your local codes
/ national code, and don't deviate from that or your insurance company might
refuse coverage. That includes size and type of wiring, no sharp angles,
etc.
I believe there should never be a connection from the lightning rod wires to
anything else. Especially gas mains or any other plumbing. In addition to
being a likely code violation and almost certain to make someone very upset,
it just provides a path for the lightning to take to get into your house
wiring, plumbing, etc., which you DO NOT want.
Use of lightning rods doesn't guarantee no more serious damage, but does
help. You've got a momentarily very high E-M field all around it that can
induce voltages and currents in everything, things the lightning doesn't
actually "touch". A faraday cage does help, and to a very limited degree
that's what a complete lightning protection system (multiple rods with
multiple wires around the house) does.
Years ago I watched an apartment building around the corner from mine come
down, while the trucks doused it with water. It wasn't storm related or gas
related; it just illustrates the fact that sometimes you can't stop things
from burning, once they get hot enough. It didn't take long at all to reach
that point.
Andy
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