Lightning Protection Tutorial

Lightning strikes happen everywhere in the world, creating dramatic shows and causing severe damage. These massive bolts of electricity often strike trees, homes, barns and other structures. As a lightning bolt passes through an object it heats the object, often to temperatures of up to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. A lightning protection system offers lightning a low resistance path from the air to the earth, where the energy can dissipate without causing damage. Knowing the basics of lightning protection will help you keep your home and your family safe in the event of a lightning storm. Start with simple terminology. An air terminal is more commonly called a lightning rod; it attracts the lightning to a specific point. A down conductor is a thick wire that transmits the lightning from the air terminal to the ground. A grounding plate takes the electricity from the down conductor and dissipates it safely into the ground. Bonding is a way to make connections between each air terminal, down conductor and grounding plate.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Power drill
• Air terminals (2)
• Air terminal clamps (2)
• Down conductors (2)
• Bonding
• Down conductor clamps
• Shovel
• Grounding plates (2)

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Instructions

• 1

  Climb onto the top of your structure using a ladder and find the two highest points. The points should be chosen at either end of the structure and may include roof peaks or chimneys.

• 2

  Use your power drill to drill holes to attach the air terminal clamps to the tallest points of the structure. Attach the air terminal to the clamp with the included screws or bolts. Each manufacturer utilizes a different screw or bolt size. The drill holes should correspond to the bolt size included.

• 3

  Attach the air terminal to the clamp using the included fasteners and power drill, ensuring that it is secure.

• 4

  Attach down conductor to your air terminal and clamp using your bonding connectors.

• 5

  Run the down conductor down the corner of your house, avoiding any sharp angles or curves. Drill holes and attach the down conductor to your house using small bonding clamps. Attach clamps to the structure with their included hardware. The holes and hardware for clamp size will depend on the size of the down conductor.

• 6

  Dig holes with your shovel on each side of the structure, where your down conductors reach the ground. The holes should be 4 feet deep, and placed at least 3 feet away from the structure.

• 7

  Put your grounding plates into the the holes and attach the down conductors with bonding.

• 8

  Fill in the holes and check to make sure that all connections are secure.