How to make a lightning rod in your home. Do-it-yourself installation of lightning protection in a private house - requirements and recommendations

Many private homeowners don't pay enough attention to protecting their property from lightning strikes until the rooster crows. One of the reasons that prompts you to equip a lightning rod in a private house with your own hands is a lightning strike in the courtyard. And it’s good if it’s not a house, but some less important object.

Lightning rod: to do or not?

Physical depreciation of the electricity networks of the old residential sector, electrical installations in need of repair, operated in rural homes, growing exponentially country buildings make the problem of lightning protection quite relevant. At the same time, the owner of any form of ownership must clearly understand that from a timely decision and his practical implementation depends on the lives of those close to him and those around him.

Lightning protection is considered to be the prevention of damage by a direct lightning strike of people, communications, buildings, as well as the manifestation of its secondary signs. about durable and safe operation houses should be taken care of even at the stage of its design. Using the established standards (GOST R IEC 62305-1-2010 "Protection against lightning" Part 1 and Part 2), you can decide on the choice of protection, its economic benefits. One thing is certain: a lightning rod for country house, cottage, country building will be the more reliable, the more expensive it is.

Attention! A frivolous attitude to the issue of manufacturing and installing a lightning rod, a lack of knowledge and experience can only aggravate the situation. Therefore, it is better not to make any lightning rod than to make it wrong.

Types of lightning protection

Prevention of direct lightning discharges into a structure (building) is considered external lightning protection. Keeping communications and equipment intact from inductive pickups, lightning strikes electrical networks, penetration through the grounding system into buildings implies internal lightning protection. Depending on how the lightning rod works, its effectiveness can be assessed in four categories:

1 - 98% (the highest, the degree of security);
2 – 95%;
3 – 90%,
4 – 80%.

Lightning rod: fundamental factors

The lightning rod device is nothing more than a structure that rises above the structure that enters the protection zone of the house, through which the lightning discharge, bypassing the house (dacha, cottage, etc.), is diverted into the ground.

It consists:

from a lightning rod that takes over the force of the discharge,
down conductor (descent) transporting it,
ground electrode - "extinguishing" the discharge in the soil.

At the same time, the house should be lower in height than the lightning rod (the difference is about 200 cm), located in the immediate vicinity of it or even under the outlet. Too high protection is also not desirable, otherwise it will attract lightning from all around.

Before you make a lightning rod, you need not only to think over its design features, but also to achieve maximum efficiency during operation. This can only be achieved by following certain rules. Carrying out a preliminary calculation of the lightning rod with the determination of the level of protection will allow to collect necessary set tools, consumables.

How does he work?

The principle of operation of a lightning rod is based on searching for a charge in the air, attracting it, receiving it and redirecting it to ground. After all, lightning primarily strikes metal objects, structures of significant height and in direct contact with the ground.

Another milestone, which involves a lightning rod in a private house with your own hands: a diagram of its execution. It can be a hand-drawn drawing or a serious drawing with a visual image of conductors, a pin, a ground electrode, fasteners, etc. It should contain a description of each element, the method of fastening and the route along which the wire for the lightning rod is laid to the ground, the ground itself.

Versions

The lightning rod takes the blow on itself, therefore it must meet the increased requirements of reliability during operation.

If it is a pivot, then the best material multi-profile rolled steel is used: water, gas pipes, metal rod. With a diameter of at least 100 sq. mm length should be about 200 cm from the place of fixation on the house. Hollow pipes from the upper end are welded or hermetically sealed with a cork. The most complete protection coverage area for cottages, summer cottages and private houses is observed at a height of the rod structure not exceeding 30 m.
A rope (galvanized steel rope) can be used. Several of its threads are suspended horizontally above the house on free-standing supports. The ends of the ropes must be grounded. It is only necessary to choose the right place for hanging the stretched structure.
The use of mesh protection from wire rod with a cross section of 8 mm, laid on the roof, or flat steel strips (with a cross section of up to 20 mm) is also relevant. Moreover, a grid-like lightning rod, connected to the ground loop by several separate conductors, is considered the most effective, allowing for the maximum protection factor.
The wire for a lightning rod as a current-removing element must be at least 6 mm in diameter (above-ground part). The same wire rod is used for these purposes. The piece of wire leaving the ground should not be thinner than 10 mm. In this underground section, a connection (welding, bolting) with a ground electrode is made.
As a reliable ground, use a sheet of metal sprinkled with soil (1 m x 1 m) or metal pipe, a rod driven into the ground by at least 1.5-2.0 m. In the place where the grounding is arranged, there must always be moist soil - an effective conductor. Durable will be grounding from copper, stainless steel.

How can you protect your home from lightning strikes?

Summer residents with their "light" buildings located in sparsely built-up areas are especially at risk of fire from lightning strikes. There is nothing else left but to make a lightning rod in the country. The most vulnerable places for lightning strikes: the edges of the gables, skylights, ridge, especially if the roof is wooden or covered with slate.

You can make a simple lightning rod like this:

two opposite far points are selected on parallel gables of the roof;
bars are vertically fixed in them so that their ends rise above the top point of the roof ridge by 25 cm, at least;
a steel wire (5-6 mm in cross section) is stretched between the bars along the roof.
a screw connection to the upper parts of the beam is attached to the main part of the metal with a height of 1.0-1.5 m of the lightning rod. It can consist of a steel corner, a pipe (ᴓ 50 sq. M.);
the pipe for removing combustion products into the atmosphere is closed with a stainless steel lampshade, or with a twist of wire connected to a conductor.
according to the scheme, optimal way down conductor is laid along outer wall at home, where it is connected to grounding, which is buried 100-200 cm into the ground.

Attention! The lightning rod device involves the installation of a separate structure with its own grounding. It is forbidden to adapt an existing household grounding under it.

Organization of lightning protection: how to do it right

An economical option for lightning protection is a simple vertically mounted rod. It must be located separately from the building on a pillar, a tall tree. The height of the installation directly affects the probability of a discharge entering the house: the higher the rod, the less likely it is.

Before making a lightning rod in wooden house, you need to familiarize yourself with the implementation of complex protection. It is she who will be able to protect the building and equipment not only in case of a direct threat of a discharge, but from the destructive effects of lightning, which occurs, sometimes, even at a distance of several kilometers from your home.

Table Materials and minimum values of the cross sections of the elements of the outer ISM

Protection	Material	Section, mm	Note
Natural lightning rod	iron 4 mm thick	*	galvanized/stainless steel
(tank shell, pipe)	copper 5 mm thick	*
	aluminum 7 mm thick	*
Special lightning rod	steel	50	galvanized/stainless steel
	copper	35
	aluminum	70
Tokovod	steel	50	galvanized/stainless steel
	copper	16
	aluminum	25
grounding conductor	steel	100	galvanized/stainless steel
	copper	50	cable
	aluminum	*	not applicable
equalizing conductor	iron	50	galvanized/stainless steel
	copper	16
	aluminum	25

The principle of operation of a complex type lightning rod is based on the close interaction of the external and internal leads converging in the ground. The choice of material for the external structure depends on the angle of inclination of the roof slopes, their size, decorative roofing and its properties, the absence or presence of additional elements on the roof, antennas, etc.

For the internal branch, the potential equalization bus is considered to be a fundamental element. Its purpose is to counteract a strong powerful impulse charge that causes an overvoltage coming into the building from power lines or through various communications. Down conductors are equipped as close as possible to the outer corners of the house.

At traditional way organization of a lightning rod, it is necessary to ensure that all conductive (metal) parts of the roof of the house are connected to the lightning protection. Roofing from metal flooring, if it is not thinner than 0.5 mm, can serve as a kind of conductor.

In the case of an active set of measures to protect against electric shock, the pairing of all protruding metal parts of the roof frame is not required: the discharge passes along the path of least length.

According to statistics, in last years natural disasters are on the rise. And if a tsunami or an earthquake cannot be avoided, then reducing the death and destruction from lightning strikes is within the reach of any of us. To carry out simple activities that do not require significant capital investments with appropriate training is within the power of everyone. It is only necessary to follow a strict algorithm for performing work, use reliable materials, and not neglect the requirements of standards.

Historical reference or Who invented the lightning rod? A lightning rod (or lightning rod) is a mechanism that is installed on structures and performs the function of protection against a lightning strike. Commonly known as "lightning rod".

It is generally accepted that the lightning rod is an invention of Benjamin Franklin, which he made in 1752, but there is also evidence that similar structures existed before this date (for example, the high masts of ancient temples in Ancient Egypt, there were also buildings at the temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem, the Nevyansk tower, the kites of Jacques Rom). In Russia, the first lightning rods were created by M.V. Lomonosov and G.V. Richman in 1753.

In this article we will talk about what a lightning rod is and how it works, who invented the lightning rod and how to make a lightning rod for a country house with your own hands.

Lightning discharges are an extremely dangerous natural phenomenon, especially in a situation where structures are located in open areas, which is why it is necessary to install a lightning rod to ensure the peace and safety of your family. Installing a lightning rod will not require a huge amount of time, but, in the end, you will be sure that the buildings are reliably protected from various weather troubles.

Necessary tools and building materials

To install a lightning rod in a private house, you will need:

pin for lightning rod;
metal wire made of copper or aluminum with a cross section of 6 mm and a corrugation for a down conductor;
stainless steel for ground preparation;
welding machine;
saw with a disc for metal;
drill - electric;
multimeter;
sledgehammer or hammer;
bayonet shovel;
spanners;
bolts M8 or M10;
dowel;
clamps for fasteners;
powerful wooden pole;
holders.

Preparation stage

Planning must begin with determining the height of the structure. The top of the lightning rod must be placed up to 12 meters above the ground.

It should be noted that structures designed to protect buildings from lightning strikes protect buildings only in a limited area. The space around the structure itself can be considered protected. Therefore, when building a lightning rod, it is necessary to take this into account and build them so that all objects located on the site fall under protection.

There are two types of structures:

Type A
Type B

Lightning rods type A provide 99% protection, which makes them the most effective lightning protection structures.

Type B structures are less efficient than type A structures and as a result protect the structure by only 95%.

Important! The security zone created by the lightning rod will be within a radius of 1.5 times the height of the mast.

That is, at a height of 10 meters, the lightning rod will cover an area with a diameter of 30 meters. If it is necessary to protect a larger area with buildings, then the construction of two or three masts evenly spaced over the territory of the site will help solve the problem of lightning diversion. The lightning rod must be at a height of more than 2 meters from the surface in order to effectively perform the function of protecting the house from lightning.

Selection of a grounding installation site

The ground loop must be located at a distance of up to 1 meter from the foundation of the building that the lightning rod will protect, and a few meters from the sidewalks and the porch. The place of grounding during a thunderstorm is dangerous, therefore it is necessary to arrange it so as not to endanger households and guests. It would be best to find a place for her against a wall or fence enclosing the house. One option is to place some kind of flower bed or other composition of boulders, stones, etc. around the grounding zone.

Most suitable materials for components:

It is also necessary to determine in advance and mark the locations of all structural elements.

Construction installation

Grounding installation.

After marking, a pit is created with a shovel in the shape of a triangle - each side of which must be at least 1200 mm, depth - 600 - 700 mm. A trench is laid from the top of the triangle towards the wall of the house. At the end point, the end of the down conductor will fit.

At the ends of the vertical parts of the grounding elements, corners are cut off with a grinder, then with pointed ends they are driven into the ground to a depth of 2 meters with a heavy metal sledgehammer. When digging the pointed ends of the ground into the ground, it is necessary to strike with a sledgehammer strictly vertically so as not to bend the structure.

Using welding machine pieces of the same material are welded, from which a metal triangle is formed in trenches.

Installation of a lightning rod (lightning rod).

There are two ways to install a lightning rod:

The current collector is laid on the roof, and then on the wall vertically down and attached to the roof and wall with semicircular plastic or metal clamps. Bottom part the current washer must be fixed to the ground, led out of the wall of the house.

To do this, a hole is made in the ground plate, into which a bolt with a washer, nut and lock nut is installed. The stripped (sharp) end of the down conductor is clamped with a washer, nut and bolt, together with a twisted pair wrapped around the bolt. The holes are then dug in.

Examination

The installed system must be checked with a multimeter. Perform a resistance measurement - the device should have a value no higher than 10 ohms. If the readings of the device differ from the normative ones, check all the joints of the structure - there should be good electrical conductivity along the entire contour of the structure.

Conclusion

A properly installed rooftop lightning rod can protect your home and nearby buildings from lightning.

It is important to note that in the case of private houses, the issue of a lightning rod is decided by the owner. There are a number of factors in the placement of buildings that minimize, in principle, the likelihood of a lightning strike into a house:

if the house is in a lowland, then the probability of a lightning strike into the house during a thunderstorm is extremely small;
if there is a higher-rise building near the house, then most likely it will be struck by lightning. Thus, the danger of a lightning strike is leveled by the presence of a higher structure next to it;
if a lightning rod is installed on a neighboring house, then your house may also fall within the coverage area of a neighbor's lightning rod.

Thus, in some cases there may not be an urgent need to install a lightning rod. The feasibility of the installation must be evaluated depending on the above factors.

Devices can be specialized electronic circuits and arresters designed to operate when a certain voltage is reached. electric field, and even small amounts of radioactive materials. Active protection systems are much more expensive and more complicated than passive ones.

Proponents of active lightning protection claim that their lightning rods earlier generate response streamers greater length compared to passive ones. This allows you to use fewer lightning rods, and they can be placed lower. But, despite such statements, active lightning rods have not been unconditionally recognized by specialists.

Passive lightning protection

The principle of operation of passive lightning protection devices is quite simple and is based on the property of lightning to strike the highest and most grounded structures with good electrical conductivity. It consists in intercepting lightning heading towards an object and diverting it to the ground where she can't harm anyone, and also in mitigating the effects of her impact on the internal communications of the house.

Passive lightning protection can have rod or cable structure. A rod lightning rod, towering above the protected object, is a classic of lightning protection. In this case, lightning is intercepted in the protected area at the moment of discharge.

The lightning rod is made in the style of accompanying

Due to the elevation above the protected object and the special material from which it is made, the lightning rod takes the blow and passes it on through the down conductor to the ground.

Another option for passive lightning protection is cable system when the "interceptor" is a stretched metal cable. Cable lightning rods are used only for protection of narrow and long buildings(for example, cowsheds) or if it is not possible to install a sufficient number of lightning rods.

The cable system includes lightning protection mesh. It is stacked on with a certain step. All these systems are made of durable high-conductivity material - steel, copper, aluminum - which intercept the discharge according to the general laws of physics without generating additional actions.

Lightning protection for a country house

What is lightning protection country house? This device to prevent a direct lightning strike. protective agent serves as a lightning rod, designed to receive lightning and divert it to the ground.

The device consists of three interconnected parts, namely:

lightning rod located in the areas of expected contact with lightning, that is, above the object;
a grounding conductor (down conductor), which diverts the charge from the lightning rod to the ground electrode (most often it is a metal wire of large cross section);
grounding - rods and a strip buried in the ground.

All parts of lightning protection can be made in the form of a single stand-alone structure. For example, it can be a metal mast, which is simultaneously a lightning rod, support, conductor and ground.

The probability of a lightning strike into the protection zone is very low. These zones are conditionally divided into two categories - A and B.

In the category A zone, located closer to the lightning rod, the probability of protection is from 99.5%.
In the zone of category B, the degree of reliability is somewhat less - 95%.

If the whole house is included in the lightning protection zone, it can be said with confidence that it will not be struck. A house without a lightning rod cannot serve as a reliable shelter for a person during a thunderstorm.

Lightning protection of a country house is conditionally divided into:

external, to neutralize a direct blow lightning discharge to the house;
internal- to reduce possible damage internal systems Houses.

The internal lightning protection system of a house consists of surge protection devices caused by direct and indirect (for example, near the house) lightning strikes.

How to make a lightning rod?

So, a lightning rod consists of three parts: a lightning rod in the form of a rod or a cable or a grid, a current collector for transferring the received discharge to the ground electrode, and the ground electrode itself - several metal conductors that are in direct contact with the ground.

For estimated calculation you can use a simple rule: the radius of the protected area is 1-1.5 times the height of the lightning rod. Those. with a lightning rod height of 20 m, a circle with a radius of 20-30 m falls under its protection. If this area does not cover the area occupied by the house, two or more rods are installed at its different ends.

For the device of the simplest rod lightning rod as a lightning rod and down conductor, a steel, aluminum or copper rod of the required section is used, without insulation and cleaned of rust and paint. For example, steel rod with a diameter of 8 mm. If it is a hollow tube, the open end facing upwards must be welded.

When such a lightning rod cannot be arranged, the roof of the house can serve as it, if:

She herself, bearing beams and connections - metal;
The thickness of the steel roofing sheet is at least 4 mm;
There are no combustible or flammable materials under the roof.

A television antenna and elevated parts of the roof can also serve as a lightning rod.

If the considered options are not suitable for some reason, then, as an alternative, a lightning rod can be placed on top of a nearby tall tree(the tree should be significantly higher than the roof of the house).

Cable lightning rod is arranged along the roof ridge, pulling a metal cable between two supports. If the supports are not wooden, but metal, then they are isolated from the cable with reliable electrical insulators. The ground conductor can be metal corners, a strip or a sheet buried in the ground to a depth of at least 0.7 m and at a distance of 1 m from the wall of the house.

For connection structural elements lightning protections use welding or threaded fasteners. The main thing that the connection must be strong, then a strong gust of wind or a falling snow layer will not be able to break it.

If your house is made of stone, then the down conductor bus can be “launched” right along the wall. What if it's a house? In this case, the current collector is carried out at a distance of about 10 cm and is mounted on electrically insulated brackets.

When installing lightning protection even for a small one-story country house should be guided:

Instructions for the installation of lightning protection of buildings and structures RD 34.21.122-87 and
Instruction for lightning protection of buildings, structures and industrial communications SO 153-34.21.122-2003.

It is these documents that will tell you all the nuances of lightning protection and provide the house with a reliable “roof”.

However, the lightning protection system of a country house, for all its simplicity, has subtleties to consider during its design and operation. For instance:

For metal roofing lightning protection using a rod is possible, and for a polymer - a grid.
For slate or wooden roof it is better to use a wire lightning rod.

Annually you need:

inspect all parts of the lightning rod,
check the integrity of connections and fasteners,
change damaged areas
clean contacts, etc.

Approximately every 5 years- check the depth of corrosion of the ground electrode.

Today, when putting a house into operation, the presence of lightning protection is not required, therefore, each homeowner makes his own decision on the advisability of installing it. Let's not wait until "thunder strikes." Moreover, it is heard only a few seconds after the next “fiery arrow” pierces the ground.

Is your home securely protected from lightning strikes?

Before considering the process of calculating and installing a lightning rod in a private house, you need to find out the physical causes of the phenomenon. This will allow you to better understand all the actions and possible consequences in case of violation of the developed instructions.

Thunder - air waves that appear due to sharp increase air pressure after lightning contact. The current in lightning can reach 500 thousand amperes, and the voltage is several million volts. Such a powerful eclectic discharge causes the air to heat up to high temperatures, and its volume increases sharply. As a result, sound waves from lightning arise, which are called thunder. Thunder is a consequence of lightning and does not pose any danger to the house; it is necessary to protect buildings not from it, but from lightning.

Accordingly, to build not a lightning rod, but a lightning rod.

Why do you need a lightning rod

Some not very literate developers think that a metal pin attached to the ridge of the house will attract all the lightning along a cylindrical circle above it and lead them to the ground along the wire. For this purpose, a piece of wire rod is specially buried near the house. Such ideas are very far from science, a metal pin stuck in the ground near the house and tied to a rod on a skate will not bring any benefit. Why?

Where can I find a wire that can withstand a current of 500,000 A and a voltage of 1,000,000,000 V? It is this kind of discharge that lightning has when it meets the ground.
Why, in principle, attract lightning and direct it along the wire, risking setting fire to the building due to overheating of the down conductor?
What to do if on suburban area several buildings of different heights? Will we have to make a lightning rod system for everyone?

Conclusion. It is necessary to mount not a lightning rod, but a lightning rod. All actions should be aimed not at attracting lightning, but on the contrary, at creating conditions that minimize the likelihood of it entering the structure.

This is very complex calculations, simplified formulas give a large error. Sometimes it is not possible to fulfill the initial specifications, there may be several reasons, some of them are objective and not amenable to human influence.

Prices for lightning protection and grounding

Lightning protection and grounding

When you need to install a lightning rod in a private house

Again, we need to remember a little theory about lightning - the actions during the installation of a lightning rod will become clearer. There can be several types of lightning, but we are only interested in the cloud-to-ground direction. At the initial stage, streamers appear, which later combine and form stepped leaders. It is they who glow brightly and are rapidly heading towards the earth.

As it approaches, the voltage of the eclectic field on the earth increases, all the electrons in it rush upward and at the highest point throw out a response streamer towards. It connects to the leader, the circuit closes, the electric discharge goes to the ground. The channel heats up to 20,000–30,000°C, the air expands and creates strong sound waves (thunder).

Now it will be clearer when it is necessary to mount lightning rods on the house.

If the earth in the area has a large number of ions. Such zones are located in waterlogged areas, they can accumulate a large amount of charge. Pay attention to how often lightning occurs in your area, talk to the old-timers. If they cannot remember cases of lightning strikes in any objects, then there is no need to mount a lightning rod.
The house is located on lands capable of accumulating a charge, lightning strikes are not uncommon in this area. Installation of a lightning rod is mandatory, but you must strictly follow the installation rules and perform preliminary calculations.

How lightning rod works

An effective lightning protection system is aimed at minimizing the direction of stepped lightning leaders into the building area. And for this there is only one condition - the electric potential of the earth in this area must be minimal and necessarily much less than in neighboring ones. This task should be performed by lightning rods. They constantly, and not only during a thunderstorm, send into the atmosphere electric charges and thereby significantly reduce the voltage potential. The conditions for the appearance of oncoming streamers disappear, lightning finds other points of energy removal.

Important. If lightning strikes a lightning rod, it means that it is installed incorrectly and causes harm instead of good.

The size of the protected area depends on the quantity and quality of the ground rods, they collect electrons and send them through the wires to the vertical rod of the lightning rod. From there, the electrons gradually pass into the atmosphere. Due to this continuous process, the potential under the house is reduced and the probability of lightning strikes is automatically minimized.

Now that the principle of operation of a lightning rod is clear, the tasks of each element of the system are clear, you can proceed to install protection at home.

Step by step installation instructions

As it is already clear from the above, lightning protection should be installed only in combination with effective grounding, otherwise the system will not function.

It is recommended to proceed to the work only after calculating the number, size and location of the ground electrodes. Only qualified specialists can perform such calculations. By the way, after installation, they must check the effectiveness of grounding with special devices (megohmmeters), if the indicators turn out to be unsatisfactory, then it will have to be corrected or completely redone.

Step 1. Bend the tendril of the wires, assemble the two halves of the ridge holders.

They are made in such a way that with the help of adjusting holes and screws it is possible to change the main parameters. The elements can be firmly fixed to skates of various sizes, while the reliability of fastening is maintained for the entire period of operation, spontaneous unscrewing is completely excluded.

Step 2 Attach down conductor holders to the ridge. If you are buying an industrial lightning protection system, great, it has all the elements necessary to install the equipment. You can make them yourself, but this will take additional time. In addition, handicraft holders lose significantly in terms of design form and do not decorate the building in any way.

The distance between them is about one meter, care must be taken that the wire does not touch the roof covering. Try to fasten with the same pitch, so the system looks much better and does not adversely affect appearance Houses.

Practical advice. On rooftops, always work with a safety rope, especially metal coatings. If it is not possible to purchase industrial equipment for climbers, then make an elementary one yourself.

Lambs (nuts) tighten strongly, use open-end wrenches or pliers. Remember that it is difficult to correct the mistake made later, you will have to climb onto the roof again. Pay attention to everything vertical racks to install the wires were located strictly on the same line.

Step 3 Start laying the wire on the ridge holders. It should be even, the diameter is calculated by a specialist, but in most cases it cannot be less than 6 mm. It is desirable that the surface of the wire be coated with a layer of zinc, due to this, performance characteristics are significantly improved.

The wire is not covered with rust, brown streaks do not appear on the roof. Traces of rust greatly worsen the appearance of the structure.
Due to the fact that the wire does not rust, the resistance indicators remain unchanged for a long time. And this is very important parameter any lightning rod.
At the joints, the resistance decreases, during operation it does not worsen the physical and electrical characteristics.

It is not worth saving on the quality of all lightning protection elements, otherwise the efficiency will be insufficient, the money for the purchase and installation can be considered wasted. Clamp the wire with special tongues with pliers.

Step 4 Bend the end of the wire protruding beyond the slope at a right angle, leave a piece about 50 cm high, cut off the excess with special wire cutters.

Step 5 Smear threaded connections special mastic, if it is not available, then you can use ordinary grease. Mastic additionally protects metal surfaces from oxidation. The fact is that during the tightening of the nuts, the zinc on the thread breaks off due to strong friction, and the opening of the metal requires protection.

Step 6 Proceed with fastening the wire on the slopes in the longitudinal direction. Here the installation technology depends on the type of roofing material.

Single wave metal tile. It is necessary to loosen the screws a little, lift the sheet and insert the mounting bracket into the gap formed. He has curved shape legs, which goes into the recesses of the metal tile and is firmly fixed in it. Tighten the roof fixing screw. Install the wire and clamp it with tabs.
Piece tile. For such a roof there are special brackets, they have an increased leg length and several notches with tongues. Before installing the bracket, the tongue must be bent at a distance equal to the length of the piece tile, due to this, the strength of the fastening increases. Then you should lift the tile and slip the bracket under it; when the roof is lowered, it is fixed in a fixed position. The wire is attached to it in the usual way.
Sheet metal tiles. For fastening the wire, special brackets are sold, which must be fixed on top of the roof with self-tapping screws. It is necessary to ensure that the self-tapping screws must fall into the boards of the crate. Two rubber gaskets are used to seal the hole. One is installed between the bracket and the roof surface, and the second between the bracket and the washer of the self-tapping screw.
Flexible bituminous tile. This roofing has a solid base, which greatly simplifies the technology of fixing brackets. They are screwed to the surface with ordinary wood screws, rubber linings are used to seal the holes.

Practical advice. There are situations when, according to the lightning rod project, it is required to transfer one wire from the front slope to the rear one. At the intersection with the ridge wire, it is recommended to connect them, use elements with bolted tightening for this. Thus, you will achieve reliable contact of down conductors.
Prices for down conductor holders

Holders for down conductor

Step 7 Screw the brackets to the edge of the gutter of the drainage system, the wire is fixed to them with bolts. Tighten connections with great force.

Down conductors installed on the house are connected to grounding.

Grounding manufacturing

This is the most important element lightning rod, as already mentioned above, only a specialist with a special education should calculate the parameters. He must know the resistance of the soil, its composition, proximity ground water and other source data. Based on the calculations, the material is selected, the manufacture of metal pins, the distance and quantity, the depth of burial for each grounding. Depending on the size of the house, a specific location of grounding conductors is selected.

Prices for voltage stabilizers

Surge Protectors

For steel pins, the cross-sectional area must be at least 80mm2, for copper 50mm2. It must be remembered that both steel and copper oxidize at different rates, and oxides negatively affect current conductivity. The cross section and surface area of the rods must be chosen with a margin, and resistance measurements should be taken annually. Upon reaching critical values it is recommended that the rods be dug up and cleaned of rust.

The depth of the trenches is not less than 5.0 m, the length is not less than three meters. These indicators largely depend on physical characteristics soils, decisions are made by a specialist at the work site.

All ground connections are best done by welding, clamps quickly lose their initial resistance values. Welding is mandatory on both sides, the seam length is at least five centimeters.

Professionals advise instead of round pins to use a metal strip with a thickness of at least 1 mm and a width of about three to four centimeters. Such metal is not only cheaper, but also significantly increases the operating time of the lightning rod due to large area ground contact.

To make or not to make a lightning rod is the business of every developer. Strict requirements are established only for public buildings and premises with large quantity people. There are no exact statistics on the system's performance, no one knows how many lightnings were managed to be removed from the building and what the efficiency of the device is.

Now you know how to properly mount a lightning rod in a private house. But once again we remind you that before starting work, you must carefully analyze all the factors that affect the likelihood of a lightning strike into a building, and only then make a final decision. In order for the installation of a lightning rod to give the expected effect, the roof of the house must comply with existing building codes.

Video - Installation of a lightning rod

A reliable lightning rod in a summer cottage will not only protect a person from being struck by lightning, but also a house from fire, especially if it is wooden. Consists good system lightning protection from a grounding conductor, down conductor and lightning rod. Next, we will tell readers about what all the elements of the system should be like and how to make a lightning rod in a private house with your own hands!

How the system works

To begin with, let's look at how the lightning protection of a private house works and what is needed to create it. You can clearly see all the constituent elements of the system in this diagram:

As you already understood, the metal rods on the roof are lightning rods that divert a dangerous discharge to the ground through a down conductor and a special one.

There is an opinion that if a telephone tower is installed near the house, you can not make a lightning rod in a private house. This is wrong, because it is better to spend a little time and provide yourself with complete protection against a lightning strike. In order for you to know what a lightning rod should be and how to make it correctly with your own hands, below we will separately consider the features of choosing each of the elements of the system.

A brief overview of the installation of lightning protection

Constituent elements of protection

Lightning rod

The main task is to choose the right lightning rod, which should provide full protection country house in its area of operation. Today, a pin, a mesh, a cable, or the roof itself can act as a lightning receiver. Let us consider in detail the features of the application of each of the options in a private house.

As for the pin, there are already finished goods from manufacturers who have suitable shape and convenient fastening. As a rule, the metal used to manufacture the lightning rod is copper, aluminum or steel. The first option is the most suitable and effective. In order for the receiver to do its job well, its cross section must be at least 35 mm 2 (if copper) or 70 mm 2 (steel rod). With regard to the length of the rod, in living conditions it is recommended to use receivers with a length of 0.5 to 2 meters. The pins are convenient to use in order to make a lightning rod on garden house, bath or other, small building.

The metal mesh can also be sold in already ready-made. As a rule, a mesh lightning rod is a cellular frame made of reinforcement, 6 mm thick. The size of the cells can be from 3 to 12 meters. Most often, this type of lightning protection is used in apartment buildings and large buildings such as shopping malls.

Rope is more practical at home and does the job better than mesh. To make a lightning rod in a private house with a cable, you need to stretch it along the roof (along the ridge) for wooden blocks as shown in the photo below. The minimum diameter of the cable for lightning protection of the building must be 5 mm. As a rule, this option is used if they want to make a lightning rod on a house with a slate roof with their own hands.

Well, the last option - the roof as a receiver, can be used if the roof of a residential building is covered with corrugated board, metal tiles or other metal roofing material. With this type of lightning rod, two important requirements are imposed on the roof. First, the thickness of the metal must be at least 0.4 mm. Secondly, there should be no flammable materials under the roof. It is possible to make a lightning rod in a private house with a metal roof much faster and at the same time save on the purchase of special lightning rods.

Please note that if you use a mesh, its installation must be carried out at a height of at least 15 cm above the roof itself!

Down conductor

grounding conductor

Well, the last element of the lightning rod is the ground loop. In order not to make the material too voluminous, we have allocated a separate article for this issue -. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the information so that you know all the subtleties of this stage.

In short, we can say that the ground loop should be located near the house, but not in the walking part of the site, but, on the contrary, closer to the fence. The discharge of the charge to the ground is carried out by metal rods buried in the soil to a depth of 0.8 meters. All rods are best placed according to the scheme, which is just shown in the photo: