How to make a lightning rod in the country with your own hands. Grounding and lightning protection in a private house Lightning protection - external protection

It would be more correct to call this building lightning rod, but from the point of view of euphony, a lightning rod is more acceptable. In a sense, this name is associated with a long-standing human fear of the forces of nature, the ancients considered thunder to be a sign of the wrath of the gods.

In fact, during a thunderstorm, a large amount of electrical energy that creates a strong electric field near the surface of the earth, the most powerful voltage occurs near all kinds of sharp conductors.

In such cases, we can see luminous discharges on the tips, which are not at all harmful to the building. The shock hits the receiver, passes through the conductor and goes into the ground through the ground. Do you need or do not need a lightning rod in the country and how to make it yourself, there will be an article about this.

Why is it dangerous to get lightning into the house?

Lightning has a certain, fairly strong destructive power and can simply damage a building. In addition, lightning, getting into the roof, will touch the electrical wiring, a short circuit will occur. If there is a special protection on the electrical wiring, then the electricity will turn off, if it is not there, a number of turned-on appliances, such as a refrigerator, will burn. But the worst thing that can be is a fire that arose from a short circuit.

Device

It is believed that the first lightning rod-lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin, he described his device in the weekly "Poor Richard's Almanack". I must say that devices similar to lightning rods can be seen even among the ancient Egyptians: during the Middle Ages, lighthouses were equipped with structures designed to play the role of a lightning rod, and today we can see their needles.

Medieval temples and Muslim mosques could not do without lightning rods. We can safely say that lightning rods are ancient and useful devices.

Strictly speaking, this device consists of 3 parts:

DIY lightning rod

Making a lightning rod-lightning rod with your own hands is not difficult. This does not require any special skills. It is enough just to be able to use household welding, or to be able to firmly fasten the bolts and not be afraid of heights. Necessary:

• make a lightning rod circuit;
• stock up on materials: wire, rods, tools and a welding machine, as well as paint for staining joints. It is more reliable to make a lightning rod by welding, but bolts and nuts can be used;
• pick a good day, work on the roof even country house necessary in dry and fine, calm weather;
• think over the model lightning rod, but it is better to draw it;
• decide what part of the work can be done on the ground, and what will need to be done on the roof;
• and get to work.

Note: parts can not be soldered, but simply twisted very tightly with bolts and nuts. The main thing here is that during the passage of an electric discharge there is no short circuit that can cause a fire.

Our goal is to save the house from a fire, not cause it. All soldered or twisted places should preferably be painted to protect against corrosion.
And most importantly, if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to let professionals do this work.

Installing a lightning rod

Installing a lightning rod the most hard part tasks. Having chosen the highest point of the building, it is necessary to install a metal pin on it, which in turn is attached to a wooden base.

As the highest point may be suitable:

• chimney, they are usually located quite high;
• horse at home, often it looks like a weather vane - it will be useful and beautiful;
• a ledge on the roof is almost always decorative elements;
• an antenna that can itself serve as a lightning rod if it is made of aluminum or other metal and is not painted.

As a lightning rod, sometimes a metal roof is used, arranged as a whole with a sufficient thickness of iron and equipped with appropriate protection, or a part of the roof with the same characteristics, as well as drains, provided they are made of metal of the desired diameter, or metal fences on the roof.

grounding

grounding- this is a device that diverts a charge, often of very high values ​​\u200b\u200binto the ground, in fact eliminates its destructive power.

Given the specifics of the component being arranged, it is necessary that it be located at a distance of at least 1 meter from the wall of the building and at least 5 meters from the porch and paths, this is if accidents are not included in your plans.

Tree as a lightning rod

One of the options for a lightning rod device with minimal cost we can consider a lightning rod arranged on a tree near the house.

It only takes a few things to do this:

• this is possible only if a large, or rather tall tree grows near the house, which can serve as a lightning rod;
• lightning rod, after the device must be higher than the highest point of the house so that it can fulfill its purpose;
• the location of the tree is such that the house falls into the “cone zone” (it was written about earlier), which means that the tree grows close enough to the walls of the house;
• the pin and wire must be attached to the trunk with plastic clamps so as not to damage the bark and wood of the plant. We do not want the tree to wither;
• remember that grounding is located away from the paths and walls of the house. This rule must be strictly observed.

Internal lightning protection

The presence in a private house, including a two-story one, at the dacha of electricity increases the chances of a lightning strike. Therefore, when a thunderstorm approaches turn off all electricity in the house. Now you can buy special lightning protection, it is inexpensive, but thanks to it you can protect your wiring and switched on devices from damage. In addition, it will help protect the building from fire.

One of the most simple ways protection against lightning is to unscrew the plugs when a thunderstorm approaches. It is a thunderstorm that is dangerous in the area of ​​\u200b\u200byour house. This is evidenced by peals of thunder, heard at intervals of 10 seconds. You don't need any special equipment to find out, just count between the rolls of thunder.

Protection zone

The lightning rod is able to protect not only the house, but also the area around it. The higher the lightning rod, the larger the area that is under its protection. It acts like a cone, where the top point will be the edge of the pin, and the base is a territory protected from lightning.

The radius is calculated using the formula: R=1.732 x h, here h is the height of the lightning rod. Based on the above, there are two reasons to install the device so that it is the highest point of the building.

• if there is a higher point on the building, a lightning strike will fall on it and the device will not perform its assigned function;
• the higher the discharge receiver is located, the more area protected by him.

Lightning protection method in the absence of a lightning rod-lightning rod

If your house or apartment does not have a lightning rod, do not be discouraged. Just a power outage during a thunderstorm is also very effective remedy from a lightning strike.

Go to a store or supermarket and buy protection for your electrical wiring. It is effective, quite inexpensive and a little troublesome.

From a school physics course, it is known that lightning is an electrical discharge of enormous magnitude, which carries a large thermal energy. The consequences of a lightning strike can be catastrophic, so at all times mankind has tried to create devices and devices that would protect them from this natural scourge. AT modern world lightning protection of a private house is a combination design features buildings and special devices designed to divert electricity into the ground. The latter is called a lightning rod, how does it work, what are the requirements for it?

Types of lightning protection

Lightning protection at home is divided into two categories: internal and external. The purpose of the first is to protect against lightning, lightning discharge which did not get into the house itself. For example, it can get into a power line that connects to the internal electrical wiring of the house. In this case, high overvoltages occur in the internal wiring. The result is the failure of most household appliances. In any case, the one that was plugged into the sockets at that time. The wires may burn out, a short circuit will occur, the worst case scenario is a fire if the wiring was carried out according to hardwood floors or the house was wooden.

This problem can be solved by installing special devices in the electrical network that will protect it from surges. For example, surge arresters, all kinds of arresters, SPD (surge protection device). All devices are installed in switchboard at home.

External protection

External lightning protection is a lightning rod, which consists of three main elements:

• lightning rod;
• down conductor;
• ground loop.

The main requirement for all three elements is reliable connection them among themselves. Depending on the roofing material, it is necessary to use and different types lightning protection. There are three of them: pin, cable and mesh.

pin

It is usually used if the roof of the house is covered with metal roofing material. For example, metal tiles, corrugated board or tin. To do this, you need to install a metal pin on the roof, which will rise above the ridge of the roof of the house, approximately 1-2 m higher. This will be the lightning rod. It can be made from a metal bar with a diameter of 8-12 mm; a steel strip 4-5 mm thick and 25-35 mm wide can also be used for this.

Such a lightning rod can divert electrical shocks around the house with an area equal to the area where the radius is the height of the lightning rod. And the higher the pin is installed, the larger the area that it protects from lightning strikes.

The diverting ability of a lightning rod is not based on the size of the area it covers. If we take into account that the vertical line of the pin installation is the height of an isosceles triangle, then the base of this figure will be two times the height. It turns out that a circle with a radius equal to the height of the pin installation can form on the soil surface.

Rope

For this lightning rod, a cable is required, which is stretched along the ridge of the roof, and it is suspended at a height of half a meter above the installation level of the ridge. To do this, it is best to use a cable made of galvanized wires with a total minimum cross section of 5-7 mm. This lightning protection is applied if the roof of the house is covered with slate.

The cable is pulled along the ridge and attached to wooden posts installed along the edges of the ridge beam. If the roof is long, then there may be more racks, the main thing is to observe a slight sag in the cable. A strong sag is unacceptable, because in this way the distance from the roof ridge to the lightning rod decreases. And it should not be less than 1 m. The mounting method is varied, the strength of the installation is important here. You can fasten it with clamps (metal or plastic), if the cable is thin 5-8 mm, then you can simply tie it and additionally tie it with wire.

Mesh

It's over complex structure, which is installed on roofs covered with tiles. It is not easy to make such a lightning rod with your own hands. For this, steel wire rod with a cross section of 6-8 mm is used, which is laid over the entire surface of the roof slopes in the form of a grid with cell sizes of 6x6 m and more, it all depends on the roof area. All connections are welded, fastening to the roof with brackets.

As for the down conductor, this is a line connecting the lightning rod with the ground loop. Usually, steel wire rod with a diameter of 6-8 mm is used for this. It is important here that the current-carrying element can withstand a large current, which often reaches 200,000 amperes. If ready-made protection is chosen, then its down conductor is a copper or aluminum wire with a diameter of 6 mm.

Requirements for the conductor.

1. This should be the shortest path from the lightning rod to the ground loop.
2. It is impossible to use bends and creases when laying, which will become a place of occurrence of a spark charge in the process of discharging electricity, leading, as practice shows, to ignition.
3. The laying route is chosen so that the wire does not pass near windows and doors.
4. If a lightning protection device is produced wooden house, then the installation of the down conductor is carried out at a distance of 15-20 cm from the surfaces of the wooden structure. For this, they are used special staples. They are a metal clip, the base of which is made of hard and durable plastic. It is plastic that protects the conductive element from contact with wooden structures at home. The bracket is attached with self-tapping screws. By the way, these brackets are also used in the construction of a mesh lightning rod, where the distance between them is 1.5-2.0 m.
5. If the protection of buildings and structures from lightning is a large mesh structure, or a long laid cable, or several pins are used on the roof, then there should also be several down conductors, the distance between which is 25 m (according to SO 153-34.21.122-2003).
6. Wire rod is carried out along the walls of the building, along the gables and sharp ledges of the roof. That is, in those areas that can be struck by lightning.

Ground loop

The lightning protection circuit in a private house is carried out according to the same scheme and design as grounding electrical networks.

• One meter from the foundation of the house and at least five meters from front door, paths, platforms, trenches are dug in the form of an equilateral triangle. The depth of the trenches is 80 cm, the width is 60 cm, the length is 1.5-2 m.
• In the corners of the triangle, pins are driven in from a steel corner with dimensions of 50x50x5 mm. The depth of penetration is 2-3 m. The corners should not be completely driven into the ground, the height of the free protruding segment is 20-30 cm.
• Between themselves, the pins are connected by a steel strip 4 mm thick, 40 mm wide. You can use the same corners for these elements as for pins.
• This ground loop of lightning protection is connected to the down conductor.

Attention! All connecting joints must be fixed by electric welding. Bolted connections are not welcome, because during the operation of the lightning rod of a country house, they can weaken, rust and weaken the conductive capabilities of the entire structure.

DIY assembly

Before you make a lightning rod in a private house, you need to decide what type of lightning rod to choose. If this is a pin option, then the pin itself must be installed not on roofing material, but on the crate.

After that, a conductive wire is laid with your own hands. If the length of the purchased piece of wire or wire rod was not enough, then you can connect the two segments using an aluminum or copper contact, which is used in overhead lines power transmission. The distance between the brackets is 1.5-2.0 m.

A grounding loop is being constructed, to which the down conductor is attached. Before welding, all joints of the elements must be cleaned to a metallic sheen. If ready-made lightning protection of a private building is used, then special devices on non-ferrous metal bolted connections are used as a connection.

Attention! The best option, if the ground loop and lightning protection are located close to each other and connected to each other with a wire rod or a strip. This does not violate the standards of the lightning protection device, in addition, the circuit becomes twice as large.

When installing lightning protection in your own private house with your own hands, you need to understand that this is a safety element not only for the building, but also for the people living in it. Therefore, it is not necessary to postpone its installation indefinitely. The ideal time for installation is the construction of a private house with your own hands.

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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 undeniable: a lightning rod for a country house, cottage, country house 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 of electrical networks, penetration through the grounding system into buildings requires 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 (cottage, 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.

One more 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 rod, then the best material is rolled steel of various profiles: water pipes, gas pipes, a metal bar. 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. At 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 to 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 see the implementation comprehensive 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

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.

Sometimes owners of private houses think about how to protect themselves and their home from lightning strikes. After all, there are regions where the intensity of thunderstorms is from 80 hours a year. Therefore, there is a need to install a lightning rod. And this may require additional costs. But you can always make a lightning rod in the country or in a private house with your own hands.

It must be understood that any lightning rod will operate only at a certain distance and protect only the space around it. It is necessary to install it in such a way that all buildings located on the site enter this zone, thereby ensuring their protection from lightning.

There is a degree of reliability of a lightning rod - type A and type B. In this case, we are talking about a protection zone. The first type protects by 99.55% and is defined as the most reliable, the second - by 95%. There is a term "conditional zone boundary" - here the reliability will be the weakest.

Zone protection can be calculated. The parameters will depend on the type and height of the lightning rod. Let's assume that a single lightning rod is mounted on it, having a height (h) of 150 meters. If we represent this with the help of a diagram, then the protection zone of the lightning rod looks like a cone. Consider the formulas and calculation example:

Knowing the height of the lightning rod, you can calculate the values ​​of R x , R o and h o .

For zone AND the calculation will look like this: h o = 0.85h; R o \u003d (1.1-0.02) h; Rx \u003d (1.1-0.02) * (h-h x / 0.85).

For zone B: h o = 0.92h; R o = 1.5h; R x \u003d 1.5 (h - h x / 0.092).

Where h o is the height of the cone, R o is the radius at ground level, h x is the height of the building, R x is the radius at the height of the building.

This formula can also be used to calculate other unknowns. For example, we need to know the height of a lightning rod, but we know the values h x and R x, then for type B the calculation will look like this:

h \u003d R x + 1.63 h x / 1.5.

It is not at all difficult to carry out such a calculation, but it will become a guarantee that your house is reliably protected from lightning strikes.

Device

In order to build a lightning rod, the following elements are needed:

• lightning rod,
• down conductor,
• ground electrode.

Lightning rod looks like a metal rod. It will rise above the roof and receive direct lightning strikes, providing protection for the home and withstanding high voltage loads. Best of all, steel strip or round, having a cross-sectional area of ​​\u200b\u200bnot less than 60 sq. Mm, is suitable as a material. There are also requirements for the length of such a lightning rod - the rod must be greater than or equal to 20 cm. It is placed exclusively in a vertical position. As a place, it is best to choose the highest point of the building.

Down conductor It is a thick wire with a diameter of 5-6 mm. Good material will be galvanized steel. The current collector is located in a place where lightning can supposedly strike. For example, such a place can be a ridge or the edge of a pediment. The down conductor is attached not quite close to the building. It is necessary to retreat a distance of 15-20 cm. If we are talking about a roof made of flammable materials, then you need to be especially careful and be sure to leave a gap. As fasteners, you can use staples, nails or clamps.

grounding conductor needed to land. When choosing a material, it must be taken into account that this element should easily conduct an electric charge, so it is worth choosing the material that will have the minimum resistance value. It is located at some distance from the porch of the house - at least five. Also, do not place it near paths and other places where people can often be. To finally make sure that he will not harm anyone, he can be fenced off. It is necessary to retreat from the grounding conductor at least 4 meters, placing the fence along a radius. In good weather, there is no harm in it, but during a thunderstorm it can be dangerous to be near it. As already mentioned, the ground electrode is installed in the ground. But to decide how deep to put it, you need for each case individually. The criteria by which this is done are as follows: the type of soil and the presence ground water.

For example, for dry soil with low level groundwater, it is usually mounted from two rods, the length of which is 2-3 meters. These rods must be fixed on a jumper with a cross section of 100 sq. mm. Next, we fix the workpiece by welding on the down conductor and immerse it in the ground for at least half a meter.

If the soil is wet or peaty, and the groundwater is close enough to the surface and there is no way to hammer the ground electrode by half a meter, then it should be made from metal corners that are immersed horizontally into the ground with a depth of 80 cm.

DIY lightning rod

If we are talking about multi-storey construction, then the installation of a lightning rod is carried out by specialists. Such structures also have a radius of the protection zone, which allows them to be placed on each building. Before installation, it is checked whether the building is protected by existing lightning rods or whether a new one needs to be installed.

In a country house or in a private house, such issues are resolved exclusively by the owners themselves. There are building placement factors that can protect you to some extent from being hit by lightning. For example, if the house is located on the relief in the lowest place. In addition, a building located next to yours, which has a high height, can take the hit. Yes, and a lightning rod located on a neighbor's house may protect you from trouble. Therefore, one cannot be firmly convinced that a house where it is not present is endangered.

If you have examined your and neighboring sites and have not found such protection, then it is best to take care of creating it yourself. Houses that are used as roofing or steel sheets. Behind the attractive appearance lies the problem of the lack of grounding. As a rule, such roofing mounted on a crate made of wood or roofing material, which contributes to the accumulation electric charge from the atmosphere. Such a device can be discharged after a thunderstorm with normal contact with a person, passing a current of several thousand volts. We must not forget that lightning can give a spark, from which wood is so easily ignited.

To protect yourself from fire and death, grounding must be provided every 20 m. In the case of metal roofing, you can do without a lightning rod. The roofing material itself will become an excellent lightning rod.

Tree as a lightning rod

You can save a building from lightning charges not only by installing a lightning rod on the roof. It will also help to install it on a tall tree, provided that it is at least 3 m from your house and 2.5 times higher than it.

For the construction of such a structure, you need a wire with a diameter of 5 mm. One of its ends must be buried in the ground, having previously been welded to the ground electrode. The other end of the wire will be a lightning rod. It is placed at the top of a tree.

If there is no tall tree on the site, then a mast with a lightning rod and two metal rods that are installed at opposite ends of the roof can help. In this case, a drain is used as a down conductor. It is important that it is made of metal. But here, too, one should not forget about the grounding device.

Important: When installing a ground electrode, its resistance electric current should be no more than ten ohms.

Whichever way you choose to install a lightning rod, it is worth remembering that its high-quality installation will provide you with a comfortable stay only if you periodically check its condition. For correct operation care must be taken to ensure that all connections are not broken.

Today we will talk about how to protect private house from a lightning strike.

What is lightning?

Many owners of private houses try to make their home as comfortable and safe as possible, but at the same time they forget about the possibility of a lightning strike at home.

Lightning is one of the most unpleasant phenomena that can cause tremendous damage to a home.

As you know, it is a high-power electrical discharge, so even if it enters the house indirectly, it can damage electrical equipment in the premises.

It is good if there is a tall building near the house, equipped with lightning protection.

In this case, you do not have to worry about the possibility of lightning entering the house, since such houses often have lightning rods with large area protection, which will cover the territory with adjacent buildings.

A feature of lightning is the discharge to the highest point. Therefore, if the house stands on the outskirts, it is the highest point, unless, of course, a tree grows next to it, which is taller than the house.

But the tree is also not a guarantee of protection. The danger of a home being struck by lightning increases many times over if there are reservoirs, strong streams, and swampy areas near the house.

So, if a private house is not surrounded by high-rise buildings, it is better to be safe by providing a home with lightning protection.

Striking factors of lightning

But before you figure out how to protect your home from a possible lightning strike, you should consider the damaging factors of this phenomenon.

There are two of these factors.

Primary.

This is a direct lightning strike into the house, as a result of which it can get structural damage, there is a possibility of a fire. This factor is the most dangerous.

Secondary.

It is less dangerous for the house and residents. This factor is reduced to the appearance of electromagnetic induction in the wiring of the house during a lightning discharge near the house.

Due to induction in the wiring, there is a significant power surge that can damage all electrical appliances in the house that are connected to the network.

And if you can protect yourself from the secondary factor without additional equipment by disconnecting all devices from the network during a thunderstorm, then it is impossible to protect the primary factor in this way, you need to equip the house with lightning protection.

Ohio, a house that was struck by lightning.

Since lightning is just an electrical discharge, albeit of great strength, it acts like any other discharge, that is, it moves along the path of least resistance.

Ensuring this path is the task of lightning protection.

If lightning hits a house equipped with this type of protection, then the electric discharge through it will go into the ground without causing damage to the building.

In the people, such protection is called lightning rods, lightning rods.

As for the latter, the definition is not entirely correct, because thunder is just sound accompaniment that occurs when lightning strikes.

Criteria and types of lightning protection

Now let's analyze the types of lightning protection.

Here, this equipment has several criteria that divide it into types.

The first criterion is the method of protection.

According to it, lightning rods are divided into:

1. Active;
2. Passive.

Active appeared relatively recently. They have a lightning rod, which is discussed below, is equipped with a special ionizer, which “provokes” lightning with its impulses.

In fact, this device specifically attracts lightning to itself, which completely eliminates the possibility of a secondary factor of lightning strike.

Passive ones are not equipped with anything like that, lightning can discharge on it, or maybe not. This type of protection is used everywhere.

The second criterion is the types of protection.

According to it, lightning rods are also divided into two types - external and internal.

Everything is simple here - the outer one protects the house from the primary factor of lightning impact, and the inner one - from the secondary one.

And the third criterion is design features.

But here the division into types is more related to lightning rods. According to them, the lightning rod is divided into pin, cable and mesh.

Lightning protection design

Now, regarding the design of lightning protection, let's talk only about the external one.

It consists of only three elements - a lightning rod, down conductors and a ground electrode.

Lightning rod.

It takes on a lightning discharge, so it is fixed on the roof of the house so that the receiver itself is the highest point.

The simplest is the rod type of the receiver.

A metal rod with a diameter of 10-18 mm and a length of 250 mm is considered standard.

You can also use a pipe, but only its ends must be welded.

The number of receivers is calculated from the size of the building. For small houses, one is enough, if the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house exceeds 200 square meters. two rods are installed with a distance between them of 10 m.

So that the discharge through the receiver does not go to the house, it is fixed on the roof with wooden bars or special fasteners.

Some not to spoil appearance at home, the lightning rod is installed on a separate support near the house.

Some, if possible, mount an additional lightning rod directly on the tree.

There is no particular difference, since even with a nearby lightning rod, the protection zone will cover the house.

The main condition for installing the receiver is that it should be located above the house, as well as other buildings near it.

Another type of lightning rod is a cable.

A cable is used, which is stretched along the entire length of the roof ridge and fixed on wooden supports. An important condition is the tension of the cable - it should not touch the roof.

The third type of receiver is a grid.

It is made from any wire (steel, aluminum, etc.) with a cross section of at least 6 mm.

It is stretched over the area of ​​​​the entire roof, the cells of this grid should form a square of about 6x6 m.

At the same time, the mesh should also not touch the roof, it is fixed on wooden or special non-conductive supports at a height of 6-8 cm from the roof.

There are no strict requirements for the use of one or another type of lightning rod, any one can be used, they are all quite effective, so they are chosen at will.

Their main task is to transfer the discharge from the receiver to the ground electrode.

Most often used as conductors steel wire diameter from 6 mm.

If the walls of the house are made of brick or foam block, in general, from any non-combustible material, then you can fix the down conductor along the wall in any inconspicuous place, most importantly, not near windows and front doors.

It is possible to use a metal tape as a down conductor, but with a thickness of at least 2 mm and a width of 30 mm or more.

The down conductor is attached to the receiver using a welded, bolted or soldered connection.

The number of down conductors depends on the number of lightning rod ends.

If only one rod receiver is used, then one outlet is attached to it. When using a cable receiver, two outlets are already needed.

Also, two down conductors are used with a grid receiver.

On soils with high level groundwater, it is better to use the horizontal position of the ground electrode at a depth of 0.8 m. In this case, the ground conductor should be a metal corner or strip with a width of 50 mm and a thickness of 4 mm.

The grounding conductor is connected to the down conductor only by a welded joint.

Features of installation of lightning protection

Based on the above, it can be understood that it is quite possible to make lightning protection yourself, having only the necessary materials.

To protect your home from lightning, you must first take measurements.

It is necessary to find out the height at which the receiver should be located, as well as determine the method of its attachment.

Then you need to calculate the length of the down conductor. Here it is important to take into account that the path of the lightning charge to the ground electrode must be as short as possible. Therefore, you should not make any contours, bends, etc. And even more so, it is impossible to form rings from the branch.

As for the ground electrode, it should be located at least 1 m from the nearest wall of the house. After all the calculations, you can proceed with the installation.

You need to start with the ground electrode.

If it is made of rods, it is enough to dig a trench 0.5 m deep and 3 m long.

At the edges of this trench, drive rods at least 2 m long into the ground.

Then with the help welding machine weld a jumper to these rods.

If the ground electrode is horizontal, then you will have to dig a trench much deeper.

Here you need to follow important condition- it should not come into contact with the roof of the house, so use only wooden supports to fix it.

Or you need to fix it directly to the non-conductive structures of the house.

Then a down conductor is attached to the receiver and the ground electrode, which can then be attached to the roof special devices and then to the wall of the house.