Do it yourself lightning bolt. Do-it-yourself lightning rod: complete instructions. How does he work

Country houses are usually built from combustible materials, and the fire station is far away. Yes, and you can drive up not to every building, but from strong wind that accompanies any thunderstorm, too, nothing good should be expected.

Sometimes whole summer cottages burn out from a lightning strike.

Let's talk about how to make an effective lightning rod on our own and minimize the risk of a direct “heavenly discharge” hitting a house.

Where do lightning bolts come from?

Simplistically, the physics of the process can be described as follows: the source of lightning is cumulonimbus clouds.

During a thunderstorm, they turn into a kind of giant capacitors. A huge positively charged potential of ions accumulates in the upper plus part in the form of ice crystals, and negative electrons in the form of water droplets are collected in the lower minus area.

During the discharge (breakdown) of this natural battery, lightning appears between the ground and the thundercloud - a huge electric spark discharge:

This discharge will always flow through the circuit of least local resistance electric current... It is a well-known and verified fact. Such resistance is usually found in high-rise buildings and trees. Most often, it is in them that lightning strikes.

DIY lightning rod

The idea of a lightning rod is to arrange a section of minimum resistance near the house so that the lightning strike passes through it, and not through the structure.

If you don't have a lightning rod at your dacha, it's time to think about its construction. The cheapest and easiest way to make it is to do it yourself. What do you need to know for this?

So, a lightning rod (lightning rod) is a lightning protection device (lightning protection) that ensures the safety of a building and the lives of people in it from the destructive effects that can occur in a thunderstorm with a direct lightning strike.

It is a corrosion-resistant, bare conductor - that is, a highly conductive material of the largest possible area and a large cross-section (at least 50 mm²).

A lightning rod (lightning rod) is assembled from thick copper wire or steel wire rod, pipes of the required section or from steel, aluminum, duralumin rods of various profiles, corners, strips, and so on.

It is better to use galvanized steel materials. Since they are less susceptible to air oxidation.

What lightning protection consists of: device

Lightning rod (lightning rod) simplest design consists of 3 parts:

Lightning rod.

Down conductor (descent).

Earthing switch.

Let's talk about each element in more detail.

Lightning rod

A lightning rod is a metal conductor fixed on the roof of a building or on a separate support (tower). Structurally, it is divided into three types: pin, cable and mesh.

When choosing a lightning rod design, be guided by the material that covers the roof of the house.

1. A pin (or rod) device of an air terminal is a metal vertical rod that rises above the house (see the figure below).

Suitable for a roof made of any material, but still preferable for a metal roof. The height of the lightning rod should not exceed 2 meters. And it is attached either to a free-standing bearing support, or directly to the house itself.

Materials for making:

Steel pipe (20-25 mm in diameter, with a wall of 2.5 mm in thickness). Its upper end is either flattened or welded under a cone. Can also be made and welded to top edge pipes with a special plug in the form of a needle.

Steel wire (8-14 mm). Moreover, the down conductor must be of exactly the same diameter.

Any steel profile (for example, angle or flat steel at least 4 mm thick and 25 mm wide).

The main condition for all these steel materials is a cross section of at least 50 mm².

2. A catenary wire device of an air terminal is a cord with a minimum cross-section of 35 mm² or a wire stretched along the ridge at a height of up to 0.5 m from the roof.

Galvanized steel rope is commonly used. This kind The lightning rod is suitable for wooden or slate roofs.

It is fixed on two (1-2 meters) supports made of wood or metal, but insulators must be installed on metal supports. The cable is connected to the down conductor using ram clamps.

3. The mesh device of the air termination system is a 6-8 mm thick mesh laid over the roof. This design is the most difficult to execute. Suitable for tiled roofs.

4. Well, a covering device for lightning protection is very rarely used - this is when the metal structural elements of the house itself (roof, trusses, roof fencing, drainpipe) act as lightning rods.

All considered designs of lightning rods are reliably connected by welding with a down conductor and through a down conductor with a ground electrode with one- or two-side welded seam of at least 100 mm in length.

Down conductor

Down conductor (descent) - the middle part of the lightning rod, which is a metal conductor with a minimum cross-section for steel 50, for copper 16 and for aluminum 25 mm squared.

The main purpose of the down conductor is to ensure the passage of the discharge current from the lightning rod to the ground electrode.

The ideal path for the passage of electric current is the shortest straight line, directed straight down. When installing the lightning rod, avoid sharp turns. This is fraught with the occurrence of a spark discharge between closely spaced sections of the down conductor, which will lead to inevitable ignition.

The most common material for down conductors is uninsulated steel wire rod or strip. It is carried out only on non-combustible surfaces. Metal brackets should be installed on combustible walls, which themselves, being in contact with the combustible surface, will protect the down conductor.

Minimum distance from the wall to the down conductor 15-20 cm.

It is necessary to lay it so that there are no points of contact with such elements of the house as the porch, Entrance door, window, metal Garage Doors.

We know that it is better to connect parts of the lightning rod by welding, but if this is not possible, it is allowed to pair the down conductor with the ground electrode and the air terminal using three rivets or two bolts. The length of the overlay of the down conductor on other parts of the system with a riveted connection is 150, and with a bolted connection - 120 mm.

The end of the non-galvanized wire rod and the place where the wire down conductor is attached to the steel parts must be cleaned to ensure reliable contact, and the galvanized one must be cleaned of dust and dirt. Then a loop or hook is made at the end of the wire, washers are placed on both sides and all this is tightened with a bolt as much as possible.

In addition, the joints (if this is not welding) must be wrapped in several layers with electrical tape, then with a coarse cloth, twisted on top with a thick thread and cover everything with paint.

To improve contact, you can treat the ends of the wire with tin and solder.

Earthing switch

Earthing switch (grounding electrodes) - located in the ground, the lower part of the lightning rod, providing reliable contact of the down conductor with the ground.

How to properly equip grounding is described in GOSTs and SNIPs, but for the very simple option it is enough to bury at least one meter from the edge of the foundation and at least 5 meters from the entrance to the building U-shaped design from metal conductors.

An ordinary ground loop is able to cope with the task (it is made for household electrical appliances).

These are 3 electrodes driven into the ground and buried in the ground, connected to each other at the same distance by horizontal earthing switches. Bury the grounding structure below the maximum level of soil freezing. From 0.5 to 0.8 meters deep.

For the earthing switch, rolled steel with a section of 80 mm is taken, less often copper with a section of 5o mm squared. Vertical grounding electrodes are 2-3 meters long, but the closer the water table is, the shorter they are.

If the soil in your country house is constantly in a wet state, then a meter or half-meter pin will be enough.

To what depth to drive in and how many electrodes will need to be found in the energy service at the place of residence.

It must be remembered that the quality of grounding depends on the size of the contact area of the ground electrode system with the soil and the resistivity of the soil itself.

The grounding conductor for the lightning rod needs a separate one; the lightning rod should not be grounded to the household circuit. We strongly advise against experimenting. Fraught with consequences.

We offer you to watch a video with a visual diagram of lightning protection installation:

According to regulatory documents, for private residential buildings, the installation of lightning protection systems is optional. And only you can decide whether it is advisable to install a lightning rod (lightning rod) at your dacha. We hope this article will help you make the right decision.

bydom.ru

Protecting a private house from lightning - an overview of a good lightning rod

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

How the system works

First, let's figure out 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, metal rods on the roof are lightning rods that discharge a dangerous discharge to the ground through a down conductor and a special grounding.

There is an opinion that if a telephone tower is installed next to the house, it is possible not to make a lightning conductor in a private house. This is wrong because it is better to spend a little time and ensure yourself complete protection from lightning strikes. So that you know what a lightning rod should be and how to make it correctly with your own hands, below we will separately consider the specifics of choosing each of the system elements.

A brief overview of the installation of lightning protection

Component elements of protection

Lightning rod

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

As for the pin, there are already finished goods from manufacturers that have a suitable shape and convenient fastening. As a rule, the metal of the lightning rod is made of copper, aluminum or steel. The first option is the most appropriate and effective. In order for the receiver to do its job well, its cross-section must be at least 35 mm2 (if copper) or 70 mm2 (steel bar). As for 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, bathhouse or other, small building.

Wire mesh can also be sold in already finished form... As a rule, a mesh lightning rod is a mesh frame made of reinforcement, 6 mm thick. The mesh size can be from 3 to 12 meters. Most often, this type of lightning protection is used in apartment buildings and large buildings, for example, shopping centers.

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

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 tile or other metal roofing material... With this version of the lightning rod, two important requirements are imposed on the roof. First, the metal must be at least 0.4 mm thick. 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.

We draw your attention to the fact 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

A 6-mm copper, steel or aluminum wire is used as a down conductor for a private house. The wire must be bolted or welded to the lightning rod and grounding system.
The only thing, but very important requirement to the down conductor - it must be isolated from environment and go to the ground along the shortest path. With regard to insulation, in summer cottages and country houses popular is the use of conventional cable channels, which are also used if you need to make open wiring in the house with your own hands

Earthing switch

Well, the last element of the lightning rod is the ground loop. In order not to make the material too bulky, we selected under this question See a separate article on how to make grounding in a private house. 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 next to 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. It is better to place all the rods according to the triangle pattern, which is exactly shown in the photo:

So, we got acquainted with the constituent elements of lightning protection on the roof, now we will consider how to correctly make a lightning rod with our own hands.

Reliable lightning rod in the country - video tutorial on how to create

Manufacturing instruction

To make it clearer for you how to assemble the lightning protection system of a private house into a single whole, we provide step by step instructions with photo examples:

Video instruction for the assembly of lightning protection by professionals

That's the whole technology of creating a lightning protection system. As you can see, it is not at all difficult to make a lightning rod in a private house with your own hands, the main thing is to correctly carry out the design work. We recommend that you definitely watch the video instructions, in which all stages of the lightning rod installation are considered in more detail.

Related materials:

samelectrik.ru

Lightning rod in the country. We do lightning protection with our own hands.

There is a widespread belief that a wooden house does not need protection from lightning. They say that a tree is not a conductor, on the contrary it is a dielectric, and the height of the roof is not high, so a lightning rod is not needed in the country. These kinds of delusions are literally deadly, since lightning in dry weather is as rare as ball lightning. But in a thunderstorm, when it pours like a bucket, the conductor of electricity is not wood at all, but water, which is dangerous to life as a dielectric.

In these photos, the consequences of a rare phenomenon - the name, which we do not know. There was just a strong thunderstorm, and, despite the fact that the house was equipped with lightning protection, it was not it that acted as a discharge circuit, but the perimeter of the roof weir (it is metal). All the machines turned off, but while this was happening, the author managed to take several photos. This is a TV with a satellite dish, which is 2.3 m above the ground on the wall, and it seems that it is not at all susceptible to lightning.

First the lightning introduced itself, and showed itself,
after which it was played with a TV picture.
After that, the picture disappeared, but the receiver was still alive, having switched to the factory setting mode.
After which the house was completely de-energized, and how the matter would have ended remained a mystery. The photos were taken with a mobile phone, so as you can imagine, the process was not instantaneous. Get it, turn it on, take a picture, etc.

The receiver had to be repaired - it burned out, at the same time the usual antenna (meter range) suffered, and the spillway was burnt in two places. Three LED bulbs have burned out. All incandescent bulbs survived. There was no fire, no damage to the electrical wiring, thanks to correct connection grounding and lightning rod. So a lightning rod is needed at the dacha, since we know too little about lightning so far.

It was a preamble, and now about what and how you can do it yourself to avoid such cataclysms.

A little theory about the practice of lightning protection

We are proud of our practical knowledge of electrical engineering, but we do not believe that scientists have already understood what lightning is - that is, a spontaneous discharge of atmospheric electricity. We also don’t believe in the idea that clouds “rub against each other” generate electricity. But we know that there are practical methods of protection, and they have long been proven to be effective. We will focus on this aspect, taking a couple of laws of thermodynamics as a theoretical model, and also reading about the discharge in a saturated gas environment.

In this model, the discharge will occur between the point of the highest potential (somewhere in the clouds) and the nearest point of the minimum potential. Note that this is exactly what happens in the overwhelming majority of practical cases. Therefore, we take for the correct model of a lightning rod in the country a conditional point above the roof, which, being the top of a speculative hemisphere, will cover the whole house.

The radius of this hemisphere is not determined by the height country lightning rod, but the amount of potential that he is able to accept and give to the Earth (the potential of which is relatively infinite). In fact, the radius of such a hemisphere is the grounding depth, and it remains for us to understand how to choose materials in order to move on to the task of how to make lightning protection with our own hands in the country.

Preparatory work in the arrangement of a lightning rod

The preamble tells about what can happen in a private house, which is equipped with a lightning rod, if two mistakes are made. The first is that the lightning rod receiver is next to the antenna, perhaps this gave its effect. Second, more gross mistake, has become a constant cross-section of the lightning rod channel along its entire length. Simply put, from the metal strip of the receiver to the very ground there is exactly the same strip. Across the entire height.

The lightning receiver can be thin, its task is to throw a fishing rod and wait for a bite. But the lower and closer to the ground the discharge line, the "thicker" it should become. A very thick conductor must be buried in the Earth. That is, we go from the roof to the ground, increasing the cross-section of the lightning rod.

So, we do lightning protection with our own hands at the dacha, without resorting to the help of specialists.

We determine the height and configuration of the roof, mentally covering it with a hemisphere from the top point of the lightning rod, which we make at our dacha.
The radius of the hemisphere is defined as a section of 5 sq. Mm. 1 meter in height. That is, a lightning rod at a dacha with a height of 12 meters (for square house) must have a cross section of 12 x 5 = 60 sq. mm. This is a strip of 1 cm with a thickness of 6 mm. Let us clarify that this is the minimum allowable value for the point at which the receiver tube will be welded to the discharge outlet channel. That is, the lower this tape goes down, the thicker it should be.
Determine the attachment point for the lightning receiver pipe. Chimney not the best way- it is better to fix the pole to the wall, slightly increasing the height, than to allow a powerful discharge to hit the center of the roof. We dig a hole for grounding, most often of a triangular shape, as well as for grounding.
We estimate the height of the pole, the depth of the pit and the cross-section of the metal in the pit according to the principle - the more, the better, but without fanaticism. If you make a too high pole and a very good grounding hole, then your summer cottage will collect all the lightning in the area on your lightning rod. Throw 10 percent on top - that will be enough.

Don't drive a few fittings into the ground! We dig a hole, weld several metal rods together, make sure that the welding is strong, cover the welding spots with protective compounds and then bury the hole.

Having finished preparatory work, we do lightning protection with our own hands:

We fix a metal bar on the pole. It is advisable to install a fan at the end (an old metal brush will do);
With screw connections, after thoroughly cleaning the contact points, we connect the tape and the lightning rod;
We will make sure that both the lightning rod and the tape do not have contact with the roof - if necessary, we put insulators (they cost a penny and are screwed with ordinary self-tapping screws);
We lower the tape along the wall to ground level and weld it to the ground loop. We cover the welding place with protective compounds;
We check that the tap tape does not adhere to the wall, check the insulators, connections and bury a hole with grounding;
In no case are we trying to save money and suspend the ground of the electrical wiring on the same grounding!

Our lightning rod at the dacha is ready. It remains to wait for the cataclysm to test it in action.

Some of the nuances of arranging a lightning rod in the country

Iron for some reason rusts, especially in the ground. Cover the ground protective compound it is possible, but it is more correct to take a thicker piece of iron. A corner 120x120 with a thickness of 12 will rust in the ground for 40 years without losing conductivity with respect to the entire lightning protection circuit.

Additional impregnation fire retardant wooden walls along the entire line of the lightning rod will be a very useful and not a superfluous means of protection against fire.

Before choosing a specific place for a lightning rod in your country house, walk around and look at the tall trees and buildings around. The correct place will be where the farthest from the nearest highest points. It is the farthest!

The whole range of work can be done in a day, at most in two. This is not the most difficult task, it does not even require any special knowledge. But it requires scrupulousness and thoroughness, so do it yourself, without using mercenaries. You want to protect yourself, not get reassurances that you are protected.

obelektrike.ru

Do-it-yourself lightning protection of a private house: materials, diagram, instructions

House and cottage Gardener's calendar June House and buildings Do it yourself

Lightning strikes unprotected private houses and trees, unfortunately, are not uncommon. The presence of lightning protection at the dacha is necessary - it will discharge the discharge into the ground and help save your property, and sometimes even your life. We will tell you how you can make a lightning rod with your own hands, using available tools and tools.

How to protect against lightning private house

The lightning rod can be:

Rod - a metal pin fixed to the bed (on the roof, near the house, on a tall tree growing near the house). The pin is connected to the grounding system by means of a metal wire. Such a lightning rod looks aesthetically pleasing, but its coverage area is not large. It is easy for them to calculate the area of protection: from the highest point of the pin, you need to mentally draw a line to the ground at an angle of 45º. Everything that will be in the triangle zone around the perimeter is protected from lightning strikes.

Installation of rod lightning protection

Rope - its peculiarity consists in several masts (two or four), interconnected by steel or aluminum wire. Such a lightning rod is more effective and covers a large area with protection.

Catenary wire lightning rod on the roof of a private house

These two types of lightning rods are the most common and are used in private houses and dachas, since their design is simple, and installation is not difficult to do with your own hands.

Lightning protection elements

Any type of lightning rod system consists of three mandatory elements:

Lightning rod. In a rod lightning rod, it is a pin fixed at least 1 m above the chimney, in a cable lightning rod, it is a wire connecting the masts on the roof. Metal roof can also act as a lightning rod if the coating thickness is 4-7 mm.
Down conductor is one of the main elements of lightning protection. It is a copper (d 16 mm²), aluminum (d 25 mm²) or steel (d 50 mm²) wire.
Grounding is a system of metal rods interconnected by conductive material. It is located underground at a depth of at least 80 cm.

Materials and tools

For the construction of lightning protection with my own hands you will need:

The lightning rod is a pointed rod. A television mast or a radio antenna can be used, you can also buy an air terminal from one of the leading manufacturers: SCHIRTEC, OBO Bettermann, J Propste, GALMAR;
Copper, aluminum or steel wire of the recommended cross-section;
Metal pins, pipes or tapes for grounding;
Mast (bed);
Plastic mounts;
Tools (hammer, drill, shovel).

Installation of catenary wire lightning rod

At the first stage of lightning protection installation, it is necessary to pull the wire along the ridge of the roof, which will serve as a lightning rod.

Installation diagram of catenary wire lightning rod

If the roof is covered with flammable materials (wood, plastic tiles), the wire should be at a distance of 10-15 cm from the surface on special plastic fasteners. The ends of the wire are attached to metal masts (horizontal lightning rods), or bent vertically.

Installation and fastening of the lightning rod

The down conductor is attached to the lightning rod by means of welding, bolts or rivets. The joints are insulated. On the roof, the down conductor is fixed with brackets, on the walls of the house - plastic fasteners... The wire can be placed in the trunking to avoid negative impact on her atmospheric phenomena.

Down conductor from the roof of a private house

The grounding system is mounted at a distance of at least 5 m from the house, paths, benches. There should be no playgrounds for children and animals to walk nearby. Grounding works only in wet ground, which must also be taken into account when choosing a location.

Procedure for lightning protection grounding:

Dig a trench to a depth where the soil is always damp (at least 80 cm)
Drive metal pins into the bottom of the trench.

Lightning protection ground loop

Connect the pins to each other with a steel tape or pipe by welding.
Extend the grounding with a steel tape to the point of its connection with the down conductor.
Connect the down conductor to ground.

Fastening the down conductor to ground

Installation of a lightning rod

For a rod lightning rod, a high bed must be installed. Its role can be played by a mast of a television antenna. The lightning rod is attached to the mast by welding or bolts.

Diagram of a lightning rod in a private house

Installation of the down conductor and grounding of such lightning protection does not differ from that described above. After completing the work, it is necessary to check the resistance of the entire system. It should not exceed 10 ohms.

Service

Preventive maintenance of the lightning rod includes periodically cleaning the rod post from dirt, dust and oxide, as well as checking the integrity of all connections.

It is not difficult to mount a lightning rod in the country on your own. If you follow all the recommendations and norms of the instructions for lightning protection device RD 34.21.122-87, then at the right time it will work flawlessly.

Despite the fact that it is easy to make a lightning rod with your own hands, it is recommended to contact a specialist to perform such work. Only professionals will be able to suggest which materials are best used specifically in your situation, provide qualified assistance in choosing the right place for installation, and take into account the negative factors from the influence of which the protection may not work.

How to decorate a tree stump in the country with your own hands

Historical background 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 lightning strikes. Also known as "lightning rod" in the common people.

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, high masts of ancient temples in Ancient Egypt, there were also structures at the Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem , Tower of Nevyansk, Jacques Roma's kites). In Russia, the first lightning rods were created by M.V. Lomonosov and G.V. Rikhman in 1753.

In this article we will talk about what a lightning rod is and how it works, who invented a lightning rod and how to make a lightning rod for country house do it yourself.

Lightning strikes are an extremely dangerous natural phenomenon, especially in a situation where structures are located in open areas, precisely because, in order to ensure the peace and safety of your family, it is necessary to install a lightning rod. Installing a lightning rod does 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 funds and building materials

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

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

Preparation phase

Planning should begin with determining the height of the structure. The top of the lightning rod must be located 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 area 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 designs:

Type A
Type B

Type A lightning rods 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 safety 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 you need to protect a larger site with buildings, then the construction of two or three masts, evenly spaced across the site, will help solve the problem of lightning. 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 the grounding installation site

The grounding circuit must be located at a distance of up to 1 meter from the foundation of the building, which will be protected by the lightning rod, and a few meters from the sidewalks and the porch. The grounding place during a thunderstorm is dangerous, therefore it is necessary to position it so as not to endanger households and guests. It would be best to find a place for it against the wall or fence that encloses the house. One of the options 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 and mark in advance the locations of all structural elements.

Installation of the structure

Installation of an earthing switch.

After marking, with the help of a shovel, a hole in the shape of a triangle is created - each side of which should be at least 1200 mm, depth - 600 - 700 mm. A trench is laid from the apex of the triangle towards the wall of the house. At the end point, the end of the down conductor will come up.

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 driving the pointed ends of the grounding 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 they form a metal triangle in the trenches.

Installation of a lightning rod (lightning rod).

There are two ways to install a lightning rod:

The pantograph is placed on the roof and then vertically downward on the wall and fixed to the roof and wall with semicircular plastic or metal clips. Bottom part the current sink must be fixed to the ground, brought out from the wall of the house.

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

Examination

The installed system must be checked with a multimeter. Carry out 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 owner decides on the lightning rod. There are a number of factors in the placement of buildings that, in principle, minimize the likelihood of a lightning strike in a house:

if the house is located 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 next to 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 taller structure next to it;
if the lightning rod is installed on a neighboring house, then your house may also fall within the coverage area of the 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 assessed depending on the above factors.

People living in private houses are afraid of lightning striking their home. Some of them, in order to protect themselves from this, think about protecting the structure. Their concern is understandable, since there are regions where the intensity of lightning can reach up to 80 hours per year. In such an area, it is necessary to install lightning rods. The device of such a structure, of course, requires certain costs. However, in some cases, they can be minimized if all the work on creating a lightning rod is done by hand.

Protection zone

It should be understood that any structures designed to protect against lightning have a limited range. They protect the space only around them. Therefore, when creating a lightning rod structure, work must be performed so that all objects located on the site fall into the protection zone. Only in this case they will be provided with protection against lightning strikes.

At the moment, structures that protect against lightning are distinguished by the degree of reliability. There are two types of them:

type A;
type B.

Lightning rods of the first type provide 99% protection, which makes them the most reliable structures against lightning. Structures of the second type provide 95% protection.

Device

If you are seriously afraid of lightning striking your home and, in order to protect yourself from this, decided to arrange a lightning rod, then in this case, during work you will need to create the following elements this structure:

lightning rod;
down conductor;
earthing switch.

Lightning rod

This is a device that resembles a metal rod in its appearance. After installation, it will rise above the roof of the building. It is on him that lightning strikes will fall. Thus, it is ensured reliable protection buildings. In addition, such a device is able to withstand serious stress loads arising from a lightning strike. Various materials can be used to create this element.

The best choice - strip or round steel, which has a cross-sectional area of at least 60 sq. m. This element has certain requirements in terms of length. This parameter should be at least 20 cm. The device should be placed strictly in an upright position. The tallest building on the site - perfect place to secure it.

Down conductor

The down conductor has the form of a thick wire with a diameter of 6 millimeters. To create it the best choice- Cink Steel. With regard to its location, it is better to choose the areas that are most likely to be hit by lightning. For example, good place the edge of the pediment can be used to accommodate it. It can also be positioned on a skate. The fastening of this lightning rod element is carried out close to a private house, but with a small indent of 20 cm.

If the house has a roof made of materials that are easily flammable, then in this case a gap is all the more necessary. To fix the down conductor you must use special fasteners: nails and staples. For greater reliability of fastening this element, you can use clamps.

Earthing switch

It is necessary to divert lightning current into the ground. When choosing a material for creating this element of a lightning rod, it is necessary to use one that conducts an electric charge well. It is also necessary that the material has minimal resistance. If we talk about its location, then this element of the lightning rod is placed not far from the porch of a private house, at least 5 m. It is not recommended to install an earthing switch in the immediate vicinity of the paths, as well as in places where people may be. After placing it, you can create a fence around it to make sure it won't do any harm.

When installing a fence from the ground electrode, it is necessary to indent 4 meters, and arrange the fence along the radius. If the weather is good outside, then it will not do any harm. But if it is cloudy, and even more so a thunderstorm has begun, then standing in the immediate vicinity of it can be hazardous to health. The earthing switch is installed in the ground. The decision regarding the depth of the deepening of this element is made by the owner of the house. In doing so, the following points should be taken into account:

soil type;
the presence of groundwater.

For example, if dry soil prevails on the site, and the groundwater level is low, arrange a ground electrode consisting of two rods. The length of each of them should not exceed 3 meters. Components of this element must be fixed to the lintel, in which the cross-sectional area should be 100 sq. m.

When this is done, the earthing switch is attached to the down conductor by welding. After that, he plunges into the ground to a depth of 0.5 meters. In the event that the soil on the site is peaty and has high humidity, and close to the surface are located groundwater, then there is no possibility of grounding by half a meter. So in that case it is necessary to use metal corners that will act as a ground electrode. They are immersed to a depth of 80 cm.

If under construction multi-storey building, then in this case, the work on the lightning rod device is carried out by specialists. These structures have their own radius of protection zone, which makes it possible to place them on each building. Before installing this structure, a check is made whether the already installed lightning rods are capable of providing lightning protection to the erected building, or whether it is necessary to erect a new one.

In the case of individual houses, the issue of the lightning rod is decided by the owner himself. There is whole line factors in the placement of buildings that minimize the risk of lightning striking the house:

if a house is located in the lowest place on the site, the probability of lightning hitting it during a thunderstorm is small;
if a building of great height is located next to the dwelling, then in the event of a lightning strike, it is more likely to be struck by lightning. This way, your home will be safe;
if a lightning conductor is installed on a neighboring house, then its protective coverage area can extend to your house. And in this case, there is no great need for a lightning rod device.

Thus, it cannot be said that a house on which there is no lightning rod is subject to a high risk of being struck by lightning.

Options for creating a lightning rod

If you inspected your own and neighboring houses and as a result found that there is no such protection as a lightning rod on nearby buildings, then the most reasonable thing is to do the work on its creation with your own hands. Of particular danger are buildings with roofs covered with metal tiles or steel sheets. Although such a roof looks attractive, the lack of grounding increases the risk of lightning striking such a house.

In most cases, mounting this roofing made on a crate, which is made of wood. This ensures the accumulation of charge. Discharge of such a device can only occur after a thunderstorm. A person, touching it, can receive a discharge of current of several thousand volts. In addition, do not forget that a spark may occur after a lightning strike, from which a wooden house can easily ignite.

If you want to avoid such unpleasant situations, then need to think about grounding, which should be located every 20 cm. If your home has a metal roof, then in this case you can refuse to create a lightning rod. The roof material itself will be an excellent lightning rod.

To save your home from lightning strikes, you can install a lightning rod on its roof. However, other options are also possible. If near your home there is tall tree, then you can install a lightning rod with your own hands on it, but on condition that it is located at a distance of three meters from the structure, and its height is 2.5 times greater than that of your house.

If this option of a lightning rod seemed attractive to you and you decided to arrange it, then you will need a 5 mm wire. First you should prepare it, then bury one end in the ground, having previously welded it to the ground electrode. The other end will act as a lightning rod. It must be placed at the very top of the tree.

In the event that there is no tall tree on your site, you can use an air terminal mast with two metal rods instead. They are installed at opposite ends of the roof. The drain in this case will act as a down conductor. The material of its manufacture is of great importance. It must be metallic. In this case, you should also not forget about the grounding device.

Conclusion

Regardless of which method you have chosen to install a lightning rod, you must remember that, having completed the installation of this structure with high quality, you will ensure yourself a comfortable stay in your wooden house. But it is necessary to periodically check the condition of the lightning rod created with your own hands. Particular attention must be paid to its connections. There should be no violations in them. Only in this case you can not be afraid of lightning striking the house.

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

What is lightning?

Many owners of private houses are trying to make their home as comfortable and safe as possible, but at the same time they forget about the possibility of a home being struck by lightning.

Lightning is one of the most unpleasant phenomena that can cause colossal damage to your home.

As you know, it is a high-power electrical discharge, so even if it gets into the house indirectly, it can damage electrical engineering 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 striking a house, since often such houses have lightning rods with a large protection zone, which will cover the area with adjacent buildings.

A feature of lightning is the discharge to the highest point. Therefore, if the house is on the outskirts, it is the highest point, unless, of course, a tree grows next to it, which is higher 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 if there are water bodies, strong streams, or swampy areas near the house.

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

Lightning striking factors

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

There are two factors in total.

Primary.

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

Secondary.

Less dangerous for the house and tenants. This factor is reduced to the appearance of electromagnetic induction in the wiring of the house during a lightning strike near the house.

Due to induction in the wiring, a significant voltage surge occurs, which can damage all electrical appliances in the house 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, it is impossible to protect the primary factor in this way, you need to equip the house with lightning protection.

Ohio state 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.

Providing this path is the task of lightning protection.

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

Such protection is popularly called lightning rods, lightning rods.

As for the latter, the definition is not entirely correct, because thunder is just a soundtrack that occurs during a lightning discharge.

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:

Active;
Passive.

Active ones appeared relatively recently. They have a lightning rod, we will talk about it just below, equipped with a special ionizer, which "provokes" lightning with its impulses.

In fact, this device deliberately attracts lightning towards itself, which completely eliminates the possibility of a secondary factor of being struck by lightning.

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 protects the house 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, catenary wire 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 over the 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 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 the ends of it 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 the house exceeds 200 square meters. two rods are installed with a distance between them from 10 m.

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

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

Some, if possible, attach an additional lightning rod directly to the tree.

There is not much 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 catenary wire.

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 the mesh.

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 mesh should form a square of about 6x6 m.

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

There are no strict instructions for the use of this or that type of lightning rod, you can use any one, all of them are quite effective, therefore they are chosen at will.

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

Most often, steel wire with a diameter of 6 mm or more is used as down conductors.

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 entrance doors.

Can be used as a down conductor and metal tape, but not less than 2 mm thick and 30 mm wide.

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 receiver rod is used, then one branch is attached to it. When using a cable receiver, two branches are required.

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 electrode should be metal corner or a strip with a width of 50 mm and a thickness of 4 mm.

The earthing switch is connected to the down conductor only by a welded connection.

Features of lightning protection installation

Based on what has been described, 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 first need to take measurements.

It is necessary to find out the height at which the receiver should be located, and also determine the method of its mounting.

Then you need to calculate the length of the down conductor. It is important to consider here 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 bend.

As for the earthing switch, it must 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 a ground electrode system.

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, hammer rods at least 2 m long into the ground.

Then, using a welding machine, weld a jumper to these rods.

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

An important condition must be observed here - it should not come into contact with the roof of the house, therefore, only wooden supports should be used to secure 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 with special devices, and then to the wall of the house.

A summer cottage should be a place of rest, and real rest is impossible without a sense of security. It must be present all the time, even in bad weather. One of the devices that will allow you to protect yourself and your family from a lightning strike is a lightning rod. It will not be difficult to build it if you strictly adhere to all the recommendations that will be set out in the article.

Preparatory calculations

It should be understood that each device has its own restrictions on the method and area of operation. This also applies to the lightning rod. The latter is able to protect only a certain area, which is important to correctly calculate when designing. Most often, a lightning rod is a mast of a certain height. If you look at it from above, the top of the mast will be the center of the circle, which is the protection zone of the lightning rod. This zone has a maximum area at ground level only and tapers towards the top of the mast to form a cone. The second circle is also taken into account, which is formed at the level of the roof and should cover the entire top of the building. Knowing what the coverage area is, you can easily calculate the required parameters of the lightning rod for specific conditions.

It is generally accepted that a lightning rod provides protection in two zones. One is considered the most reliable, and the second has a safety level of 95%. Each of these zones has its own formulas that allow you to get the required numbers. The variable that is taken into account is the height of the imaginary cone, which is denoted as hy. It was said above that it is necessary to know the protection zone at the level of the roof, therefore, the height of the structure also appears in the formulas, which can be denoted as hc. The radius of the protection zone of the lightning rod at ground level can be designated as Rс, and at the level of the roof Rz. For calculations, there is not enough variable that would indicate the total height of the lightning rod mast, it is denoted as hg. Having all the data, you can display the height of an imaginary figure:

hy = 0.85 × hg.

Knowing the total length of the mast, it is easy to determine the circumference that is protected by the lightning rod at ground level:

Rс = (1.1-0.002) × hg.

There is also a simple formula for determining a safe circle at the level of the roof of a building:

Rz = (1.1-0.002) × (hg-hc ÷ 0.85).

For the second safety zone with a lower percentage of protection, the formulas are slightly different:

hy = 0.92 x hg;
Rc = 1.5 × hg;
Rz = 1.5 × (hg-hc ÷ 0.92).

For each stage of the calculations, it is necessary to devote enough time to the design of the lightning rod to fulfill its role.

Installation process

If we try to simply describe the structure of the lightning rod, then the general scheme can be observed in the illustration above. There are three main components of the lightning rod system. The first of these is the lightning rod. Its task is fully reflected in the title. He takes the first blow. The received impulse cannot be accumulated, therefore it must be dissipated and this is done into the ground, where the ground loop is laid. Both of these modules are connected with a conductor of a suitable cross section.

Circuit

The first step is to mount the grounding element for the lightning rod, since you do not need to be at a height for this. The general assembly diagram of such a diffuser for a lightning rod is similar to that used for conventional grounding in a house in a country house. The first step is to choose the place where the structure will be located. This cannot be done close to the building, since the impulse from the lightning rod can be so strong that it will go into the power supply network in the country. If there is already one ground loop, then it is also necessary to move at least four meters away from it. In this case, it is worth making sure that the ground loop is along the shortest path in relation to the lightning rod of the lightning rod. To further protect the visitors of the cottage, it is better to implement a small fence or leave a sign that will warn about where it is better not to walk during a thunderstorm.

The installation process of the ground loop structure is simple and straightforward. The first step is to determine the approximate location of groundwater around the dacha, where the lightning rod will be installed. If it is more than three meters to them, then a standard design grounding for a lightning rod, which consists of three large rods with a diameter of 12 mm and a length of 3 meters. Before installing them, you need to make a small pit to a depth of 0.8 meters. Only after that the rods are hammered practically to their entire length. You need to arrange them in a triangle. A small part of the rod remains on the surface so that a strip of metal can be welded to it.

If it is known for certain that the groundwater at the dacha is close to the surface, then the installation of the grounding for the lightning rod is carried out without the use of long pins. From metal bar a rectangle is made, which is dug into the ground to a depth of 0.8 meters. It should be said that the metal bar in this design must have a cross-sectional area of at least 100 mm 2.

Lightning rod

The next element of the lightning rod that can be mounted is the mast. Its height can be determined using the formulas given above. Since the installation of the mast is carried out on the roof, it is necessary to work in dry weather without wind. To install a lightning rod, you must select the highest point on the roof. In some cases, the height of the lightning rod turns out to be large, which requires additional reinforcement of the mast. This can be done using ordinary cables, which are mounted as guy wires for a lightning rod.

An important requirement for a lightning rod lightning rod is its installation exactly in the vertical plane. You can use one or more bubble levels for this. You can install a lightning rod on a mast, but it should be understood that metal part the mast must be insulated from the roof, since the discharge may go in the wrong direction. For the lightning rod, you can use round or rectangular fittings. Only its cross-section is important, which should not be less than 60 mm 2. If the cross-section is underestimated, then the resistance of the conductor will increase and it may not fulfill its purpose.

Down conductor

The two extreme components of the lightning rod are ready, now they need to be combined into common system... This will require the installation of a down conductor. The best material copper is used for the down conductor, but finding a product of the required cross-section is problematic and rather expensive, therefore, zinc-coated steel wire is most often used. The latter protects it from rapid corrosion caused by precipitation. In this case, a wire with a diameter of 6 mm is required.

Advice! It is allowed to use a square or rectangular conductor, but its cross-sectional area must not be less than that of a steel wire with the specified diameter.

The easiest and most correct way is to throw the down conductor along the ledge of the roof, which is the ridge. If lightning strikes not the mast, but the roof itself, then with very likely it will fall into the down conductor. The photo above shows that the lightning conductor cannot be placed close to the roof deck. For it, special holders are used that are able to raise the wire above the roof by 20 cm. The racks themselves are fixed to the flooring through dielectric spacers, which exclude the discharge of the discharge into the roofing flooring or rafter system.

Advice! When working on the roof during the installation of the lightning rod, it is important to take care of your personal safety by using safety cables.

It is better not to install the lightning rod yourself. An assistant can feed the required elements, as well as monitor the safety cables. It is also important to choose the right shoes that will not slip on the roof deck.

When the down conductor is fully extended along the roof, it must be connected to the ground loop. It is better to lower the down conductor along the wall of the building, using some kind of insulator for this in order to close it at least for the height of a person. After connecting all the elements, the system can be considered working. The installation process is clearly shown in the video below.

An exception for the installation of a lightning conductor may be the case when the house in the country is located near a tower or other high building. If power lines pass next to the dacha, then they can also become a natural protection against lightning strikes. But in this case, it is important to take care of a good grounding instead of a lightning rod. The latter must be designed so that the discharge that can go through the power line goes to the ground. In addition, the installation of special lightning protection units will be required. They are fuses that will blow when a large electrical discharge occurs.

Summary

A lightning conductor is an important precaution that should be taken into account even when specific cases of lightning strikes are not known. residential buildings in a specific area. Per metal structure requires periodic maintenance. If steel served as the main material for the structure, then it can be painted with "Galvanol". Each season it is necessary to check the connection points of each of the modules to be sure that the discharge goes in the required direction. If you don't want to mess around with placing a lightning rod on the roof, then it can be built on a tree if it is located at a suitable distance from the house. In this case, the laying of all communications is carried out along the trunk.