Do-it-yourself lightning rod: complete instructions. Making and installing a lightning rod with your own hands It is quite possible to make lightning protection with your own hands

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Installation of lightning protection for a private house Lightning protection and the installation price directly depend on the area of the house and the type of roof. Before starting the installation, of course, the usual inspection of the roof is carried out and the place of installation of the air terminal and also the place of installation of conductors and fasteners for non-..

Lightning protection project The lightning protection project is one of the steps for the high-quality and correct implementation of the complex of works on lightning protection of buildings and structures. This type of documentation requires correct and meticulous calculation and design for the safety of the building as a whole. Of course, for the exile ..

Measuring the resistance of the ground loop Measuring the resistance of the ground loop is one of the components of the whole complex of works on the organization of the lightning protection and grounding system. Our company measures the resistance of the ground loop in Moscow and the Moscow region with the departure of the joint venture ..

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Active lightning rod Gromostar 25 (radius of protection 25 meters)

Active lightning rod Gromostar 25 (protection radius 25 meters). The new technology company Gromostar - Gromostar, develops active lightning rods according to its own technology and has significant success both in the Russian market and in Europe. This lightning rod has its own successful design and has established itself as a high-quality and proven equipment. Easy to install and has a thread for mounting on an M16 mast. This company has its own laboratory for testing and is also quite popular all over the world. All products of this company Gromostar have patents for all products and also all quality certificates and warranties. This type of product has established itself quite widely in the field of private and industrial construction due to its affordable price and ongoing technical support. Based on the height of the lightning rod installation, you can achieve great safety results from lightning damage to your structure. This concept allows significant savings in installation work and significantly speeds up the production of all works on the installation of lightning protection. If necessary, you can equip your lightning rod with a lightning strike counter, which will additionally allow you to monitor the health of the equipment. Our specialists, in the shortest possible time and free of charge, according to your project, will help you calculate and recommend the necessary model suitable for your structure and will also be happy to select all the necessary components for the installation of the entire system and carry out all the necessary installation recommendations. Also, by contacting us, we can provide you with everything optional equipment for high-quality work of the entire building or structure. The Gromostar company provides comprehensive technical support and assistance to all customers, both consultations and additional equipment in the field of building and construction security.

Shown below are special tables for studying the range of an air terminal depending on the height. In any case, we recommend that you contact our specialist for quality advice and the right choice appropriate equipment.

Gromostar 25 m Can be supplied in both steel and special copper alloy.

Specifications

Protection zones of an active lightning rod Gromostar 25, for various protection categories and height H
(in accordance with EN62305-2 NFC 17-102)

ΔT [μs]		H 2 m	H 3 m	H 4 m	H 5 m	H 7 m	H 10 m	H 20 m
25	I	17	25	34	42	43	44	45
25	II	20	29	40	50	50	52	55
25	III	23	34	46	58	58	63	65
25	IV	26	39	50	66	66	69	75

This type of product is unique and comes with an original warranty card and can also be completed with the entire technical documentation on installation. If necessary, our specialists will carry out professional installation with a visit to the site and can also measure the resistivity of the entire system with the registration of the certificate of work and warranty obligations. If necessary, our company can complete your entire facility with all the necessary additional materials for the entire cycle of lightning protection of buildings and structures.

Active lightning rod SCHIRTEC S-AS (protection radius up to 30 meters)

Lightning conductor SCHIRTEC S-AS (protection radius up to 30 meters)- designed for installation in buildings and structures to protect against lightning strikes and direct hits into the building. Made of high quality stainless steel and has a special contact group to check the functionality. High quality is confirmed by ISO 9001: 2008 and ISO 14001: 2004 certificates. This active lightning rod can be installed on almost any structure. Installed on an air terminal mast, the recommended installation height is 5-6 meters. Has a high radius of protection, can be used for several buildings at the same time.

Schirtec is an Austrian research company, has several points of study of lightning protection systems, is distinguished by the use of special alloys for the manufacture of systems, a very high quality of workmanship. Decent design and control systems, lightning strike counters and testers. They occupy a fairly large market segment in the field of lightning protection in private buildings. At this stage, in our opinion, they are the most demanded in the segment of private construction in the Russian market.

Active lightning rod INDELEC PREVECTRON 3 S40 (protection radius up to 80 meters)

Active lightning rod INDELEC PREVECTRON 3 S40(radius of protection up to 80 meters), depending on the height of the mast.The latest generation lightning rod is distinguished by its special quality and modular system manufacture, is one of the best in the world and has a full set of certificates of all international systems, also has a certificate from RosTekhNadzor (certificate RRS 00-05003). This certificate allows the use of this equipment at any facility with increased safety and any class of protection, these types of lightning rods are the only ones in Russia with such a certificate issued. Special alloys, special quality control, full production control make this product truly unique. The lightning rod can be used both in industrial systems and in private buildings. It has additional equipment for use - a lightning discharge counter and a special tester for checking. The company's specialists always provide technical support and installation advice. It is installed on the mast depending on the calculation and has a direct connection to the conductor.

Prevectron Indelec - a company that can be safely called a leader in the development of systems for lightning protection of buildings and structures, France, has several special laboratories around the world and conducts quality experiments in this area. The developments of this company are in great demand all over the world. These lightning rods are installed on all the best buildings in the world, improvements are constantly being made and this type of product has the highest quality level. New design, use of the best modern technologies give this product the highest quality rating.

Specifications:

Efficiency - ΔT 40 μs (advance when triggered)

Standard. Deviation ACT / PAS σ σPDA< 0,65 σPTS

Weathered lightning strike -(wave 10 / 350μs) Iimp 100kA (normative test)

Max. withstand shock - Imax 207 kA (Unicamp)

Net weight P 3 kg

Principle of operation

Downward Leader Detection - Continuous Electric Field Measurement(ΔE / Δt)

Conditions for the development of the ascendant streamer - Optimax®- patented technology

optimization of conditions for streamer development -Trigger Impulse sparkinghigh voltage

Internal circuit - 3 independent synchronized modules

Center tip - Continuous electrical conductivity315 mm² sections - nickel-plated copper

Metal housing St.St. 316 stainless steel, electrically shielded

Performance Testing - Special Tester

Service - Replaceable Modules

Warranty period - 5 years

Mechanical characteristics

Mast Mount - M20 Thread

Down conductor connection - Special connector included

Package

Dimensions - 438 x 228 x 220mm

Accessories - included Down conductor connector, hex wrench

Weight - gross 4.75 kg

Material - 100% recyclable

Certification

NF C 17 102: 2011 Appendix C Bureau Veritas Certificate N ° 6275241/2/1/3

Qualifoudre Ineris Certificate N ° N ° 051166662001

Active lightning protection can be considered one of the latest achievements in this area. It is a system using active lightning rods. Such protection is much more economical and does not require special maintenance. At the same time, buildings and structures retain their presentable appearance, and do not turn into an object covered with many wires.

One of the modern representatives of lightning protection systems is an active lightning rod, which has a number of advantages.

First, it self-charges from the surrounding electric field, which means there is no need for an external power source.
Secondly, it has a fairly simple design. To protect an object from lightning discharges, it is enough to install a lightning rod, and not entangle the building with nets of wires. In Moscow, this fact is especially important for buildings of architectural value. In addition, the likelihood of damage to the lightning rod by snow or ice is minimized, which means you do not have to pay for constant repairs and maintenance.
Thirdly, active lightning protection extends not only to the object itself, but also to the surrounding buildings. The radius of action depends on what type and at what height the head is installed on the active lightning rod.

Passive lightning rods are one of the most common materials in the arrangement of lightning protection. Their classification consists of height and thickness and also some design features.

Lightning protection of buildings and structures is an important element of ensuring the safety of administrative, industrial and residential buildings. A negligent attitude to this issue can lead not only to serious damage to property, fires, failure of expensive electrical appliances, but also cause colossal harm to human health. This is evidenced by the statistics of the Ministry of Emergency Situations: about 30% of fires happen due to lightning discharges hitting the object. Despite this, practice shows that many buildings and structures in Moscow do not have enough reliable protection from such a serious natural phenomenon like lightning. A certain difficulty is due to the fact that lightning cannot be predicted or prevented. But this should not be a reason for inaction. Modern science offers relevant solutions. In a certain area, lightning can be controlled using special equipment, preventing destructive consequences.

Following regulatory documents, where the requirements for lightning protection of buildings and structures are indicated, most often elementary lightning rods and grounding are designed and installed, which can fully guarantee safety.

Lightning protection design is a serious work that must be performed by specialists. There is a specific set of parameters that can affect performance. They should be taken into account when designing. First of all, this is the height of buildings, roof structure, type building materials and throughput soils. To ensure reliable protection of buildings and structures, this data is analyzed and an optimal solution is proposed.

Today there are two types of lightning protection:

Active lightning protection. This is ensured by active lightning rods that are capable of generating high-voltage pulses, creating an artificial leader. It captures lightning at a great distance from the object and directs it to the ground, providing reliable protection.
Passive lightning protection. This is a traditional form, which assumes a direct discharge of the discharge into the rods of the lightning rods and its safe grounding.

Thus, the lightning protection of a private house always provides protection and the choice of the system is always yours or better for specialists based on economic conditions.

We all know that lightning is beautiful only at a distance, and for a person its strike can be fatal. Also, a lightning strike can disable equipment or provoke a fire. IN a private house Lightning does not strike very often, but if it does, it will be extremely difficult to cope with the consequences.

Today we will tell you about lightning protection of a private house and how a lightning rod works.

Features of lightning protection of a private house

With the development of technology and the emergence of various wireless equipment, the risk of being struck by lightning has increased. At the same time, modern scientific developments are successfully fighting it.

When storm clouds are approaching in the sky and lightning strikes him, a warning and intelligent person will not be afraid of them, because he protected his home from their direct hit.

So, a good owner will definitely show interest in how to make lightning protection of a private house. Do not worry if your private house is located next to a tower equipped with a lightning rod or power lines. But in the zone of risk of lightning strike there are buildings that:

have a single location;
built on a hill;
are located next to the reservoir.

A lightning rod should be planned even at the stage of construction of a private house. So it follows make a lightning protection circuit during construction. Private houses belong to the third class of fire safety, respectively, they are subject to installation of a lightning rod on them without fail.

The choice of the required type of lightning protection for a private house depends on a number of factors:

Initial state of the house.
Location conditions.
Climatic conditions of the area.
Soil type.

Necessarily consider the location conditions your house. So, if lightning strikes a tree, an antenna, a pole next to a house, then they can create a screen effect and the building will also fall into the affected area.

remember, that different types soils differ in their conductivity and resistance, which should be taken into account when choosing the section of the strip and the size of the deepening of the contour.

If the local climate is such that the number of thunderstorm periods per year exceeds the mark 40 times, and the house is near the water, then the risk of lightning strikes increases several times.

How a lightning rod for a private house is arranged

The principle of operation of a lightning rod is quite simple: the house is protected from lightning strikes due to the fact that discharge is discharged to the ground.

However, the effectiveness of a lightning rod is possible only with the complex construction of a system that consists of two protective systems: external and internal.

Internal protection should protect equipment from power surges during a thunderstorm. And even if the discharge strikes within a radius of several kilometers, a surge suppressor is still needed.

If you do not have such protection, then when a thunderstorm front approaches within three kilometers in advance disconnect all electrical appliances.

And an external protection system is needed to ensure the safety of the house and its inhabitants during a thunderstorm. A simple lightning rod consists of the following elements:

Lightning rod.
Supports.
Down conductor.

The lightning rod is metal conductor up to one and a half meters in length, which takes on a lightning discharge. Such lightning protection should be installed in a country house at its highest point:

roof;
chimney;
TV antenna.

Such lightning protection is suitable for installation on a metal roof, and if the roof is slate, then you need pull the metal cable on wood supports up to 2 meters long and cover it with insulators.

On roofs made of tiles, you need to pull a special lightning protection mesh with down conductors along the ridge. Down conductors are needed to connect the lightning rod to the ground loop. They represent steel wire, which should be laid along the wall of the house and welded to the lightning rod and the ground loop.

Lightning protection grounding includes two connected electrodes, which hammered into the ground... According to the rules, the grounding of household appliances and lightning protection should be common. The radius of action of a lightning rod depends on its height.

If the lightning rod is made correctly and efficiently, then it will represent the least resistance through which the lightning discharge will be redirected from the house to the ground.

How to make lightning protection for a private house with your own hands

So, we figured out how the lightning protection for the house is arranged, and how to choose it depending on the type of roof. Now we will tell you how to make high-quality lightning protection for your home with your own hands.

Lightning protection mesh will serve metal wire structure with a diameter of six meters, which is made by welding. It should be laid on the roof and connected to the ground loop with several down conductors.

This mesh is suitable for non-metallic roofs in order to protect one building, since other buildings are located at a lower level. Also, the mesh can be laid on the roof during the construction phase of the house.

The protective wire can be made as follows:

Pull the cable over the insulators between the two metal or wood supports.
Installation is carried out at a height of 0.25 m on a ridge.
The wire diameter must be at least 6 mm.

A loop should be made around the wire pipe and connected to the lightning rod with soldering or welding... The down conductor is also made of the same wire. As a result, we get a hut-like protective zone, which is suitable for roofs made of any material except metal.

Pin lightning rod is a pin with the following parameters:

sectional shape can be round, rectangular or square;
pin length at least 0.25 m;
cross-sectional area 100 square mm.

It is the pin that takes over the key lightning strike, so it must be able to withstand maximum loads dynamic and thermal nature.

The material for the pin is selected so that oxidation is not terrible for it, it can be galvanized steel or copper, therefore, it is impossible to paint such a lightning rod. The cross-sectional diameter of the rod or pipe must be at least 12 mm. The end must be welded into the hollow pipe. The structure should be installed on the ridge of the roof on a mast of the required length.

The down conductor directs the electrical discharge to the ground. It needs to be attached to overall design by soldering, welding or bolting. The contact area must be at least twice the cross-sectional area of the parts that are connected to each other.

Such protection is suitable for metal roofs, while remember that the roof itself must also be grounded.

Grounding for lightning rod

An earthing switch is needed to divert the lightning current into the ground; it has a small fraction of electrical resistance. The grounding should be laid away from the porch of the house and the paths next to it, preferably at a distance of about five meters.

If the soil is wet, and the groundwater lies less than one and a half meters, then you need to use horizontal earthing... You can make it yourself as follows:

Dig a ditch along the house to a shovel width of about six meters in length and about a meter deep.
Drive three galvanized water pipes with a diameter of 20 m and a length of 2 m into the bottom of the ditch every three meters. Leave about 5 cm on the surface.
Take a wire with a diameter of at least 8 mm and weld to the pipes. The down conductor still needs to be welded to the middle pipe. You can also weld bolts to the pipes to connect them with a copper cable.
Lubricate the bolts with grease, and bury the pipes.

If the soil is dry and the groundwater is deep enough, then do vertical earthing:

take two rods 2-3 m long;
drive them into the ground to a depth of about half a meter and at a distance of three meters from each other;
connect them with a jumper with a cross section of 100 sq. m.

Such grounding can be used for the purpose protection of electrical appliances and shields. Remember that during a thunderstorm it is extremely dangerous to be within a radius of four meters from grounding, otherwise there is a risk of falling under step voltage.

Also, lightning protection can be installed on a tree if it is more than twice the height of the house together with the antenna and is located at a distance of 3–10 meters from the dwelling. In this case, lightning protection is made of wire with a diameter of about 5 mm, with one-way descent and one grounding in the form of a loop.

If you have installed lightning protection from a linear type of lightning, it will be ineffective when struck by ball lightning. In this case, to fireball didn't get into the house, close all windows tightly, doors, chimneys, and check that ventilation blocks were equipped with copper or steel mesh wire with cells of the order of 3 cm and reliable grounding.

When installing and caring for lightning protection, remember these tips and recommendations:

Remember, in order to lightning protection of your private country house could regularly serve you for many years and protect it in cloudy stormy weather, it need to be installed correctly and take care of her regularly.

It is important for a private home owner to take care of safety during a thunderstorm. The strength of the current during a lightning strike can exceed 100,000 A, and if it hits a building, it is dangerous for the life of people and the safety of property. Installing a lightning rod in a private house makes it possible to drain a powerful electrical discharge into the ground, protecting the structure from destruction and fire. The work can be done independently - for this it is enough to choose necessary materials, carry out calculations, arm yourself with a shovel and a welding machine.

The simplest lightning rod circuit

Principle of operation

A lightning conductor in a house is not difficult to make with your own hands, its design is extremely simple. The principle of its operation is as follows: a lightning rod located at a height attracts lightning electrical discharges to itself within its radius of action and redirects them to the ground through a down conductor. The radius of action depends on the height of the mast, it is recommended to calculate the structure in such a way that one installation protects all outbuildings on the site from lightning.

Exist different variants lightning rod devices, but the simplest and most common type is the rod structure. Such a lightning rod is mounted on the roof of a building or on a free-standing mast.

Lightning rod structure

Protective system device

Structurally, the lightning rod-lightning rod consists of the following elements:

lightning rod (used to intercept a lightning discharge);
earthing switch (ensures tight contact of the system with the ground);
down conductor (serves to connect the lightning rod to the ground electrode, transports a lightning discharge).

Lightning rod

When planning to create a security device for a private or country house, select a lightning rod with optimal parameters. Typically, this function is performed by a metal rod, towering over the tallest structure on the site.

Depending on the design features protection systems, some parts of the house are capable of serving as parts of a lightning rod. We are talking about a metal roof, fences and a metal gutter system.

Steel lightning protection on soft roof

In this case, it is important that the metal roof is a one-piece covering without breaks. The minimum permissible thickness of sheet material is determined depending on the type of metal and for iron is 4 mm, for copper 5 mm, for aluminum 7 mm. The roof covering should not have an external insulating layer - the exception is anti-corrosion paint for metal.

Parts of the drainage system and fencing are allowed to be used as a lightning rod only if the thickness of the metal exceeds the values for the roof.

The lightning rod is fixed in such a way that it is at least half a meter higher than the highest point in the area around the house, including the tops of the trees.

Down conductor

This part of the country lightning rod is made of wire rod or a strip of uninsulated metal. The recommended section of the steel down conductor is 50 sq. mm, copper - 16 sq. mm, aluminum - 25 sq. mm.

Down conductor on the roof made of metal tiles

The down conductor is laid in such a way that it connects the lightning rod and the ground electrode over the shortest distance, ideally in a straight line.

It is allowed to mount the down conductor both outside and inside the building wall, but in the second case, they must be made of non-combustible material. The minimum gap between the external down conductor and the wall made of combustible building material is 10 cm. When laying, avoid sharp turns of the down conductor, otherwise in these areas the risk of fire increases due to the occurrence of a spark discharge.

Earthing switch

The earthing switch is mounted from steel or copper elements, and for steel, the cross-sectional area is 80 square meters. mm, and for copper - 50 sq. mm. Grounding a lightning rod requires preparation of a trench with a length of at least 3 meters and a depth of 0.5 meters. At the ends of the trench, they are driven into the ground along a metal rod, and they are connected together by welding a conductor from the same material.

Trench for a closed earthing switch

A branch leading to the house is welded to this structure. The current lead is connected to the branch. Welding spots must be painted over. A trench for the grounding element of the protective installation is equipped no closer than 1 meter from the wall of the house and no closer than 5 meters from the paths and the entrance group of the house.

Manufacturing instruction

Before installing a lightning protection system, you need to prepare a project, make calculations and select the necessary materials.

At the design stage, the optimal size of the lightning rod is calculated so that the installation fully protects the development area of your site. When it comes to rod lightning rods capable of protecting a private house or summer cottage, they provide a cone-shaped protective zone with an inclination angle of 45-50 degrees.

The height of the air terminal is calculated according to the formula h = (rх + 1.63hx) / 1.5, while:

h is the required height of the rod-type lightning rod;
rx is the radius of the protection zone at the height of the top point of the house that needs to be protected;
hx is the height of the protected house.

This scheme is suitable for calculating lightning rods, the height of which does not exceed 150 m, and this value is more than enough for a private house.

When selecting the material of manufacture, one should pay attention to the recommended values of the cross-sectional area of the system elements. The values depend on the level of electrical resistance of steel, copper and aluminum. If you focus on specifications metals, it is better to choose copper. But the steel profile is much cheaper.

The cross-section of the down conductor is noticeably smaller than that of the other elements; it is recommended to smoothly increase its thickness in the direction from the lightning rod to the ground. The most effective systems are systems, all elements of which are made of the same metal.

It is necessary to choose the right place to install the lightning rod. The end of the air terminal should be located above the highest point on the site, and the cone of the protection zone should cover the house and, if possible, other buildings in the yard. The house must completely fall into the protective cone, therefore, the farther from the house the lightning rod is mounted, the higher it should be.

Lightning and thunderstorm protection zone cone

The cheapest and easiest way is to mount an air terminal on the roof; in this case, you do not need to install a special support of the required height. It is not necessary to fix the vertical lightning rod in the center of the roof. If you place it along one of the walls, it is less likely that lightning will hit the roof.

Consider the location of the earthing switch. During thunderstorms, no people should be near this device, as powerful electrical discharges will go into the ground. When creating a project, observe the regulated distances from the walls of the house, its porch and paths. Free access to the site with an earthing switch is blocked with a fence, decorative plantings, garden sculptures. It is recommended to install a warning sign.

Installation of the structure

After the calculation is made and the materials are prepared, the installation site is selected, you can proceed to the installation. First of all, they carry out earthworks, establish grounding.

Lightning conductors for a summer residence or a private house provide for the installation of a linear or closed grounding conductor. In the first case, a trench is dug, in which the grounding electrodes are lined up and welded together. The second type of grounding involves immersion in the ground of a triangular structure of three grounding electrodes connected by a metal strip.

The depth of the pit, straight or triangular, should be 0.5-1 meter - the rods are driven into the ground. A deep trench is dug to the point of attachment of the down conductor for a connecting outlet for the grounding loop.

In order for the electric discharge to easily go into the ground, a soil with good electrically conductive properties is needed. If the soil is sandy, then to improve its electrical conductivity, it is watered with an electrolyte - a saline solution.

Only moistened soil can pass electric current. You can provide for the drainage of the roof drain to the appropriate area, or bury the ground loop at a depth where the soil always remains moist.

Linear ground loop

In order for the earthing switch that you made to meet the requirements for a protective system for many years, metal with a large margin of cross-sectional area is used for the manufacture of its elements. This is due to the fact that the thickness of the steel elements decreases over time due to accelerated corrosion in conductive soil. For the manufacture of a structure, a steel profile is usually used - a pipe, a strip, an angle.

At the next stage of work, a support for the lightning rod is installed in a pre-selected place. The support is firmly fixed so that it can withstand sudden gusts of wind, lightning strikes. A rod lightning rod with a suitable cross-sectional area is attached to the support. In the absence of rolled metal of the required length, this element is welded from several sections.

It is convenient to use a tall tree growing near the house as a support. The lightning rod is attached to the tree using a synthetic halyard so that the entire house falls into the protective cone. If suitable tree no, the lightning rod is connected to the television antenna on the roof, since its mast is made of unpainted metal. If the antenna is fixed on a wooden pole, a wire of a suitable section is attached along it.

Small home protection options

If for the manufacture of a lightning rod, a hollow metal pipe, its upper end must be closed with a plug made of the same metal and welded.

The conductor in the form of rolled wire or a metal strip is firmly connected to the lightning rod fixed to the support. Check the routing of the pantograph, the lower part of which is welded to the tap of the ground loop. A properly mounted pantograph does not touch the metal elements of the house anywhere. Otherwise, the lightning electric discharge will go not to the grounding circuit, but to metal structure which is in contact with the pantograph.

Installation of a down conductor involves welding a metal wire or strip to the horizontal part of the ground loop along its entire length. The earthing switch is driven into the ground at the bottom of the trenches, then the trenches and pits are covered with excavated soil.

Maintenance of the structure

Lightning protection assembled from metal should be regularly inspected to identify corrosion centers. Every spring, before the start of the thunderstorm season, the contacts of the protective system are checked. If necessary, they are cleaned, since due to poor contact, the system may open, ignite when a lightning discharge hits.

Corrosion metal contour

At least once every three years, the degree of corrosion of the ground loop is checked, for which it is dug up and examined. Elements that are severely damaged by corrosion must be replaced with new ones. Otherwise, the lightning rod at some point will not be able to cope with its functions.

Competent calculation and correct installation the lightning rod will secure your home. All work can be done on your own.

Country houses are usually built from combustible materials, and the fire station is far away. Yes, and you can not drive up to every building, and you should not expect anything good from a strong wind that accompanies any thunderstorm.

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 on 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 the least local resistance to electric current. The fact is well-known and verified. 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.