How to make a lightning rod in a private house. Do-it-yourself lightning rod for a country house: will there be an effect? External protection of a private house from lightning

12.11.2019

Lightning rod is protective device, in which a system of conductors conducts an electrical discharge to the ground. Lightning protection is the most important element in ensuring the safety of residents and property in the building. If you wish and have certain knowledge, it is quite possible to build a lightning rod with your own hands.

Principle of operation and device

The lightning protection system consists of three components:

lightning rod;
down conductor;
ground electrode.

The device diagram is shown in the figure below.

The function of receiving a lightning discharge is assigned to the lightning rod. Through down conductors, electricity enters the ground circuit, which transmits the discharge to the ground.

Lightning rod

There are three types of lightning rods:

rod;
pin;
reticulate.

Also, the roof itself can act as a receiver.

The rod receiver is a metal pin mounted on a frame (on the roof, next to the building, on a tall tree). With the help of a down conductor (conductor), the pin is connected to the ground loop. Lightning rods are made of copper, aluminum or steel. And the first- best option in terms of protection quality, and the cheapest receivers are made of steel.

The cross section of the rod-type lightning rod must be at least 35 sq. mm if we are talking about copper, and 70 sq. mm - for steel devices. The length of the pin ranges from 50 to 200 cm.

Rod receivers usually look aesthetically pleasing, but their coverage area is not very large. To calculate the covered area, a mental line is drawn from the highest point of the pin to the ground level at an angle of 45 degrees. Protected is the entire space that is in the triangle around the perimeter. Due to the small coverage area, lightning rods are used to protect small houses, bathhouses, garages, etc.

Note! Lightning protection can be either made by hand or purchased ready-made.

Mesh lightning rods are made in the form metal meshes and represent a reinforcing cage with cells ranging in size from 3 to 12 m. The thickness of the reinforcement is on average 6 mm. The grid is placed at a certain height above the roofing material, leaving a gap of at least 15 cm. The most suitable objects for the use of grid systems are large roofs ( apartment buildings, shopping centers, industrial and storage buildings etc.).

The cable receiver is located on two or four masts connected to each other by steel or aluminum wire. The cable is pulled along the roof ridge using wooden bars that act as supports. The smallest recommended rope diameter is 5 mm.

Compared to rod devices, the described devices cover a much larger area. In terms of efficiency, cable systems are better than rod or mesh receivers in dealing with the task of lightning protection. Such systems are especially common on slate roofs.

Sometimes the roof itself is used as a lightning rod. This is possible when the roof is made of corrugated board, metal tiles and any other materials based on metal. There are requirements that disqualify the structural material of the roof if its thickness is less than 4 mm (otherwise it may be burned through by lightning). Also, any combustible materials that can easily ignite are not allowed.

Down conductor

For the manufacture of conductors, six-millimeter copper, steel or aluminum wire is used. Connections with other elements of the system - lightning rod and ground loop - are made by means of bolts or welds. The down conductor needs high-quality insulation from environment(cable channels will do). Another requirement is the choice for the down conductor of the shortest path from the lightning rod to the grounding device.

grounding conductor

The ground loop is located near the building. At the same time, a place is chosen that is outside the walking area and closer to any fence. The electric charge entering the ground loop through the down conductor is discharged into the ground through metal rods. The rods are dug into the ground to a depth of about 80-100 cm. They are placed in such a way that they form a triangle when connected.

Preparatory activities

Before you make a lightning rod, you need to prepare. Moreover, in terms of importance, this stage is no different from the actual process of installing a lightning protection system. You will need to make calculations according to the formula, select materials and find right place to install lightning protection.

Calculation formula

Lightning protection is a rather complex and responsible system due to the tasks performed. When planning it, accurate calculations and an assessment of potential risks are necessary. At the same time, there is no need for overly complicated mathematical calculations. It is only necessary to determine the coverage area of the system, based on the formulas. For a lightning rod, there are coefficients used to calculate the required height of the device. The following formula is used:

It is suitable for lightning rods up to one and a half meters high, which is quite enough to protect a private house from lightning strikes.

Lightning rod material

To create a protective system, structural materials will be needed. You will have to make a choice of steel, copper or aluminum. At the same time, the area of the required cross section will be different, which is dictated by the different resistance of each type of the listed metals. To explain what has been said more clearly, below is a table that indicates the minimum requirements for lightning protection components, based on the type of metal:

Material	Lightning rod		Down conductor		grounding conductor
Material	Sectional area, mm	Diameter, mm	Sectional area, mm	Diameter, mm	Sectional area, mm	Diameter, mm
Copper	35	7	16	5	50	8
Steel	50	8	50	8	100	11,5
Aluminum	70	9,5	25	6	Not applicable

Based on the data presented in the table, the optimal choice of material is copper. However, the cheapest option for a do-it-yourself lightning rod is steel.

The down conductor has a smaller cross section compared to other components of the protective system. It is recommended to gradually increase its thickness from the receiver to the ground loop.

Advice! When creating lightning protection, it is desirable to use the same type of metal for all structural elements.

For the manufacture of lightning protection, the following materials and tools are needed:

Lightning rod. In the case of a rod system, you will need a metal pointed pin. A TV mast or antenna for receiving radio signals is also suitable. Ready-made receivers are available for sale, for example, GALMAR or SCHIRTEC.
Metal wire of the desired section.
Grounding devices (metal rods, pipes or tape).
Plastic clamps, brackets, bolts.
Tools for performing work (welding machine, electric drill, hammer, shovel).

Installation location

The lightning rod should be located at the highest point available on the site. In this case, you need to remember about the protective cone-shaped zone. The lightning rod must be located in such a place that the building is completely covered with protection. It turns out that the more distant the lightning rod from the house, the higher it should be.

For financial reasons, it is preferable to place the lightning rod on the roof of the building. In this case, the construction of a high support will not be required, which, moreover, is unlikely to be aesthetically attractive.

Advice! It is not recommended to install a lightning rod in the central part of the roof. It is better to put the receiver on the edge of the roof and fix it to the wall. With this approach, the risk of lightning hitting any part of the roof is reduced.

A separate issue is the correct placement of the grounding device. When a lightning strikes, a high-power discharge passes into the ground and at this moment there should not be living creatures near the ground electrode. Therefore, requirements have been developed for minimum distances from grounding to the wall of the house - 1 m and to footpaths - 5 m. The grounding device should be installed in a place where there is no likelihood of people being present. In addition, a fence should be installed around the grounding conductor and a warning sign should be placed nearby.

Note! Effective work of grounding is possible only in wet ground. This must be taken into account when choosing a location for the ground loop. If there is no constantly wet area, you should think about artificial irrigation.

Installation of a wire lightning rod

First of all, you need to stretch the wire along the roof ridge. It will act as a lightning receiver. If the roof is made of fire hazardous materials (wood, plastic tiles, etc.), the wire should be placed at a height of at least 15 centimeters from the material. At the same time, plastic clamps will perform the supporting function for it. The ends of the wire are fixed on metal masts (they are called horizontal receivers).

The current lead is fixed to the receiver using welding machine bolted connections or rivets. Insulation is applied to adjacent areas. On the roof, the down conductor is fixed with brackets, and on the walls - with plastic clamps. It is better to place the conductor in a cable duct to avoid the harmful effects of moisture on it.

Grounding is created like this:

Dig a trench with a depth of 80 cm.
Metal pins are hammered into the bottom of the pit.
connect them steel pipe or tape. To do this, use a welding machine.
The tape is taken to the area of connection with the down conductor.
Connect the down conductor to the ground electrode.

Installation of a lightning rod

For mounting rod system you need a tall stand. Its functions can be performed, for example, by a TV antenna mast. The receiver is fixed to it by a welded or bolted connection.

The installation of a down conductor and a grounding conductor is carried out in the same way as described above when it came to cable lightning protection. After installation is complete, the system resistance should be tested. The maximum allowable indicator is 10 ohms.

Tree as a lightning rod

To create a lightning rod with your own hands, an ordinary tree is suitable. At the same time, its height should exceed the level of the roof of the building by about 2.5 times. The distance to the house should not be less than 3 m.

One end of a five-millimeter wire is welded to a grounding device and the connection is buried in the ground. The remaining end will be the receiver. He is led to the top of a tree.

Construction care

Metal devices are sensitive to negative impacts environment. To avoid the development of corrosive processes and maintain the working properties of metals, it is necessary to regularly inspect the lightning protection system.

With the onset of spring - before the start of the thunderstorm season - it is necessary to conduct a visual study of all components of the system. During operation, the metal is so damaged that it is impossible to do without replacing parts.

Particular attention should be paid to contacts. Poor contact leads to opening of the system and fire. If necessary, they are cleaned of oxide.

The underground part of lightning protection also needs to be checked. However, due to the complexity of the process, it is allowed to do this not every year, but once every three years.

Lightning protection is such an important element of ensuring the safety of residents and the building that it is worth taking on its creation only with full confidence in one's knowledge and experience. If this feeling is not enough, it is better to entrust the work to professionals.

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 damage equipment or cause a fire. AT private house lightning does not strike so often, but if it does, it will be extremely difficult to cope with the consequences.

Today we will talk about the lightning protection of a private house and how a lightning rod is arranged.

Features of lightning protection of a private house

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

When storm clouds are moving in the sky and lightning is piercing it, 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 for a private house. You don't have to 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 strikes there are buildings that:

have a single location;
built on high ground;
are located next to the water.

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

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

The original state of the house.
Location conditions.
Climatic conditions of the area.
Soil type.

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

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

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

How a lightning rod is arranged for a private house

The principle of operation of a lightning rod is quite simple: the house is protected from lightning due to the fact that the 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 thunderstorms. 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 turn everything off electrical devices .

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. Install such lightning protection in country house follows 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 a metal cable on wooden supports up to 2 meters long and cover it with insulators.

On roofs made of tiles, you need to stretch 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 coupled electrodes, which hammered into the ground. According to the rules, the grounding of household appliances and lightning protection should be common. The range of a lightning rod depends on its height.

If the lightning rod is made correctly and with high quality, then it will be 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 lightning protection for a house is arranged, and how to choose it depending on the type of roof. Now we will talk about how to make high-quality lightning protection for your home with your own hands.

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

Such a mesh is suitable for non-metal roofs in order to protect one building, since other buildings are located one level below. Also, the grid can be laid on the roof even at the stage of building a house.

You can make a protective wire like this:

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

You need to make a loop around the wire pipe and connect it to the lightning rod using soldering or welding. The current lead is made from the same wire. As a result, we get a hut-like protective zone that is suitable for roofs made of any material other than metal.

Pin lightning rod is a pin with the following parameters:

the section 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 the key lightning strike, so it must be able to withstand maximum loads. dynamic and temperature nature.

The material for the pin is selected so that it is not afraid of oxidation, 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. In a hollow pipe, you need to weld the end. The structure should be installed on the roof ridge on a mast of the required length.

The current collector sends an electrical discharge to the ground. It needs to be connected to general 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 remembering that the roof itself is also subject to grounding.

Grounding for lightning rod

A grounding conductor is needed to divert the lightning current to the ground; it has a small share electrical resistance. 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 is less than one and a half meters, then you need to use horizontal earthing. It can be made by hand in the following way:

Dig a ditch along the length of a shovel about six meters long and about a meter deep.
Drive three galvanized water pipes 20 m in diameter and 2 m long 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 it to the pipes. The down conductor still needs to be welded to the middle pipe. Also, bolts can be welded 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 square meters. 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.

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

If you installed lightning protection against a linear type of lightning, it will be ineffective during a ball lightning strike. In this case, so that ball lightning does not get into the house, close all windows tightly, doors, chimneys, and check that the ventilation units are equipped with copper or steel mesh wire with meshes of the order of 3 cm and reliable grounding.

When installing and maintaining lightning protection, remember the following tips and recommendations:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Device

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

lightning rod,
down conductor,
ground electrode.

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

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

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

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

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

DIY lightning rod

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

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

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

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

Tree as a lightning rod

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

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

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

Important: When installing a grounding conductor, its resistance to electric current should be no more than ten ohms.

Whatever method of installing a lightning rod you choose, it is worth remembering that it quality installation will provide you comfortable accommodation only if you periodically check its status. For correct operation care must be taken to ensure that all connections are not broken.

Recently, we are increasingly faced with situations when lightning strikes houses and, due to the lack of appropriate protection, a fire occurs. To prevent this and protect yourself, you can make a lightning rod with your own hands.

At the same time, such a device will be quite functional and productive, if, of course, it is correctly mounted. It is worth saying that although the lightning rod has enough simple design and with free time and the right materials, anyone can make it, however, there are many factors to consider to determine the correct installation parameters, as it is important not only to have protection for your home and electrical appliances, but also to be sure of its proper functioning.

How does a lightning rod in a country house work?

A lightning rod is a special installation that attracts an electric charge of lightning and redirects it from the house through a conductor to the ground. Thus, lightning will not cause any damage or harm. The lightning rod consists of two blocks:

outdoor;
internal.

The outdoor unit is a current collector (lightning rod) connected to a current conductor (down conductor), which together perform the role of receiving and distributing the lightning charge, as well as a ground electrode that dissipates this charge in the ground.

The indoor unit will protect your home from power surges, and, therefore, prevent the failure of electronics. Probably, everyone has heard that if the electric charge of lightning has a large force, then all electrical appliances in the house burn out.

So there is another reason to make a lightning rod.

Lightning rod rules

For right choice diagrams of the device of a country lightning rod, it is first necessary to study the structure of the building and, in accordance with the "Instruction for the installation of lightning protection of buildings and structures" (Instruction RD 34.21.122-87), determine the required level of protection. Low and small in size private houses usually belong to category III lightning protection.

An effective lightning protection is one that reliably protects the building and everything inside it from a direct lightning strike and from its secondary discharges in electrical networks. A country lightning rod is usually a lightning rod, which is connected to ground using a system of down conductors.

Lightning rod

A device that directly receives a lightning strike is called a lightning rod. This is the most noticeable and significant element of the scheme of an industrial or country lightning rod. There are rod, cable, mesh receivers.

The most popular and famous thanks to Benjamin Franklin is the lightning rod, which is a metal pin made of stainless steel, aluminum or copper. It is usually installed 2 m above the highest point of the protected building. This type of lightning rod is the simplest in execution and quite cheap.

A cable lightning rod consists of two masts installed along the perimeter of the protected object, and tensioned steel cables between them. A lightning protection network is a grid of metal rods laid on the roof of a building with a certain step.

For small private houses, a metal roof can be an excellent lightning receiver. If the roof of the house is made of a different material, then it is better to choose a lightning protection mesh for the protection device, and for wooden country houses more active protection.

Down conductors

The current flows to the grounding device through down conductors. In accordance with the above Instruction RD 34.21.122-87, down conductors in a residential building can be various designs buildings made of steel, aluminum or copper (frames, fire escapes, reinforcement of reinforced concrete slabs). Special down conductors are usually laid outside along the perimeter of the building with a step of 25 m. The efficiency of down conductors depends on the continuity electrical network. Usually they are connected to the lightning rod and grounding devices by welding.

grounding

The lightning charge in the soil is dissipated with the help of grounding devices. In accordance with Instruction RD 34.21.122-87, they are most often reinforced concrete foundations or vertical electrodes that go deep into the ground. The latter type of grounding is necessarily protected from corrosion (therefore, it is usually made of copper-plated or galvanized steel), and the electrodes are securely connected to the horizontal bus and to each other using special connectors.

Making a lightning rod in the country with your own hands

So, if you come to the conclusion that you want to make a lightning rod for country house with your own hands, then you need to know how this device is made. First you need to make a rod current collector, to which a current conductor will then be attached, which can be made from ordinary iron wire. Just choose a wire of the largest possible cross section, for example 6-8 mm. Also, the current conductor connects the current collector with the ground loop.

The ground loop can be made from a strip of iron about 4x50 mm in size. The electrode should be made of a steel rod, choosing for this a diameter of at least 18 mm. Please note that all connections should be made only with a welding machine. If you do not have such an opportunity, then you can use bolted steel clamps, but such connections will be less effective.

2) Handicraft fastener material during the passage of lightning current with a high degree of probability can not withstand huge temperatures and simply melts. Therefore, it is always necessary to know the parameters of the materials used and perform the necessary calculations. But it is easier to buy ready-made components from lightning protection manufacturers, especially since the prices for fastening elements, especially domestic ones, are acceptable. Plus, you will receive the necessary advice from experts in competent installation.

3) There is such a rule: you either make isolated lightning protection and maintain the required breakdown distance, or connect all metal elements together and bring them to ground. Here the author uses insulators and, accordingly, the first method, which means that the air gap between the receiver/down conductor must not be less than the minimum distance R, which in this particular case should be 300-400 mm, which is not noticeable. Without grounding and also a roof, a dangerous potential difference is guaranteed to occur here.

4) The option of a grounding conductor in the form of a single pin stuck into the ground cannot be considered reliable at any soil resistance, especially since the down conductor through which the discharge from the lightning rod comes is also the only one. Even in the days of the USSR, with a complete lack of knowledge and design parameters of soil resistance, focal grounding was always made in the form of a triangle or a U-shaped contour.

The main typical schemes of country lightning rods

Once again, in more detail, we will talk about three known types of protection devices installed on the roof of building structures.

The type of lightning rod chosen for a country lightning rod determines the type and scheme of its protection. To typical schemes include the organization:

lightning protection mesh;
rod lightning rods;
wire lightning rods.

For flat and gable roofs cottages, regardless of the material of the roof, experts recommend using a lightning protection mesh. For its organization, steel, copper or aluminum rods with a diameter of up to 8 mm are used. The grid is installed directly on the roof or under the insulation, if the base of the roof is not combustible (Instruction RD 34.21.122-87).

Depending on the level of protection, down conductors are mounted directly to the grid around the entire perimeter in increments of 10 to 25 cm.

The rod lightning protection scheme is a metal pin attached to the chimney or other roof structures at least 2 m above its highest point.

The installation of the rod is done correctly if the protected object completely falls into the base of the cone with the apex at the extreme point of the lightning rod. Increasing the height of the rod expands the protected area. This type of lightning rod is suitable for private and for industrial facilities with complex roofs.

For gable roofs low buildings, you can also use the cable scheme of a country lightning rod. To do this, a steel cable is pulled between the supports mounted on the skates. Its ends are usually adjoined by one down conductor, which transmits current to the ground in the ground, which looks like a "chicken foot". If the dacha lightning rod scheme is executed correctly, lightning discharges go into the soil outside the protected house. When arranging lightning protection of this type, it is important to take into account the sagging of the cable.

The choice of a scheme for organizing a country lightning rod is influenced by many factors, parameters and conditions. Therefore, this is a rather complex and responsible event requiring certain professional knowledge and experience. Our company will help you design and install the most effective lightning protection for your home. In addition, we provide services for the arrangement of a lightning rod on a turnkey basis. In the section "Our objects" there are photos of lightning rods and a description of our completed projects.

How and where to buy a lightning rod

A lightning rod that protects against a direct lightning strike will work like a clock if you choose it correctly and correctly necessary materials to create an effective and reliable lightning protection of the building. The following parameters affect the price of a country lightning rod:

level of protection;
lightning rod scheme;
technical difficulties of project implementation;
type of materials used and scope of work.

Today, numerous online stores offer a large selection of steel, copper and stainless steel rods and cables, as well as holders and clamps, and give an excellent description of their products. However, it is difficult to make a lightning rod of impeccable quality on your own. In addition, no one will guarantee the operation of a system assembled from materials with different performance characteristics.

Our company offers to buy components for lightning rods from well-known and well-established manufacturers from Germany, Russia, France, Turkey and other countries from a warehouse in Moscow: OBO Bettermann, J. Propster, BS-Technic, DEHN+SOHNE, Voltstream, Elmashprom, Duval Messien, Citel, Forend and others.

Our services

The specialists of our company will help you choose the most reliable and efficient country lightning rod at an affordable price, taking into account all the features of your home. Our consultants will answer in detail any questions of interest and make an estimate.

We can order the performance of the necessary measurements of transient resistances, resistance of grounding devices, checking the presence of a grounding circuit and grounded elements. The company's experienced professionals can also design and install a turnkey lightning rod. We provide maintenance services for various lightning protection systems before the start of the thunderstorm season and, by agreement with the client, we repair them.

To prevent such consequences during construction works lightning protection circuit is being implemented. Private houses are classified by SNiP as buildings of the third class of fire safety and are subject to lightning protection without fail. A lightning rod is planned not when the house shines with brand new tiles, but at the stage of project development. Then he makes a single architectural solution with him.

Type selection

Type of planned lightning protection depends on the initial state of the house and the conditions in which it is located. Lightning usually strikes at the highest point of a house or a nearby tree. Trees, antennas, poles, when struck by lightning, create a screen effect and neighboring buildings, cars can get into the affected area.

The second condition for a protection device is soil type, different types which have unequal conductance and resistance, which is taken into account when choosing the cross section of the metal strip and the depth of the contour.

If your house is near a body of water or keys, then the risk of being struck by a discharge is maximum, especially if, according to climatic conditions, the number of thunderstorm periods exceeds 40 hours per year.

Lightning protection device of a private (country) house

Lightning rod principle simple - protecting the house from destruction by diverting an electrical discharge into the ground. Lightning protection is effective only in the case of a comprehensive solution. A complete system includes internal protection and external protection.

The first protects equipment from power surges during a thunderstorm. Even if a lightning strike strikes several kilometers away, a surge suppressor is required.

Installing a ready-made arrester is not difficult, but if you do not have such protection, use the most reliable way - turn off electrical appliances if the storm front is within 3 km. The time difference between thunder and lightning should be less than 10 seconds.

Outdoor lightning protection ensures the safety of the house and the people in it during a thunderstorm. The device of the simplest lightning rod: support, lightning rod, down conductor and ground loop.

Lightning rod- a metal conductor up to 1.5 m long, receiving a lightning discharge. Installed on the roof chimney, a television antenna - any highest place in the house. This method is suitable for metal roofing.

If the roof is made of slate, a metal cable is pulled on wooden supports 1-2 m long and protected with insulators.

For tiled roofs, a lightning protection mesh with down conductors extending from it is pulled along the ridge. The down conductor connects the lightning rod to the ground loop. This steel wire is laid along the wall of the house and welded to the lightning rod and ground loop.

Lightning protection grounding- 2 electrodes connected and hammered into the ground. If there is a circuit, it's already good, but according to the rules, the grounding of household appliances and lightning protection at home should be common. The radius of the protective action of the lightning rod is determined by the formula R=1.732 h, where h is the height of the lightning rod.

How does this device work? Electricity always goes through the circuit of least resistance, and lightning lightning is a colossal discharge of electricity with a current strength of 100,000 A.

And a correctly made lightning conductor will represent this least resistance, through which the lightning discharge will go to the ground, protecting your home.

In this picture, one of the options for lightning protection for your home.

And this video tells about the nature of lightning and protection from them.

Do-it-yourself lightning protection of a wooden house

Having dealt with the lightning rod device, it is not so difficult to protect your house or cottage yourself. We decided on the type of roof, let's talk about each method of protection in detail.

Lightning mesh- a mesh of metal wire with a diameter of 6 mm, made by welding at the intersections. It is laid on the roof and connected by several current conductors to the ground loop.

Suitable for non-metal roofs when you need to protect one building, because the neighboring buildings are lower. Sometimes this mesh is laid on the roof during the construction of the house.

Lightning wire- the cable is stretched on insulators between two metal or wooden supports. They are installed on a ridge, at a height of 0.25 m. The wire diameter is at least 6 mm.

A loop is made around the pipe from this wire and connected to the lightning rod. The connection is best done by welding or soldering. From the same wire and the current lead is made. It turns out a protective zone in the form of a hut and is suitable for all non-metallic roofs.

Pin lightning rod is a metal pin with a round, square or rectangular cross-sectional shape and a length of at least 0.25 m and a cross-sectional area of 100 sq. mm. It takes the brunt and must withstand various thermal and dynamic loads.

Made of non-oxidizing material (copper, galvanized steel), as it cannot be painted. The minimum cross-sectional diameter of the rod or gas pipe- 12 mm. If the pipe is hollow, the end must be welded. It is mounted on the roof ridge on a mast of the required length.

Down conductor serves to direct the received discharge to the ground. We attach it by welding, soldering or fastening with bolts. The contact area in this case must be at least twice the cross-sectional area of the parts to be joined.

This type of protection is suitable for metal roofs, and the roof itself must also be grounded. It creates a kind of protective umbrella. You can attach it with nails, staples, clamps.

And finally protective earth. The grounding conductor diverts the lightning current to the ground and has a small proportion of electrical resistance. It is laid at a distance of 5 m from the porch and paths. If the soil is wet and the depth of groundwater is less than 1.5 m, horizontal ground electrodes are used. His you can do it like this:

Dig a ditch along the house to the width of a shovel, 6 m long and up to 1 m deep.
score three galvanized water pipes with a diameter of 20 mm and a length of 2 m to the bottom of the ditch every three meters. We leave 5 cm on the surface.
Lay a wire with a diameter of at least 8 mm and weld it to the pipes. The down conductor must also be welded to the middle pipe. You can weld bolts to the pipes and connect the pipes with a copper cable.
Lubricate the bolts with grease and bury the pipes.

If the soil is dry and groundwater is deep, it is possible to build a vertical grounding conductor from two rods 2-3 m long, which are driven into the ground to a depth of 0.5 m and 3 m apart. They are connected by a jumper with a cross section of 100 sq. m

This grounding can also be used to protect electrical appliances, electrical panels in the house. During a thunderstorm, it is dangerous to be close to grounding within a radius of 4 m(you can get under step voltage). Lightning protection can also be arranged on trees. This is possible if the tree is 2-2.5 times taller than the house along with the antenna and is 3-10 m away from the house. It is made from a piece of wire with a diameter of 5-8 mm, has a one-sided descent and one grounding in the form of a loop.

Lightning rods used to protect against linear lightning are ineffective for ball lightning. To prevent such lightning from entering the house during a thunderstorm, windows, doors, chimneys should be tightly closed, and ventilation units should have a mesh of copper or steel wire with 3-4 cm cells and reliable grounding.

And finally a few tips. For grounding metal roof storm drains can be used as down conductors. For the convenience of clogging the pipe, you can first build a scaffold. If the dimensions are unknown, then the protective zone can be determined using a conventional right-angled isosceles triangle. Aim along the long side (hypotenuse) at the lightning rod. The short side (leg) is parallel to the ground.

If the sight point is below the top of the lightning rod, then you are in the protection zone. Do not place down conductors near the doors. All metal structures on the roof are also grounded. The state of lightning protection requires care and systematic checking of connections. It is best if they are welding.

You can build two down conductors for reliability. Corrosion must not be allowed, regularly clean it from scale. Every five years, open the ground electrodes, check and replace if necessary. And your lightning rod will provide you with safe living for many years.

in this video you can see an approximate installation of lightning protection.