Not everyone knows how to protect their home against thunderstorms. Therefore, in this small guide we are going to explain what elements are needed to have a complete protection.
The first point to take into account is that lightning can affect, mainly, in two ways, directly and indirectly.
It affects directly when it strikes the building or land to be protected, and indirectly when it strikes the power or telephone line.
The first one has an obvious effect, it destroys what it hits, causing fires, falling trees, structural damage, etc. The second has less known effects. When lightning strikes the power grid, it absorbs its energy, creating an overvoltage. This surge is capable of traveling hundreds of kilometers, until it reaches the final devices, such as televisions, computers, boilers, air conditioners and others, destroying them completely.
To begin with, it is very simple to protect against indirect lightning surges. It only requires a type 1+2 surge arrester and is installed in the main switchboard. If it contains very sensitive material, such as machinery or important equipment, it can be complemented with type 3 protectors. And if you have photovoltaic technology, data lines or similar, there is a whole range of specialized products.
Protecting against direct impact is a bit more complicated.
You need 3 elements and a specialized installer who knows about lightning protection. The three elements are: the collector, the down conductor and the grounding.
The collector is usually the lightning rod. There are several options, from the traditional Franklin tips to the reliable Advance.
But, is any lightning rod suitable?
No, it depends on what you are going to protect. The Advance RP-80 has a protection radius of up to 107 meters*, while the Sigma R-25 has 65 meters*. Depending on the protection needs, one or the other is installed. This wide protection radius also makes it possible to protect large open spaces, such as soccer fields, school playgrounds or tennis courts, without the need to cover them.
The second element is the downspout. There are several materials available to make it, but it is up to the specialized installer to evaluate which is the best method to do it. There are many variables to consider, such as safety distances, routing, equipotential bonding, etc. On the one hand, the possible down conductors are flat conductor, round conductor or stranded conductor. On the other hand, the possible materials are stainless steel, electrolytic copper or galvanized steel.
And the third element is the grounding. This ground has to be different from the general ground, and it has to be far away. The installer must be able to calculate its resistivity, and if it is not below 10 ohms, ground enhancers such as Well Conductor or Active Rod can be used. In addition, a grounding system can change over time, so an annual check-up is necessary to ensure its correct operation.
In fact, revision and maintenance is a very important aspect, as we have already mentioned in this other article.
These are the general elements of the installation, but then there are other important elements, such as masts or fixings. You can contact us to evaluate your needs and we can help you to protect your home in the best way.
*According to the UNE 21186 standard in a level 4 of protection.
