The lightning protection system is installed by the owners to protect their structures from the lightning strikes. A lightning rod is placed on the top of the building to attract the lightning flash and then transfer it to the earth surface. It helps in avoiding the harm to the building and to human life as well. This can be used in the exterior and interior of the structure to avoid the risk of fire or any other related uncertain happening. The lightning rod is made up of brass, aluminum or copper which acts as a magnet to attract the lightning strike.
It becomes important for the owners to have a regular inspection of the system for smooth functioning. The engineers or the architects take special precautions to avoid corrosion and pay special attention to the aspects of the potential damage of the lightning rod. Some weather damage, corrosion damage or flash damage can increase the need for the service of the components of the lightning protection system. The components of the lightning protection system include air terminals, lightning conductors, ground connections, bonding and lightning arresters. All these components require continuous maintenance and repair due to wear and tear.
–How often should you inspect your lightning protection system?
It is considered ideal to inspect the system once a year. If the location has unpleasant weather or severe climate changes, get it inspected after 6 months. In-depth checking should be done after 2-3 years.
–Role of the lightning protection system
It is not only about the exterior of the building, but the lightning can damage the electrical equipment as well. The role of the lightning protection system is to make a route to transfer the current to avoid any kind of accidents and shock which can even hurt the human life. All the components together work to transfer the lightning to the ground. The lightning rod is placed in such a manner that the lightning will directly strike the rod hence protecting the whole structure. This will also save the interior of the structures, mainly the electrical equipment.
–Maintenance of lightning protection system:
It is very important to keep the lightning protection components in a good condition.
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It is important to keep the lightning rods or air terminals in a good position and should work correctly.
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Conductors must be rechecked regularly and should be repaired after sparks and breakage.
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Ground electrodes basically perform the job of safely dissipating the current in the ground. It should remain below 10 ohms which minimize the current returns.
–The maintenance of a lightning protection system can be done in two ways:
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Visual inspection- In visual inspection, it involves looking at the components of the lightning protection system. The visual inspection includes inspection of lightning rods, damage after the strikes, no parts are ruined by corrosion, conductors are in good condition, state of bonding is correct, no loose connections of the wires, no suspicious indication etc.
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Complete verification- It involves proper repairing of the components after the visual inspection. It is important to know the quality of the conductors and electrodes and repair it if needed. The repairs are needed after the strikes may be due to corrosion.
The checker should maintain the record of the inspection data. This may include the details of the condition of the conductors, air-terminals, electrodes, corrosion on the parts (if any), earth resistance, and variation in the system that is not matching with the standards.
So while implementing the lighting protection system, contact the expert professionals who have enough knowledge and experience. Before implementing them, they will also measure the earth resistance which is required to be less than 10 ohms. The earth resistance could vary from time. So it is always said to get it checked annually.
-Many implement the lightning protection system, but still, it is advised to know some of the safety tips while lightning strikes. Following are some of the safety tips:
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Take immediate shelter– It is always said to get an immediate shelter which in near you. Stop all your work if working in open. You can also take shelter in the car if any building is far away. If you are on the highway, stay in your car or go to an open area. Don’t stand under any tree and do not touch any metal. If you are not able to find any shelter or any car, just bend down and keep your head in the knees.
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Avoid landlines– Avoid using any landline phones and use wireless phones or cellular.
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Stay away from water– We all know water is a good conductor of electricity. So while lightning avoid taking bath as the lightning strikes can give you a shock.
Lighting protection is important for human safety. Many people take this lightly but it can take away human life. While lightning or thundering, people should avoid getting shelter under trees but it is not a good idea to stand under it for a long time. Many people have started installing this at their homes as well especially where the locations are more prone to lightning strikes or flashes. A lightning arrester in the house or building will make it safe from strikes.
The lightning design system should be implemented in a manner that the strikes should not touch the building. The rod should gather it and transfer it directly to the ground. You can also get it specially implemented in your house. It will keep you away from all the worries during storms and thunder. Also, it will increase the value of your home plus enhance safety. Contact specialists who have full knowledge and clear all your doubts while installation of the lightning protection system. For quality assurance, go through all the recommendations and feedback of the previous users. So if thinking of installing this system, undoubtedly it is worth considering. Obviously, we know that we can’t prevent the happening of lightning, but lightning protection system will help in reducing or nullify the effect of a lightning strike.