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Originally Posted by MandoMan
Interesting article. Thanks. There was a piece on this topic in this morning’s online news for TV, and it said “ Consider providing an LPS that has been protecting people and property world-wide for over 260 years. They have been the subject of numerous studies over the decades including rocket-to-wire triggered lightning research at the University of Florida.” But that is the study to which you link, and that study showed that the usual 8’ lightning rod hammered into the ground allows OVER 80% of the current from a direct strike to hit the electric meter! So, yes, research, but the research showed that the usual rod doesn’t work! What works is a big ring buried deep in a big hole or a loop of wire buried all the way around the house. There goes the landscaping! Is that what installers are putting in, or just a rod?
I wonder if daily rains and daily watering helps increase the effectiveness of a rod. Nearly all our lightning comes during the wet season.
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I thought the article also said a surge protector at the meter prevented damage? High cost devices should also be protected by surge protectors at their power connection.
The gas line on new homes, where gas is run through the attic, is a lightening rod... A recent local strike went in at the attic gas line and exited at the tracer wire/meter ground.
Looks like the spec's call out less than 25 ohms resistance between grounding rods so maybe that can be checked.