Quote:
Originally Posted by ijusluvit
This sounds like pretty good protection, but it's only part of the story. For the thousands of homes in TV which have flexible gas lines in the attic, the very real risk is a lightning strike starting a small roof fire, then melting the gas line and destroying the home literally in minutes. There are no less than seven cases of this happening in TV. Every home was total loss.
The only way to virtually eliminate the risk is with a properly installed lightning rod system. Yes, they cost more than a thousand dollars, but they basically make the SECO system unnecessary.
Notice the town square buildings, rec centers, etc. They all have lightning rods.
If you want more information about this, google the Property Owners Association website ( www.poa4us.org), and read the series of stories about lightning protection which have appeared over the last several years |
Thanks for mentioning the articles in the POA Bulletins. The CSST gas lines in the attic are an unresolved national fire-safety issue that is being addressed at this time by the Fire Research Foundation. It should have been done 20 years ago when CSST came into this country from Japan. It is true that seven homes have been destroyed by lightning in the last seven lightning seasons and all had CSST gas pipe. However, in NO case was the official cause linked to the CSST. CSST does not melt but even an indirect lightning strike can cause an arc that puts a pin hole leak in this very thin wall pipe and ignite. In cases where this has hapended an alert homeowner either heard or smelled something and shut off the gas at the meter or called the fire department and the house was saved.