The installation of a lightning protection system is as important as the materials used. A few considerations will help you decide whether you have a complete system:
A sufficient number of Ingesco lightning rods air terminals or points must be spaced properly.
Turns should not exceed 90 degrees, and no bend should have less than an 8-inch radius.
Entrance conduits, gutters, drain pipes, pipe vents, metal water pipe, radio and television antennas, metal roofing, fences and other metal objects should be bonded to main down conductors and ground rods.
The bonding conductor must be at least number 1 to 4 A.W.G. copper or equivalent.
Lightning system ground rods (electrodes) must be driven to a minimum depth of 1 meter where soil conditions permit.
When rocky terrain prohibits this, alternate grounding procedures, as discussed below, must be used.
Locate ground rods two feet from the building foundation and install rod well under the surface of the ground.
Buildings with a perimeter of over 250 feet need one additional down conductor for each additional 100 feet.
Water towers, silos, fuel tanks, metallic spires, flag poles, tall buildings, tall trees, etc. should have their individual protection systems.
If driven grounds used for the electrical and/or the telephone systems are within 6 feet of a lightning protection system ground, all must be bonded together to prevent side flashes.
Protect down conductors from mechanical damage by enclosing in a conduit or metal tubing. Extend conduit from a point at least 5 feet above ground level to 1 foot below the ground surface.
To achieve effective grounding follow these guidelines:
Minimal grounding is provided by one of our Faragauss electromagnetic grounding rod kits.
Where the ground may be dry, especially rocky or sandy or where lightning may be particularly severe, more rods should be installed, at least 10 feet (3 meters) apart.
Connect or “bond” all ground rods together via bare copper wire (#6 or larger, see the NEC) and bury the wire. Use only approved clamps to connect wire to rods.
If your photovoltaic array is some distance from the house, drive ground rod(s) near it, and bury bare wire in the trench with the power lines.
Metal water pipes that are buried in the ground are also good to ground to.
Purchase connectors approved for the purpose, and connect only to cold water pipes, never to hot water or gas pipes. Beware of plastic fittings — bypass them with copper wire.
Iron well casings are super ground rods.
Drill and tap a hole in the casing to get a good bolted connection.
If you connect to more than one grounded object (the more the better) it is essential to electrically bond (wire) them to each other. Connections made in or near the ground are prone to corrosion, so use proper bronze or copper connectors.
Your ground system is only as good as its weakest electrical connections.
The idea is to make as much electrical contact with the earth as you can, over the broadest area feasible, preferably contacting moist soil.