Lightning Rods Question..

I bought some lightning rods for my cow barn. its a 1870's wood barn with a metal roof. They say you should have them in this application. So I bought them with the cableing. There are no clamps to hold the cables to the rods. Im thinking of clampimg the cables to the rods with stainless steel hose clamps. Will this work??? Your thoughts please...

I'd use cable clamps, 2 ber bite; any hardware store.

The hose clamps are gonna loosen over time.

Allan

I'd use split bolt connectors...
See these at Grainger
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/split-bolt-connectors/wire-connectors/electrical/ecatalog/N-8i3

I would use ground rod clamps if they are avalible. Make sure the roof is electrically connected to the ground wire and the wire is properly grounded. Also, don't paint the lightning rod itself. In college physics we had a demonstration of how a ground rod works. The purpose is not to attract lighting, rather it dissipates any charge into the air. Paint would probably act as an insulator and prevent the charge dissipation.

on the subject of lightning rods- why did the old timey ones have glass globes in the middle? Just to look pretty?

I think hose clamps would vaporize if you ever had a strike, use split bolts of regular ground rod clamps.

(quoted from post at 15:24:50 11/23/11) I think hose clamps would vaporize if you ever had a strike, use split bolts of regular ground rod clamps.

Click to expand...

f had a direct strike the cable will vaporize! See other posters comments on charge dissipation.

I would use those big heavy ground rod clamps, the ones used to bond the "grounding electrode conductor" (like bare No 4 Copper) to the copper driven "grounding electrode" (ground rod) at electrical utility services. If not that then the big copper "Kearney" split bolt connectors. I dont see hose clamps as heavy enough material.

John T

I guess If It had a direct strike the glass would break, thus knowing your place got hit by lightning. That or you came home to a pile of ashes.

I guess I would buy the right clamps from the people you bought the rods and cables from?
I once viewed a direct hit on a lightning rod on the peak of a roof about 250' from my house.
The sound (deafening) and the light were simultaneous.
There was a shower of sparks off the rod and I immediately went over and checked the ground cable. I thought it might be warm but it wasn't.
This system was installed in the 40s and was all made of copper, including real heavy cables, straps and nails. The metal roof was connected to the cable with a heavy copper straps.

I'd buy the correct clamps from the people who sold you the rods and cable. Lacking that I'd use a ground rod clamp or a split bolt connector. Certainly not a hose clamp. Why risk all that on a $.50 clamp that wasn't designed for the job.

If you get hit its anybodys game!!! They sure do look statly on old barns. I put an old glass ball type on mine for looks and insurance on the building!!!!

A friend of mine told me his father would always build a barn around a grove of locust trees.Locust draws lighten which helps protects the barn

jimmy

I though lightning rods were just an old scam,lots of old barns burned down with rods.

Use the best ground clamp or connector you can get, preferably one made for your system. Not worth the risk there of it hopping onto the barn.
And as for what it can travel through - I trust nothing. Been through it way too many times. One of the more recent was a direct strike on a tree and the little 16 ga wire from the dog fence was laying at the base of the tree (easier to track the wire in the woods when you know it"s by a tree). It hopped onto that little wire and followed it 500+ft into the garage, blowing the unit off the wall and across the garage. Nope... didn"t have the unit connected to a ground rod, but still, there"s no good reason that little wire should have carried all that and that far, but it did. Burnt the first few feet of the wire by the tree, the rest is still working today. Didn"t stop at the wall unit either... went through a couple GFI"s in the garage and on into the house finally finishing out at the tv (yes... the ground rod might have prevented the extra damage).
So, the sooner you can get it to ground and the best path you can give it, the better. But it is lightning and it is unpredictable.

Good luck.

We live in a small creek valley and have lots of locust trees around the farm buildings. Man I bought the place from said don't build in that hollow because lightning strikes down there all the time. He was right.
Richard