Lightning rod?

[Groo]

I live in a relatively flat wooded area. I moved here late last summer. So far this year I've had 2 lighting strikes on trees in my yard. Would a lightning rod save the house? Or just make sure it is the house that gets hit? I was considering getting a standing seam metal roof for the place. Would that change the equation?

 

[techman]

Lightning rods reduce, but don't eliminate the possibility of a strike. If the land is very flat, and the house is the tallest item for some distance your chances are greater, even with a lightning rod.

paul

 

[ctrider]

They simply provide a controlled path (in theory) to ground when a strike occurs, provided they are installed and connected correctly.

 

[oosik]

From what I've heard and read - a lot of lightning/surge problems come into the house on utility lines - power & telephone.

 

[PILOON]

My house is on a site that lightening caused the previous one to burn down and it was actually in what I'd call a hollow or valley.
Less that 100 yards in either direction the trees and terrain are much higher by 3-400 ft or more.

Since lightning never strikes twice, LOL, I feel safe.

Later careful inspection proved that the electrical ground was improperly done. (the electrician had simply laid the one ground rod under a moss covered section of bedrock.)
Theory is that the strike followed the hydro line and due to inferior ground the wires heated up to the point of ignition.

I have 2ea 9 foot rods driven in with an impact breaker (Kango)

 

[reb]

As a devout DIYer, I looked into installing a lightning rod on my house decades ago. I concluded that an improperly installed system was a potential liability in case of a strike. Decided to let the insurance company take care of the situation in case the house got hit.

 

[zzvyb6]

My house has been hit by lightning 3 times: 2 while previously owned, once with me right there while telling family we were safe. It's not a boom, just an incredibly huge sizzle starting at the chimney and running down the gutters. Phones, TV, garage and well fried.

I have a windmill hoarding hobby (old/vintage water pumping style). Since putting up a few (6 around the property), there has been no activity, not even one less than a 5 second count away (about a mile I believe). The towers are apparently slowly bleeding off the charges or accepting the discharges as they build. Heights are 32 - 36 ft for all of them.

No damage to them either.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My house is next to a tall forested hill. The elevation seems to make no difference as to where the lightning will hit. There is an (extremely) well grounded 80 foot tower radio atop the hill and there has never been evidence that it has been hit.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I just made these and will put them up probably tomorrow, one on each chimney. I used 3/4" copper pipe that I cut 18" down each side , then cut and hammered then soldered so they're tapered. I put a 1" x1/4" copper pipe hammered on top to hold together while I soldered. Copper everything, plumber strap to chimneys, braided copper cable.
The 100 year old amethyst balls are off of old lightning rods. I have an 8ft copper driven ground rod near the phone and satellite ground rods.
Hard part is I don't enjoy getting on roofs at my age. I'll probably put my extension ladder in my loader bucket which at least starts me out at 7-8ft.

 

[PILOON]

We once were visiting friends and lightening struck nearby.
The bolt actually travelled down his chandelier with a bright blue flash.
Scared the **** out of all of us.
Needless to say the bulb and fixture were toast.