How To Install A Lightning Arrestor

Video How to install a lightning arrester Lightning rods, surge arresters or down-conductors are metal rods installed on a building for lightning protection. They protect structures or substations from traveling waves of lightning and redirecting abnormally high voltages to ground. Surge arresters made from copper and brass alloys are the best conductors of electricity and have very high ground coverage (up to 60 meters). An arrester typically has three parts: the first is a rod about 3ft long and 12 to 16mm in diameter. The second part is a spiked sphere/receiver (the number of spikes may vary based on availability) that makes it easy to attach to one end of the rod. The third part is a copper-clad brass plate that is bolted to the ground and onto which the rod can be easily mounted.

Setting Lightning protection on the building for safety!

Contents

The main reason for installing lightning arresters in buildings is to protect them from the dangerous effects of lightning. The arrester or lightning rod blocks this voltage and provides a safe path for the lightning current to enter the ground. While it doesn’t reduce the chance of a building being struck by lightning, it does create a direct path to the ground that prevents the structure from being damaged by fire, explosion, and lightning currents. the arrester instead of passing through the structure where it could catch fire or cause electric shock. Surge arresters conduct current to ground through a conductor. Lightning rods are also known as terminals, air terminals, or strike termination devices. Surge arresters are designed and developed according to UL (Warranty Laboratory) standards. While selecting surge arresters, these manufacturing standards must be verified. Air-termination devices can be: 1 – A simple bar or with a trigger system. It is a metal spire placed on top of the building. It is grounded by one or more conductors (usually copper strips) 2 – With the tension wires stretched over the structure to be protected. They are used for the protection of specific structures such as missile launch sites, military applications and the protection of overhead high voltage lines.3 – A mesh caged down-conductor (Faraday cage) in type In this case, multiple conductors/downbands are placed symmetrically around the building. This type of lightning protection system is used for high-contact buildings where installations are sensitive such as computer rooms.

Setting

The installation of lightning arresters according to international standards is followed in a region or country. Surge arresters are part of an external lightning protection system and are installed on the roof of a building to block any lightning before it hits the structure. IEC 62305 SECTION 1 to 4 defines guidelines for lightning conductors and lightning rods Read more: how to make carpeted stairs less slippery As a single component of lightning protection, the lightning collector requires Connect to ground to ensure the protection function. They come in a variety of forms, including hollow, solid, pointed, round, flat, or brush-like bands. These rods have one main common property, they are all made of conductive materials such as copper and aluminum. Copper and its alloys are the most common materials used in lightning protection.

Prerequisites

Choose the right lightning arrester

UL listed (or equivalent) in the country where surge arresters are installed
Must be able to limit surge current to 10 kV

Choose the right supplier

The installation of lightning rods as part of a building lightning protection system must be performed by a qualified technician.

Installation process

Lightning collectors are usually installed at the highest and fixed height (roof) of the building. They are placed in the four corners and one in the middle of the two corners. A 16 mm bare grounding cable is connected to the base of the arrester and dropped to the ground terminal of the main panel on the ground floor. This is the basic installation procedure according to UNE.1 instructions. The top of the lamp terminal should be installed at least two meters away from the area it protects (including antennas, cooling towers, roofs and tanks, etc.). Surge arresters must be grounded to the same ground near the building entrance. Primary and secondary lightning protection layers should be as close to the entrance of the building as possible. Wherever feasible, they shall be mounted on the grounding plate itself.4. Each lightning rod should be connected to at least two down-conductors.5. Receiver antennas (TV, radio, telephone) shall be connected either directly or via an SPD or spark gap isolated to the lightning protection system by suitable conductors. The coaxial cable of the antenna must be protected by a surge arrester. The shield of the coaxial cable must be connected to the ground plate at the entrance of the building. Metal elements protruding on the roof must be connected to the nearest down conductor. Routing of down-conductors should be kept as straight as possible, following the shortest path and avoiding sharp bends or upward segments. The bend radius should not be less than 20 cm.10. It is best to lay down conductors on the outside of the structure (wherever possible) and avoid near electrical or gas conductors. Read more: how to make outdoor wooden stairs less slippery11. For periodic inspection, the grounding system should be placed in the registration cage.12. The registration cage, if any, shall be provided with a test coupling to disconnect the earth terminal system to allow measurements. In the absence of a registration cage, down-conductors shall be used in a similar manner.13. The resistance value measured with conventional equipment should be the lowest possible value (less than 10 Ω). This resistance shall be measured on the earthing terminal insulated from any other conductive components.14. All grounding systems for the same structure should be interconnected. It is recommended to add the mineral compound Quibacsol to achieve a lower soil resistivity. Preliminary surge protection is provided by electrical operators in accordance with local building codes. Surge arresters are added to provide additional protection to the building structure. For indoor equipment protection and safe operation, it is recommended to install secondary protective equipment in buildings/equipment with external antennas.At AXIS, we test our lightning protection products against major international standards such as IEC, BS EN, UNE and UL & IS. We also provide design solutions including proprietary risk assessment software compliant with IEC 62305 -2. Thank you for reading the blog, Axis is a leading manufacturer and supplier of Electrical Components to more than 80 Countries. Talk to our industry expert, visit our contact us section. You can also watch our videos by our experts – click here Follow us on LinkedIn for regular updates on our Products! Read more: how to convert vob to mov