Calman
Well-known member
I would like to hear the pro's and con's on Lightning rods.
The good the bad and the ugly :lol: :lol:
Cal
The good the bad and the ugly :lol: :lol:
Cal
I dunno--they don't look too stressed to me..Kingfisher":1qj8odt9 said:They just showed a pic on CNN with a twister coming across a pasture if Hereford clustered in the field. 100mph wind got to be hard on a cow I suppose?
Jogeephus":31z96yld said:The one on the left's name was Stuart. The one behind it that found it suitable to die in the middle of the fence making removal rather difficult was Daisy. The two further in the woods to the right was Fred and Velma. That's about sums up my knowledge of lightning rods other than they have four hooves. Except Stuart. He only has two. His other two are about 30 feet from where he lays.
Yea that stinks..I've lost some stuff from either lightning or around here they loose some capacitors from time to time from heat or squirrels. They usually switch over pretty quick but that surge damages things too in my opinion. Will your insurance cover anything? You might talk to either your power provider about protection.Calman":ku5m92vp said:We'll it kinda looks like no one else knows anything about lightning rods either.
I have three on the top of my house and I'm kinda thinking they are attracting lightning.
Lightning hit close and took out everything with a micro processor in my house.
I'm thinking maybe I will purchase a in home surge protector that wires into the main box.
Anyone ever used these,or should I ask. :lol:
Cal
It is drawn toward the tallest things around, but the actual strike point isn't always that tall pine. If it has enough charge to go straight to where it really wants to go (earth ground) it will bypass the trees and find the best conductor around.Jogeephus":3be9n9jl said:Sorry about that. I don't know anything about them but my grandmother was a big believer in them and she had them all over her house and barn and it was never hit. Our house has never been hit either but we don't have them. I think your best bet is to use a surge protector and back up your important stuff in the cloud so to speak. If you look at my dead cows its puzzling because there were taller trees just a hundred yards from these smaller trees. We are told lightning is supposed to hit the tallest object right? Least that's what I always thought. Apparently lightning hits whatever it wants to hit no matter how tall it is. I think when your number is drawn there isn't much you can do.
Calman":a3hpngo2 said:We'll it kinda looks like no one else knows anything about lightning rods either.
I have three on the top of my house and I'm kinda thinking they are attracting lightning.
Lightning hit close and took out everything with a micro processor in my house.
I'm thinking maybe I will purchase a in home surge protector that wires into the main box.
Anyone ever used these,or should I ask. :lol:
Cal
If a protector fails due to a surge, then the protector was grossly undersized. Often a profit center that makes no protection claims from destructive surges. And in rare cases is a potential house fire.lavacarancher":2e4xvapw said:Most of those devices, called MOV's (Metal Oxide Varistor) will only work one time. So if you suspect you've been struck by lightning you need to check your surge protector and replace it as necessary.
The previous post was approved, posted, and then removed. It discussed why and how lightning rods work when proper precautions are exercised. That lightning rods are earth for structure protection. 'Whole house' type protectors are earth for appliances protection.westom said:Where is protection? As stated in a previous post, protection is always about where hundreds of thousands of joules harmlessly dissipate.
Jogeephus":3ftj1h11 said:Sorry about that. I don't know anything about them but my grandmother was a big believer in them and she had them all over her house and barn and it was never hit. Our house has never been hit either but we don't have them. I think your best bet is to use a surge protector and back up your important stuff in the cloud so to speak. If you look at my dead cows its puzzling because there were taller trees just a hundred yards from these smaller trees. We are told lightning is supposed to hit the tallest object right? Least that's what I always thought. Apparently lightning hits whatever it wants to hit no matter how tall it is. I think when your number is drawn there isn't much you can do.
LauraleesFarm":4v6zrh0u said:I don't know anything about lightning rods but I probably should learn. We live in a 2 story metal house which has I-beam columns and rafters. Perhaps THEY are the lightning rods. ?
Last winter we put out hay in our metal hay ring in the pasture beside the house. It was storming. Looked out a few minutes later and the bale was engulfed in flames. Lightning had struck the hay ring--blasted a hole in it. The heifers had been at that bale not 5 minutes earlier.
I have a 30' tall flagpole 2" pipe sunk 6' into the ground 50' from the house, and in all the years I've had it, nothing has ever hit it either, but it has struck my garden 6' chain link fence about 20 feet away from the flagpole. Go figure.Ouachita":jiy07nfw said:LauraleesFarm":jiy07nfw said:I don't know anything about lightning rods but I probably should learn. We live in a 2 story metal house which has I-beam columns and rafters. Perhaps THEY are the lightning rods. ?
Last winter we put out hay in our metal hay ring in the pasture beside the house. It was storming. Looked out a few minutes later and the bale was engulfed in flames. Lightning had struck the hay ring--blasted a hole in it. The heifers had been at that bale not 5 minutes earlier.
Our house is the same. Lived in it for 13 years now without any strikes.
A bucket truck would make short work of fixing the ropegreybeard":2qp86y2p said:I have a 30' tall flagpole 2" pipe sunk 6' into the ground 50' from the house, and in all the years I've had it, nothing has ever hit it either, but it has struck my garden 6' chain link fence about 20 feet away from the flagpole. Go figure.Ouachita":2qp86y2p said:LauraleesFarm":2qp86y2p said:I don't know anything about lightning rods but I probably should learn. We live in a 2 story metal house which has I-beam columns and rafters. Perhaps THEY are the lightning rods. ?
Last winter we put out hay in our metal hay ring in the pasture beside the house. It was storming. Looked out a few minutes later and the bale was engulfed in flames. Lightning had struck the hay ring--blasted a hole in it. The heifers had been at that bale not 5 minutes earlier.
Our house is the same. Lived in it for 13 years now without any strikes.
(rope broke on it a couple years ago and I haven't figure out how to get it restrung without cuttin it down with my torch)