Re: Panel Grounding vs. Lightning Rod Grounding

On Sep 20, 9:55ï¿½am, "Robert L Bass" <Sa...@>
"David"
<inva...@socrates.edu> wrote in message
>
> news:adl9d4lens4j7mmlp6qchogr9f06o0be1j@4ax.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 19:25:35 -0400, "Robert L Bass"
> > <Sa...@BassBurglarAlarms.com> wrote:
>
> >>Lightning arrestor grounding requirements differ somewhat from those fo
r
> >>electrical system grounding. ï¿½Under no circumstances
should you
ground a
> >>lightning arrestor system to your home's plumbing or electrical system.
> >>That
> >>can and will cause terrific damage if you get a hit.
ï¿½Rather, t
he ground
> >>should be connected to ground rods made for the purpose.
ï¿½They 
are 9 feet
> >>long
> >>x 1/2" diameter and made of a copper / steel alloy.
ï¿½The rods a
re driven 10
> >>feet down. ï¿½You can't just use any cable either.
ï¿½The s
tuff is braided
> >>copper
> >>or aluminum cable labeled for the purpose.
>
> >>FWIW, I'm a strong advocate of DIY. ï¿½However,
lightning arresto
r systems
> >>have
> >>stringent design requirements that must be met or you can actually incr
ease
> >>the chance of lightning damage or injury. As such, I would advise you t
o
> >>consult an electrician or electrical engineer for more precise guidance
than
> >>I
> >>(or most here) can offer.
>
> > Thank you for your reply Robert.
>
> > And for your well-taken note of precaution. ï¿½Not to
worry. ï
¿½I'm not going
> > to take this one on without some precise guidance!
>
> > I would like your thoughts on this though. ï¿½The house
will be o
n a river
> > bank, so I will be driving reinforced concrete piles for the foundation
.
> > Having observed them being driven before, there is a "boundary
layer" o
f
> > loose soil around at least the first few meters of the in-situ pile. 
ï¿½What
> > would you think about driving this 9 foot rod down into there, next to 
a
> > pile, while that soil is still loose?
>
> > And if so, should I select a pile that is close to, or a ways away from
,
> > the house ground?
>
> > (Don't worry, I won't hold you (or anyone else) responsible <g>!).
ï
¿½I'm
> > just trying to get a feeling for what makes sense.
>
> > Thanks again for your thoughts.
>
> The location sounds pretty good. ï¿½Damp soil near a river bank
wou
ld be a
> better conductor than dry. ï¿½I disagree with the other two
gentlem
en about
> grounding. ï¿½Over the course of 24 years installing alarms I
alway
s grounded my
> panels (mostly Napco, not DSC). ï¿½I also made certain that all
ser
vices -- ï¿½
> electrical, plumbing, CATV, telephone and gas line -- were connected to a
> single ground point. ï¿½If you care to read additional comments
on 
the subject,
> Google this newsgroup and the phrase "bonded ground."
ï¿½I and seve
ral others
> have discussed this a number of times.
>
> Now for the catch. ï¿½I understand the basics of lightning
arrestor
systems but
> I have not installed them so I'm not 100% certain if the lightning ground
> should be bonded to the same point. ï¿½I've heard
"experts" argue b
oth ways.
> Speaking of experts, Jim and Bob are both experienced installers, as am I
.
> But we disagree completely on grounding panels. ï¿½In fact, Jim
ins
talls my
> favorite brand, Napco. ï¿½He says don't ground.
ï¿½I say grou
nd it. ï¿½FWIW, Napco
> says you must ground the panel. ï¿½Fun stuff, eh?
ï¿½:^)
>
> --
>
Please indicate exactly where I said ..... don't ground a panel.

To help you out ...... the gist of my opinion is ............. in my
experience, it doesn't seem to make a difference whether a panel is
gounded or not. In 40 years of installing I've had both grounded and
ungrounded panels damaged by lightning. Matter of fact, just had
another one yesterday. Panel grounded to cold water pipe not more than
10 feet away. Damaged by lightning.

So, ........ are you saying that you never had a panel damaged by
lightning?
[ Auf dieses Posting antworten ]