An atmospheric discharge of a great amount of electricity is what lightning essentially is. Imagine such a vast amount of electricity running through the wires at home. It is bound to cause fires and give electrical shocks to residents. After all 80 people in America die because of lightning per year.
It is therefore very important to have lightning protection systems at home. A vital part of this system is the lightning rod, also known in America as a lightning arrestor, a lightning attractor or a Franklin rod. Benjamin Franklin invented this in 1749. It is also called a finial, an air terminal or a strike termination device.
A lightning rod is made of a metal like aluminum or copper and contrary to popular belief, having a lightning rod does not prevent lightning from striking the house, but simply intercepts a strike that occurs in the vicinity of the house. This is because its offers a low resistance path for the electricity to flow through.
Lightning rods, multiple numbers of which may be present on the roof, are only part of the lightning protection system, which as a whole is needed for protection. This system, along with the lightning rods is earthed by the lightning earth chamber.
Lightning rods on roofs may look like they've randomly been installed on the rooftop. But they aren't in fact installed like this. A certain rolling sphere technique determines the placement of lightning rod on the roof. Typically the highest points and overhead water tanks are considered for placing lightning rods.
Since it isn't a matter of crude estimations, it is better to allow a licensed electrician to install the lightning protection system of your home. Lightning rods can also be put on top of trees near the house to protect them from lightning damage.
Lightning can strike anywhere at any time and in the US thousands of properties are damages every year because of lightning strikes. It kills more people than other natural disasters like floods and hurricanes. It is estimated that it accounts for financial losses amounting to a quarter of a billion dollars per year. All this can be mitigated to a large extent by the use of lightning protection systems.
Also other general precautions to take to be safe during a storm that can cause thunder and lightning are to stay indoors, but not next to metallic objects or water and not use plug in telephones, computers and other electrical devices.
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