- Polish law requires that buildings be equipped with a lightning protection system.
- A lightning rod (also known as a lightning protection system) is the basic means of securing a building in the event of storms. It redirects lightning energy to the ground and minimizes the risk of damage to equipment and the building.
- It is worth remembering that the installation of all elements of the lightning protection system and surge arresters should be performed by authorized specialists.
- Improperly selected and installed lightning protection elements may not only be ineffective, but also lead to greater danger.
- We also cannot forget about the need for systematic inspection of these installations, which should take place at least once every 5 years
The storms are becoming more intense and violent. One lightning bolt can have a power of up to 100 million volts, for comparison it is approximately 435,000. times more than the voltage in a standard socket (230 volts).
Although the duration of the discharge is only fractions of seconds, its effects can be very severe and costly. Not only are the devices in the building that was directly hit by lightning at risk, but also those located within a radius of up to 2 km.
Closing the window and unplugging the plugs is the first thing that comes to mind during a storm. This is a good habit, but you must bear in mind that not always someone is at home at such times to disconnect all electronic equipment from the power supply. Another problem is built-in household appliances, which may make access to the socket difficult. Lightning can also strike permanently installed devices: such as television antennas, intercoms or alarm and heating systems. That's why lightning and surge protection is so important, says Bartłomiej Jaworski, Senior Product Manager at Eaton.
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Buildings and houses must be equipped with a lightning rod
Polish law requires that buildings be equipped with a lightning protection system. A lightning rod (also known as a lightning protection system) is the basic means of securing a building in the event of storms. It redirects lightning energy to the ground and minimizes the risk of damage to equipment and the building.
In addition, to ensure greater safety, it is worth remembering to install surge arresters, which are used to protect the electrical installation – they reduce the voltage to a safe level.
The most frequently used are class I, II and III arresters. The first type is installed in the connector or main switchboard and its task is to protect against direct lightning strikes to the building.
Class II arresters, which are installed in sub-distributions, protect against indirect discharges.
Class III includes, for example, surge protectors that can be connected directly to an electrical outlet to protect specific devices (e.g. router or smart TV).
The consequences of a single lightning strike on an unsecured building can be really severe and, in extreme cases, cause a fire. The first and most important layer of protection are the limiters installed in the building's main switchboard – they actually protect the equipment and the house from danger. Surge protection strips, on the other hand, should act as attenuators of the previously reduced voltage, emphasizes Bartłomiej Jaworski.
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How often do electrical and lightning protection installations in homes need to be serviced?
Strong storms often cause power outages. However, even a short-term power surge can cause serious damage to sensitive electronic equipment. Therefore, it is worth ensuring additional security and considering installing a UPS power supply. It keeps devices operating during short power outages.
Different types of UPS offer different levels of protection against power problems. Standby or off-line UPSs provide surge protection and, in the event of a power outage, switch to battery mode, so they can be used for devices such as LED monitors, modems or routers.
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Line-interactive power supplies regulate power supply disturbances by appropriately increasing or decreasing the mains voltage. This will make them useful in protecting PCs or other sensitive electronic devices.
It is worth remembering that the installation of all elements of the lightning protection system and surge arresters should be performed by authorized specialists. Improperly selected and installed lightning protection components may not only be ineffective, but also lead to greater danger. We also cannot forget about the need for systematic inspection of these installations, which should take place at least once every 5 years – summarizes Bartłomiej Jaworski.
