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Installing a Lightning Rod

The lightning rod system installed on the Dream Garage by J & G Lightning Protection, inc. of Pittsburgh, PA will draw the lightning towards it and give it a safe path to ground. The lightning rod system itself begins on the roof of the garage. Perched upon the ridge of the roof are two lightning rods. The lightning rods are made of copper and are held in place by a galvanized steel, 3 legged scroll base which is connected to the roof. The copper pole is connected to a cable which runs along the roof, under the ridge cap, and down the side of the building to the ground.
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Installing a Lightning Rod

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" don't -- you know before we start talking about. What this is and what you put together here but let's talk about what. A lightning rod or lightning protection system does how does it work. Well Bob it's pretty simple you go back to when we were on high school opposite charges electricity will attract the one out of every structure out here as a negative -- electricity on every house every tree year and any building correct. When electric spark and cover those are charged clouds are charged -- what plug the charges of electricity lightning strike is nothing more than two opposites attract each other when we -- lightning rod system. We are attempting to draw always negative charge electricity off the building this has done to our lightening rod. Which we have here so it a lightning rod basically draws. The electricity to it correct and transistors it through system through a series of cables so we end in itself isn't chart right."

" And it would come about through this this cable here -- scale of it out Bob the cable is a point -- strands of seventeen gauge wire. And in this case we have a tin coated so it's copper wire copper wire correct. And why is it tin -- while we did this to match the aesthetics of the building in this case OK so it doesn't need to be coated it could just be the the regular red copper correct yeah and does it have to be a nonferrous metal yes it does -- it could be something else like brass. It would either be copper aluminum -- and then what do you get down here what we've got is a ten foot have -- copper clad -- brown rot. It's driven ten feet in the are financed partially to -- a lot of great and that's why they call it -- it right correct OK now how you know it right and asked how do you get a ten foot rod of proper."

" How do you get it into the ground for what we have what we've got electric crowd -- demolition hammer they have rod driving tips on it it we'll -- portrait of it does all the work and you have to drive it straight down -- it should be straight fashion history good."

" This is essentially the ridge cap from the east end of the building which is not up yet. And what's arrested this stuff but what we've got here fathers would get. Patrol brace when this is completely. Fasten that rope wood ridge caps on a frightful actually mount. To the roof itself all right -- have this special listens. Stainless steel self tapping screws -- Robert -- and still are honored to. Protected from any type of lake right. Obvious -- over the actual lightning rot than what we've got -- we've got a caller here that supports the ball. Got up polish or -- ball. It slides now. And we've got here directional northeast south and -- it also flies above the ball and and the -- Which. If public. Now this is based on a design from the nineteenth century this whole business with the polar ball and everything. But the question that I want to ask is about the different metals here and a you've got the copper rod were just talking about how important it is that it's this copper but here's it coming in contact with -- developments here is -- galvanized steel which should be all right in this case okay. And ball Nazis -- ten caller with a brass caller they also brass so there also brass right so everything here is compatible with one another okay."

" So this beautiful affairs going to go at the east of the building and ready to put up the one over here collection are great. OK so not to be confused benefit the lightning protection institute really wants to make a point of this. We're not putting this in here to attract lightning right now we're just. Us. Given it up safe path to ground exactly and what we're doing is making sure that if lightning should be in the area and should try to hit the structure. They would have a safe path to the right Bob. I think by now all of my viewers know that this is not a do it yourselfer project now absolutely not only are we climbing -- pile on the roof but it's a complicated thing to stop. OK we move this down now. Because -- cable then given our steel roofing system that's the cable is covered by the rich get. And the ride itself is now we've got through the cable and the pink slipped under the Clinton. --"

" Now what's the next element. Three legged race related braves. And this is galvanized threat right that as we said a minute ago where it comes in contact. You don't have to worry about -- different metals. And here we're just attach the the brackets with a self tapping screw. And whoever brought a little rubber Gromit so that you really don't have to worry about any kind of water. Penetration -- OK. And then. The green shows that the fence and the red when vote at the other end of the -- here. That has that's correct right."

" What a gorgeous thing."

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