How to Protect Your Business from Lightning Strikes

Posted August 18, 2017

Ways to Avoid Lightning Strikes to Your Commercial Building

Lightning is a powerful force in nature. In fact, a sole bolt of lightning can generate up to 35,000 to 40,000 amps. Plus it can get as hot as 90,032° F. Both characteristics make this powerful force able to tear through roofs, damage walls and property, and cause a fire. For your hotel, restaurant, retail store, or whatever business it is, being forced to shut down operations for repairs and recovery that damage can be financially devastating. Worry not! There are lightning protection systems that redirect the bolt by providing a path of least resistance into the earth.

Lightning Protection Systems

There are four essential ways you can protect your facility from lightning strikes:

Air Terminals

Air terminals are essentially rods of aluminum or copper whose job is to intercept a lightning strike. Mount terminals evenly along your business’s roof.

Grounds

Grounds are rods that are put into the earth around your establishment.

Main Conductors

These are braided cables that connect the air terminals to the grounds.

Bonds

Bonds connect points between the primary conductors and roof and ground points of the system. They ensure conductivity and help prevent side flashing (when lightning jumps between objects).

These systems are intended to receive the strike and route it harmlessly into the earth, thus discharging the dangerous electrical event, but it does not mean that your business cannot still suffer damage from lightning. If lightning strikes a power or utility line, there will be damages to your appliances and other electrical equipment. That is why we recommend using surge suppressors and arresters with connected devices.

If you need to install a lightning protection system, contact professionals in the electrical field. That is when GN Electric comes into play. Call us at (410) 893-5560 for all your commercial electrical needs in Baltimore. We also provide our services in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Colorado.

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