Hearthlist Digest #607 - Saturday, May 12, 2001 Lightning, Hearthlist Digest #606 by <[email protected]> Re: lightning by "Grant Darrow" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: Lightning, Hearthlist Digest #606 From: <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 22:20:18 -0400 I'm not an expert on lightning strikes. Since our house was hit by = lightning (through our eve mounted satellite antenna and not our gas fireplace or = our gas stove roof venting) maybe I'm qualified to give a non expert opinion on = your situation. I believe that the most important thing is to have roof lightning rod(s) = well grounded directly to earth ground so that they will create a much more direct path for lightning to follow then if lightning tried to follow the metal GS = vent. Therefore, it seems that the worst thing would be to have a lightning rod connected to any metal GS venting or gas lines. The110 volt stove wiring should also be disconnected during storms if you want to miniumize possiblity of lightning passing through the venting and gas stove. The110 volt stove wiring, when plugged in, is connected to earth ground and will create a good path for lightning to follow. The good news is that we haven't yet heard of homes being distroyed due to = gas stove or fireplace venting being hit by lightning. Maybe someone else has heard of this? Roger Sanders Fireside Spa & Patio Bend, OR > > > Subject: Lightning > From: <[email protected]> > Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 11:42:32 -0400 > > I had a question asked by one of our customers that I wasn't sure >how to answer > as yet. I could just research it and give him a more technical answer = but I > thought I would throw it out to all the experts out there. He is >having one of > our direct vent gas units installed by a propane company. He is >using GS vent, > straight up,flashed to a metal roof attached to a metal stove in an > area that is > subject to a lot of storms. What is his risk of a bolt hitting this >system and > destroying his home and ......?Is a lightning rod attached to the >vent going to > help? I am sure this must have been brought up before and I wanted >to tell him > what others have done. Any help would be appreciated. > Thanks, > Mike Hartigan > Woodstock Soapstone Stoves > West Leb >
(back) Subject: Re: lightning From: "Grant Darrow" <[email protected]> Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 22:20:55 -0400 one in a million. DV gas stove vented into a retro-kit on a Metalbestos 8" chimney. power = cord plugged into the outlet, CSST gas piping back to the black iron servicing the furnace and hot water heater. The local electrical inspector says the lightning exited out the chimney = and I say it entered. The power cord was ash on the floor, fire shot out every outlet in the house. The phone lines where unrecognizable. The corners of the support = box where bent into the room, a three foot hole was blown in the roof. Fire shot out the faucets and most every sheet rock nail in the house was hammered out a 1/2 ". the plastic vent on the furnace catch fire, and the tracer wire on the buried plastic gas line to the house toasted the tee under the front yard to the neighbors house because they had wrapped the wire around it before burning the pipe. N/G filled the air. Every appliance in the house was toast. The home owners had turned the gas off to the DV for the summer before = going to bed that night. They where leaving for the weekend the next morning. Another customer of mine across the street saw the whole thing and arrived on his neighbors doorstep with a crescent wrench in hand to turn off the = N/G and to holler in the bedroom window that the furnace in the garage was on fire. The local N/G company was only 4 blocks away. A back hoe blew a hole in = the front yard and a vice grip pinched off the N/G. I heard about this lightning strike on the radio as I headed into town = the next morning. The report said there was a hole in Wayne roof, (Wayne the driver that delivers my stoves). I knew he was going to be gone and since = I carry a plastic tarp on the truck I decided to go by his house and make = sure his roof was secure from any further thunder showers...I drove into a war zone and I promptly photographed everything... In 25 years I have looked hard and long at lightning protection for homes = as a side line to my chimney sweep business. I have only two examples of why out of 25,000...that's why you have insurance. Willieweep alias Grant Darrow Chimney Sweep www.northcountrystoves.com ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: "Hearth Email List" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2001 5:35 PM Subject: Hearthlist Digest #606 - 05/11/01 > Hearthlist Digest #606 - Friday, May 11, 2001 > > Lightning > by <[email protected]> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Subject: Lightning > From: <[email protected]> > Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 11:42:32 -0400 > > I had a question asked by one of our customers that I wasn't sure how = to answer > as yet. I could just research it and give him a more technical answer = but I > thought I would throw it out to all the experts out there. He is having one of > our direct vent gas units installed by a propane company. He is using = GS vent, > straight up,flashed to a metal roof attached to a metal stove in an > area that is > subject to a lot of storms. What is his risk of a bolt hitting this = system and > destroying his home and ......?Is a lightning rod attached to the vent going to > help? I am sure this must have been brought up before and I wanted to = tell him > what others have done. Any help would be appreciated. > Thanks, > Mike Hartigan > Woodstock Soapstone Stoves > West Leb > > ------------------------------------------------- > This mail was sent from Quest Computer Services > http://www.quest-net.com > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > End of Hearthlist Digest > > Hearthlist Sponsored by: Heat-N-Glo > > Miss the HPA EXPO? Then you missed Heat-N-Glo's 3 VESTA award-winning products: > Best Gas Fireplace - 6000TRXI > Best of Show - Twilight indoor/outdoor fireplace > Best ducting - Heat-Duct heat management kit > > Call your favorite HNG rep for more details! >