Metal Chimney's and Lightning

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Clodhopper

Clodhopper

Member
Nov 14, 2009
54
NE PA
My house has lightning rods on it, and we have used them several times since we bought it. But since the last electrical storm season I have installed 2 stainless steel chimneys. Anybody here know anything about protecting these pipes from lightning?

As an interesting related side note, I used to work at a farm museum that had as part of it's history a case where a woman was helping to prepare food for her wedding over an open fire in the cellar kitchen. A storm brewed up and a bolt of lightening came down the chimney and struck her dead. I think it was in 1815.

Anyway, I'd rather not have that sort of thing going on around here.
 
Occasionally this question comes up . . . you might want to try a search.

However, I believe I can safely say this is not a common problem . . . in fact I don't recall hearing of anyone who has had their chimney struck by lightning.
 
firefighterjake said:
Occasionally this question comes up . . . you might want to try a search.

However, I believe I can safely say this is not a common problem . . . in fact I don't recall hearing of anyone who has had their chimney struck by lightning.
Click to expand...

My parent's chimney was struck by lightning back in the 80s. Of course it was masonry only and had an antenna strapped to it. Got them a new chimney.
 
In all my time of burning wood I have never heard of this happening until now. Therefore, I conclude it an extremely rare thing....the same as lightning stirking a house.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
In all my time of burning wood I have never heard of this happening until now. Therefore, I conclude it an extremely rare thing....the same as lightning stirking a house.
Click to expand...

Which in reality is what this is . . . a strike on a house . . . metal or no metal . . . lightning seeks out a high point . . . whether that high point on a house be a TV antenna, metal chimney, roof line or as mentioned a masonry chimney..
 
I had a customer that that happened to once. It was a weird coincidence that 6 months later the person across the street had the exact same thing happen. Don't buy a house on Socony in Casper WY!
 
Making a short story long......
I used to install and service home theater equipment. On one service call we had to go replace a plasma hanging above a prefab fireplace due to the chimney being hit by lightning, jumping from the chimney to the lag bolt for the bracket frying the tv -- and it continued through the coax cable system frying every tv,vcr, and audio system in the house.

Maybe a good idea is to add a ground strap to the chimney, just like the lighting rods.

Devon
 
For most people it's pretty rare, but if you have used the lightning rods several times since you moved in, your house must be in an area prone to being struck by lightning. Maybe on top of a hill, in a wide open flat area, etc? In that case it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to protect the metal flue as well. This may mean installing a lightning rod / ground strap on the flue itself to provide a safe path to ground in the event of a strike.
 
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