Any thoughts on electrically ground a tall stove-pipe (and support pole)?

[Laku]

Re: Any thoughts on electrically ground a tall stove-pipe (and support pole)?

I think it is, considering the huge amount of current lightning will produce.

I think they only connect the corners on metal roofs to grounding, so don't know about having to run the wire all they way top. Then again the amount of metal in a roof will ensure that the resistance isn't going to get high enough to set anything in fire.. I think

Way I see it the copper is best suited material to transfer enough current and still be discreet as possible. Other metals would need to be thicker to pass through the same amount of current without heating too much.

here's something on the subject I found with quick search

[kebwi]

Re: Any thoughts on electrically ground a tall stove-pipe (and support pole)?

Right, but is the implication that I should not only use a copper spike in the ground, but also that I should run heavy gauge copper cable up to the top of my support pole and also to the top of the stove-pipe?

That seems absurd, but it's one or the other. I mean, I don't see much purpose in using copper at and below ground level to ground a tall metal structure which isn't copper. Am I wrong? Is it perfectly sensible to use a copper spike to ground an aluminum pole and a steel stove-pipe?...or should I just go ahead and just steel (the more conductive of the two metals involved in this discussion).

[Laku]

Re: Any thoughts on electrically ground a tall stove-pipe (and support pole)?

Other metals do conduct better than most of other stuff, but the more conductive it is the more sure the lightning will travel along that path and not jump/fork to something you don't want it to. Then there's also corrosion to consider. Also the less conductive then more resistive the material is and that will cause it to heat more when passing current trough --> additional fire hazard.

That's how I've understood it, just a layman's opinion though so keep that in mind.

[kebwi]

Re: Any thoughts on electrically ground a tall stove-pipe (and support pole)?

I realize copper is more conductive than other typical materials. What I don't understand is why it makes any difference in a lightning rod. The current is going to follow the available path of least resistance and just about any metal would make a good path for electricity to follow...so wouldn't a steel spike direct lightening into the ground just as easily?

By the same logic, if only copper will do, so how does attaching a cable to the foot of my aluminum pole work at all? Don't I need to lead a copper cable up to the top of the pole (and a second cable up to the top of the stove-pipe)? Neither of those is made of copper. One is stainless steel and the other is aluminum. What do those not have to be copper by the spike in the ground does? I'm sorry, I just don't understand that.

[Laku]

Re: Any thoughts on electrically ground a tall stove-pipe (and support pole)?

It's about conductivity conductivity of metals. You could substitute copper with silver, but some how I don't think you'd like that any better.

Thick 1 cm (2/5") bare copper wire will also do the grounding trick if it's long enough. It's dug at least 0,5 meters (2 feet) to the ground (usually in a circle around the protected building).

Something like this

[kebwi]

I'm trying to learn how lightening grounding usually works. It seems like a conventional approach is to use a nearly 4' solid copper rod driven all the way into the ground...that's expensive.

Any ideas? Is copper necessary? Is 4' necessary?