Thread: Lighting Rod Ground wire

I inspected a home a few months back. It had a lighting rod with a ground wire routed along the exterior wall.. It wasn't installed in a conduit. I didn't call for any repairs with the lighting rod system;everything looks fine in the how the builder installed everything.....homeowner wants the ground wire installed in a conduit, of course, she wants me to pay for it.
She says it is a requirement to be in a conduit.

I know of no requirement. Am I wrong? I always thought that the ground wire could be installed inside or outside of the wall / in any material as long as everything was installed correctly.

Does anyone have any thoughts or code requirement, manufacturer installations instructions I can refer to?

W

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Originally Posted by Wendell Swedberg

. It wasn't installed in a conduit. ...
.homeowner wants the ground wire installed in a conduit,

of course, she wants me to pay for it.

She says it is a requirement to be in a conduit.

manufacturer installations instructions I can refer to?

W

.
Ask Her to Show You Where it is Required. ( Lady I'm willing to learn. )

*attachments show Bare Braided Ground Wire used as grounding .
.

In Calif. most of our new sub-division have under ground Service. and I have yet to find the ground rod/wire connection on most of these homes.

Its in the wall and foundation at some point...

Best

Ron

Originally Posted by Wendell Swedberg

. It had a lighting rod with a ground wire routed along the exterior wall.. I
W

Originally Posted by Ron Bibler

under ground Service. ground rod/wire connection

Best

Ron

.
Ron,

Time for a Cup of Joe or Go Nigthey Nite.
.

Originally Posted by Wendell Swedberg

homeowner wants the ground wire installed in a conduit, of course, she wants me to pay for it.

"homeowner wants", that says it all.

She says it is a requirement to be in a conduit.

Have her *SHOW* you what requires it.

Also, *IF* *she* puts it in conduit, she had better not use metallic conduit or else she will also have to connect that metallic conduit to the grounding conductor at both ends of the metallic conduit - or she could be in for problems when and if that system takes a lightning hit.

I would not worry about what 'you' need to show her, it is up to 'her' to show you, then you can come back and verify whatever it is she shows you.

She probably "wants" it in conduit because it 'does not look pretty'.

If she puts it in a metallic conduit, I can see all kinds of problems when it takes a lightning hit, not the least of which would be the immense heat generated during that strike.

If she puts it in PVC conduit, I can see that PVC melted like putty around that conductor when it takes a lightning hit. I would not even be surprised if that PVC caught on fire during a lightning hit, and that might lead to more fire, depending on what surface it is on.

I really don't recall *ever* seeing that grounding conductor in a conduit, not that I recall right now.

take the copper and give the genius a piece of plastic ,, junk it and buy a a case of beer

Quite awhile ago I seem to recall reading that they actually DO NOT want lightening rod ground cables in conduit. The reasoning was that you would not be able to see if it had taken a big hit and hid the consequant damage.
As I say, this was several years ago so I'm not sure it still is that way. The logic does seem valid , however.

Isn't the grounding conductor braided in order to dissipate the heat? If so why put it in a conduit. Eventually the copper will turn a nice green patina. You can't see the patina when its in a conduit.