Ligtning and power failure- I think we got lucky!

[inthewilderness]

In 16 years, our power system has been ultra reliable. Our Trace Inverter has never let us down. It was with a great deal of consternation that I watched our power system suddenly start kicking on and off the other night. A light and dishwasher which were on at the time cycled on and off with the inverter. Bummer I thought!

I'm pleased to report that the inverter is working just fine again. Here's why I think we got lucky. We have our wind turbine which sits on a 67 foot steel pipe tower. Our inverter started acting squirrelly during a lightning storm. I suspect, but have no way to know for sure, that we were building up a charge and likely were very close to a lightning strike. The inverter sensed something funky.

Fortunately, I realized the lightning storm and inverter problem might be related and I powered down everything pronto. I usually power down routinely during a major thunderstorm but this one didn't seem to be a big deal so I left the power on. I always unplug computers and critical equipment every lightning storm.

For what it's worth... we have some pretty vicious thunderstorms in the summer and although the lightning cracks all around, we have never been hit. I have lightning rods on the roof as well as chimneys with appropriate stranded copper cable to a grounding rod in the earth. Our electrical system is tied to the same point. We have a lightning arrestor indoors with our set up.

The turbine tower also has a lightning arrestor connected across the output of the turbine. I also have a heavy gauge stranded copper wire that runs to the top of the tower which is grounded. This wire is bent 90 degrees at the top and sticks out about 12 inches. I took the strands and splayed them out in kind of a roundish fan pattern. In theory, my understanding is this set up will bleed off any charges before the big bolt drops from the sky. So far-so good.

 

[santaman2000]

I've had several lightning strikes to the grid near my house over the years; usually to a nearby transformer, but so far only one to the house. Several years ago I was sitting in the living room during the storm and heard the loud electrical strike in the utility room. When I investigated I found it had fried the timer on the clothes dryer (which wasn't on at the time)

 

[Klenchblaize]

Nothing worse than things going squirrelly!

Glad to hear you and your kit are OK.

K

 

[crosslandkelly]

That's quite a report, glad you are all okay.

 

[Robson Valley]

The ball on the top of the flag pole is to distribute charge so there's no point source of attraction.
That's exactly the opposite of the pointed tips on lightning rods = you're hoping that any strike hits the charge concentration on the rod and nowhere else.

Ben Franklin had an extremely difficult time trying to convince people that actually attracting lightning was a good thing.
All the people could only comprehend the lightning "striking the tall building."

If/when you do take a hit, inspect the ground cable as soon as it is safe to do so.
20,000 - 50,000 amps may vaporize the copper conductor.
Saw that twice as a kid on grandpa's prairie farm house.

Lightning strikes can induce a substantial current in nearby wires.
Major problem with surges in the electrical utility.
I've never seen a spark to ground (1/2? sec after the flash) more than 1" long but still impressive.

 

[inthewilderness]

Santaman... My parents house also was struck once. They had quite a few things that needed replacing that got zapped.

Thanks Klenchblaize and crosslandkelly... We're glad it all worked out too.

Robson Valley... I think we're saying the same thing. My understanding is that with the sharp points of lightning rods, there is a slight connection up to the cloud. That connection bleeds potential voltage off so that it hopefully does not build up enough energy to flash. Good point on checking all wiring and components after a lightning strike. Don't forget to replace the lightning arrestors.

 

[Robson Valley]

I've seen photographs of the "step leaders" that come up off objects. The interpretation was that connection gets made to one of them.
Franklin reasoned it out as electrical charge density per unit area. You have got to find biographical accounts of Franklin's exploits (lost my references).
He had an outdoor wire antenna which led into his study to an insulated ball shaped metal object.
Next to that was another metal ball, grounded, on a threaded rod so he could adjust the gap between them.
No point doing any experiments until he saw sparks jumping the gap.
I can only presume they were induced currents from nearby strikes (within a mile or two).

He got the credit as most of his contemporaries got whacked in the process.

Grandpa's reasoning was that once the farmhouse got hit, there was nothing to suppose that the entire system was still intact.
Two-storey brick, maybe 1915 - 1920, on a low hill top = perfect target.

Back in my 4x5 photography days, I did a little storm chasing for wonderful pictures.
Finding myself in the middle, smart to go home.

 

[inthewilderness]

Lightning is fascinating stuff. I like how you make mention of Franklin's contemporaries getting whacked. He was one lucky guy the day he went kite flying. A lot of people weren't quite so lucky. I do remember seeing stepped leaders on a TV show.

I should mention that not only do I power down and unplug items, I also flip all the circuit breakers and the battery main which disconnects the inverter. Although a bolt of lightning can jump this stuff, why make it easy.

 

[Robson Valley]

That was Franklin's whole point. Offer the lightning the easiet path to earth.

He got hammered by the church for "interfering with God's plan."

Maybe that seems so absurd in this day and time but not so with his "meddling with nature" in his day and time.

 

[Tengu]

I once saw the building across the roads conductor hit.

Big purple flash, -bam!

Its scary and exillerating at the same time

 

[inthewilderness]

In looking back at my life, I'd say I've been pretty lucky. I've been within 100 yards of 3 strikes. As a kid, I remember eating dinner in the house and a flash splintered the top of a power pole in the back yard. Another time I was out in front of another house under a little porch overhang and a bolt zapped the tree in the front yard. The 3rd time I was a young kid out on the street and a transformer at the neighbors house took a hit. All 3 strikes got my attention real quick!