Roof Top Hvac Lighting Protection

Metal roofs do not attract lightning strikes.

Roof top hvac lighting protection.

If you have a situation where an hvac is dangerously close to the edge of your roof and would like assistance on how to best protect it give us a call at 1 866 527 2275. New signal and power lines penetrating the building envelope will require surge protection devices. Lightning is a powerful destructive force of nature and will strike a building regardless of its type of roofing. Still the type of roofing is one of several risk factors.

Cables interconnect the air terminals on top of the parapet to roof penetration foreground and other metal items such as the rooftop exhaust fans and their anchorage points. For example a static line if it is run over the top of phase conductors on a pole line makes a very effective lightning protection if it is mounted high enough. Puncture and tear roof coverings thus allowing water to leak into buildings see figures 1 and 2. Also when displaced the lps is no longer capable of providing lightning protection in the vicinity of the displaced conductors cables and air terminals lightning rods.

Interconnections are vital to the function of the lightning protection system. Harger president ceo harger lightning grounding grayslake ill. However putting protection in place may not be enough. Air terminals installed on rooftop equipment such as hvac units while equipment is being serviced.

Regardless of the length of time you will be on a roof your employees must be protected. It is not futile to protect individual equipment. Nor do metal roofs protect a building against lightning. A metal roof should never have copper lightning protection components installed on it unless the roof metal is copper says mark s.

The recommended protection diagram shows roof mounted air condition equipment to be bonded to the lightning protection system. Concrete and steel building construction makes the whole building a very effective lightning protection system. Lightning protection standards such as nfpa 780 and ul 96a. Also harger feels it is imperative that the installation contractor follow the roofing manufacturer s requirements when it comes to attaching.

Lightning protection of roof top equipment. It s best to know your options so you can make the right decision for the safety and budget of your organization. The building ground ties to the internal grounding network and thus to the air handling. The only way to protect a building is with a properly designed and installed lightning protection system lps.