ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Ligtning Protection Systems

I started working on a bid today for a building that includes a lightning protection system as part of the electrical.

I haven't installed these before and was wondering is anyone here does it as a main part of their business?

We will get a specialty contractor to bid the lightning system complete for us, but I'm also entertaining the idea of doing it ourselves. It doesn't look too tough. Six points on the roof and a ground loop around the building.

GJ

While the "technology" applied to a properly installed lightning protection system may seem within your grasp, you should know that there are UL "listed" or otherwise certified lightning protection installing firms. Would that requirement be part of the bid? Will the installation require a UL certification? Things, with respect to work, may suggest you expand your firm wants to do, but sometimes it's easier to just do what you do best, and leave "specialties" to those subs that wish to specialize in them. I would even say this if work was bad in your area, as you might be able to make as much by sub-contracting this work to a "listed" installer and just pocketing the mark-up

We usually do the ground ring and sometimes pull the braided cable from that ring to the roof that the lightning contractor we sub out provides.

The rest we leave to them for the reasons Coreman said.

Thanks for the feedback guys. The sub is UL certified.

NFPA 780 is not a very thick document, but to the uninitiated is a bit cryptic and has a lot of horsepower behind it. The lightning protection biz in the US is sort of a “brotherhood”.

With the UL Master Label Certification program, they finally figured out a way to list live humans [Installers] and attach serialized UL labels to entire buildings.
http://www.ul.com/lightning/

I'm looking for UL certified installers in the Nebraska/Kansas area. Websearch results are not turning up many leads. If you know of anyone I would appreciate any leads.

GJ

You might check with this group for a reference. http://www.lightning.org

Thanks EE, I have found what I was looking for.

GJ