Lightning Rods

[passepartout]

Hi there, we are new to the forum, though we have read it many times, and have found much of the advice very useful . Thanks.

Now we have a question, does any one know about lightening rods, the house we bought has in the past been struck by lightening, and has been rewired, do we need to fit a lightening rod on the top of the house, also what do the locals call them ..

[passepartout]

Sorry its meant tobe RODS, must have another glass of red wine....

[Iceni]

And "lightening" should be ? [8-)]

John

not

[robbie]

[quote]must have another glass of red wine....[/quote]

or perhaps not [:D]

Sorry I dont know about the rods but I am sure someone on here will

[Clair]

It is called parafoudre (sometimes mistakenly paratonnerre).

There is some info on this site http://www.france-paratonnerres.com/anglais/Default.htm and this has been discussed on the forum on these threads:

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/970652/ShowPost.aspx

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/726462/ShowPost.aspx

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/557603/ShowPost.aspx

[Anton Redman]

Sorry  parafoudres are a device which should prevent damage to TVs, PCs, DVDs, Modems,Washing Machines and other bits of equipment which have microprocessirs built in if the telephone or power lines are struck by lightening. They can be stand alone devices mounted on sockets or as part of an extension lead or can be mounted to protected a rail of a tableau d Electricite

Lightening rods are normally uninsulated copper and are designed to ensure that when a bolt of lightening strikes the power is safely conducted to earth instead of setting fire to the house. Contrary to the well known saying lightening normally does strikes the same place and therefore if you have been hit by lightening in the past they are worth instaling. Equally if you build a new house they can be money well spent

tige de paratonnerre or simply paratonnerre is the French for lightening rod according to the 'Dictionary or Building and Civil Enginering' ISBN 0 419 19910 1  

[Pierre ZFP]

Two main types of rod, with a ball on the end or a point.  The ball type (favoured in the USA I believe) is supposed to create a diffuse charge over a relatively large volume and direct the lightning to the earth strap.  The pointy one concentrates the charge at the tip.  Since it is now understood that the last little bit of a lightning strike goes UP from the earth, I would go for the pointy rod every time.

You may come accross quaint objections to lightning rods of whatever type that they are not good as they 'attract' the lightning!  Sweet idea isn't it?