Do younger homes need a lightning rod?

Question

I've been told that because of wiring and pipes and 'stuff' in younger homes (ours is 9 years old), we don't need a 'lightning rod.' And it certainly is true that few if any people in our neighborhood have one. Is this true?

[I'm talking about a lightning rod, NOT a TV antenna--but no one in our neighborhood has TV antennae anyway. Everyone has cable or satellite].

Answer 1

One of my friends was talking to a local radio station and while he was on the air, lightning hit his house and he said,  "oh sh** on the air...   The DJ hit the kill switch with the delay but  was laughing his butt off..    I think he has a lightning rod too but most homes probably don't need one...

Answer 2

That is true... the pipes in the house are grounded to the earth... so you can say they would act like a lightning rod.

Answer 3

i remmeber learning in physics(3 years back) that lightening strikes the highest possible point(need not always happen this way..but this is most likely) and gets conducted to a point with lower charge potential .

if a person is on a vast plain ground (with nothing else around), he becomes the highest point there - the lightening stikes him - gets conducted through his body -towards the earth(since the earth potential is 0)..this is why one must lie flat on the ground when lightening starts (if he /she is the highest point while standing)to avoid being struck by it ..

if your house is among the "tall" ones in your neighbourhood , it would need a lightening conductor ( which is earthed= conducts the lightening current underground) .

but if there are other "tall " buildings around (much taller than your house), your house wouldnt need one(cus its less likely to be struck by a bolt of lightening)..

ps: nature is unpredictable ..anything can happen if God wills it  .. a small building/tree could get struck by lightening in the presence of a taller one .. but you should always take precautions..

there have been many cases of "people getting electrocuted while on the phone during lightening"  here in our place ( has "young" homes but this place is a plateau)

precautions to be taken :

llightening condutor affixed

dont use mobiles or landlines or other electric appliances.

dissconnect your modems and other electrical appliances

if ur in a car , remain seated inside

if ur alone outside , make sure that your not the most elevated object in that place

Answer 4

I don't know why the age of the house would matter, but you usually don't need them in cities unless you are at a higher spot than the buildings around you.