We perform lightning arrester installations that protect buildings against different lightning strikes in the respective area, using vertical or primary lightning arresters and horizontal or surface lightning arresters for any kind of civil, commercial or industrial building. The team of specialists is well prepared to solve even the most complex aspects related to electricity systems. Thus, EL-CON implements grounding installations, lightning arrester installations, electrical energy supply installations for several consumers of any size.

Meeting the needs of customers, the major manufacturers in the field have developed lightning arresters, which provide protection with an efficiency of up to 98%-99% (100% does not yet exist), with integrated electronic circuits, capable of transmitting in advance an ionized lightning wave (which is not possible with the classic Franklin rod). These devices, known as Lightning Arresters with Priming Devices, PDA for short (or Early Streamer Emission in English) have an elliptical or oval shape and usually contain an energy concentrator in the upper part. PDA lightning arresters are mounted at the top of a mast, either in a new installation or in an existing one (by fitting fixing adapters to the old mast).

Among the advantages presented by PDA type lightning arresters (with priming advance) are:

  • efficiency up to 99%;
  • lower mounting heights;
  • much larger protection radii;
  • life span of at least 25 years.

An important criterion when it comes to choosing a PDA is the priming advance (the time with which a PDA captures a lightning bolt faster compared to the classic Franklin rod, taking into account that the propagation speed of a lightning bolt is approx. 0.9 – 1 m/µs). This priming advance is usually between 10µs and 60µs. The higher the priming advance, the more efficient the lightning arrester is and implicitly ensures a high level of protection over a larger radius. Therefore, it can be said that a PDA of 60µs is equivalent to a classic rod mounted at a height of 60m, both starting from the same level.

The standard composition of a lightning protection installation is:

  1. The capture device (PDA), together with the mast on which it is mounted and the fixing system to the building/pole.
  2. The descent (flatband or round conductor) and related fixing clips on the building (roof, walls)
  3. The earth socket consisting of the conductor (usually flatband type), the conductor protection sheath, the grounding stakes, the flatband fixing clamps of the stakes.

The junction between the descent and the earth socket is made through a separation piece (junction control box), whose role is to separate and allow measurements to be made to determine the dispersion resistance of the earth socket. A download counter can also be installed in the circuit.

Before choosing an IPT configuration, we insist that you pay special attention to the following details:

  1. The types of materials that make up an IPT differ, and some metals (eg: copper and aluminum) placed in direct contact produce the effect of galvanic corrosion, which over time leads to the interruption of the circuit (of the current flow path to the ground), fact that can have disastrous consequences. ASK QUESTIONS, INFORM YOURSELF BEFORE MAKING THE FINAL DECISION.
  2. Galvanized steel is a compromise solution between ensuring adequate protection and the purchase price. You must be aware, however, that steel is difficult to shape (difficult assembly for architecturally complex buildings) and has a much higher electrical resistivity than copper, and this last characteristic is the most important when considering protection against lightning bolt CHEAPER DOES NOT MEAN BETTER
  3. By definition, PDA lightning arresters are true lightning arresters. Installing a PDA lightning rod and making a lightning protection installation with poor quality or undersized materials (which can lead to the interruption of the current path over time) can be more dangerous than not having a lightning rod on a building. ONE LIGHTNING STRIKE IS ENOUGH TO PRODUCE IRREVOCABLE DAMAGE.