Metal Weather Vane a Lightening Conductor?

[gkeesling]

I just put one of those metal chicken weather vanes on the top of my coop roof. It's painted black, but all metal. My questions is - will it be a lightening conductor and burn down my coop if lightening hits it and should I put a ground wire on it, or will it be ok and I should just leave it as it is?

 

[cameldairy]

good question, I have always had weathervanes on buildings with no problems, but now I wonder the same thing. I tried looking this up on the internet but didn't really have any luck, so maybe someone here can give us some insight.

 

[patandchickens]

Nah, a normal weathervane is not going to make any meaningful difference in a shed's chance of getting hit by lightning, are pretty much indistinguishable from zero anyhow

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[cameldairy]

Thanks Pat, my hubby will be SO glad he didn't get THAT added to his "list"!

 

[LynneP]

The only exception might be if it were the highest thing on the property. In that situation the vane can be grounded. I've never had to do that, but I'm sure somebody has!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

My "MoonRakers" are about 70 feet in the air on a steel pole an has never been hit but my neighbor on the ridge has lightning rods on his roof that are hit all the time.

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

it used to be that lightening rods had glass 'insulator' balls on them. i've only seen them on one old house in our area still. houses now have grounding wire running from the roof down into the ground as a precaution.