Lighting and Windmills

Anonymous-0 · Feb 8, 2011

Has anybody's windmill that you know of been hit a by lighting strike? Been debating about putting up a 30 foot tower or not. It would be a yard ornament only. Thanks Tim

rustyfarmall · Feb 8, 2011

Most likely a lot of windmills have suffered lightning strikes over the years, but if they were properly grounded (8 foot copper ground rod) very little to no damage was done.

greenbeanman in Kansas · Feb 8, 2011

It really doesn't matter as the towers are metal and staked to the ground so the lightning energy simply grounds away.

As to your actual question, our farm had two windmills and I never saw any evidence that they were struck or at least damaged. Never heard dad tell of such either.

CLTX · Feb 8, 2011

I agree with Rusty. I grew up around windmills and don't know of any damage by lightning strikes. Just ground it as he says, but I doubt it is of much concern either way.

old · Feb 8, 2011

Well if you think about it they make one big lighting rod and because of that can make it safer for your house. I have heard of many metal buildings and other metal things the get hit all the time and never had a problem because they are bolted down to the ground and mounted so as to be well grounded. Many years ago I was using my 1935 JD-B out in the filed when a lighting storm came up. I headed to the house. I shut it down and ran for the house. Before I got to the house I looked back and saw it get hit by lighting. It is a steel wheeled tractor. Didn't hurt it one bit

big fred · Feb 8, 2011

Yup, ours was when I was a kid, maybe 7 or 8 years old. The rotor had blown off in a storm decades earlier, I don't know if it damaged anything or not. The vane still turned to show wind direction, so it didn't weld the pivot. Was a heck of a bang, though, since the windmill tower was only about 100 ft from the house.

hd6gtom · Feb 8, 2011

Had 5 of them on farms dad owned, never saw any evidence of a lighting strike on any of them.

caterpillar guy · Feb 8, 2011

Why would you really need a ground rod with 20-100 feet of pipe to the water. Especially with a steel frame on the ground to begin with.

glennster · Feb 8, 2011

our windmill got hit a lot by lightning. only got the well pump once. other than that, no real problem.

Nebraska Cowman · Feb 8, 2011

I don't think lightning hurts steel windmill towers.

Lloyd In South Carolina · Feb 8, 2011

I want one, at our new place in South Carolina. Want and actual working one, the water will feed our pond and help keep it fresh...... at least that is my plan.

workhorse · Feb 8, 2011

Been installing and servicing windmills for 40 years. The only real damage I have seen was a mill with a wood tower. It must have taken a direct hit and the charge traveled down the steel pump rod, to the cylinder and blew up the PVC casing in the bottom of the well. Had it been a steel tower I thank it would have discharged at the ground surface.

VaTom · Feb 8, 2011

I brought one home from New Jersey last summer for a similar use, trout pond. Hard to find used on the east coast. If buying new, I'd be talking with Aermotor. Good luck.

Lighting and Windmills

Anonymous-0

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rustyfarmall

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greenbeanman in Kansas

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CLTX

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old

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big fred

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hd6gtom

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caterpillar guy

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glennster

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Nebraska Cowman

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Lloyd In South Carolina

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workhorse

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VaTom

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