A Conventional Lightning Arrester, also known as a Franklin Type Lightning Arrester or Lightning Air Terminal, is designed to form part of a complete external lightning protection system. Its purpose is to provide a strategically positioned interception point and a controlled path for lightning current through the down conductor and towards the earth-termination system.
The science behind lightning protection can be understood through a simple principle: the location and height of the air terminal influence the volume or area of a structure that can be protected by the designed lightning protection system.
However, a lightning arrester is not a standalone solution. Effective protection depends on the complete system, including the air-termination network, down conductors, bonding arrangements and earthing system.
Unprotected transient overvoltage causes immediate dielectric breakdown in expensive transformer windings. Our arresters act as a low-impedance path, safely diverting kiloamperes of lightning current to ground, preventing thermal damage.
