Fixing Static Electricity Issues: Tips from an Electrician

[WHS SHOCKED]

I have a problem that is costing me lots of $'s. I built a pole barn seven years ago that is about 50 feet from my house and garage. I am on my third garage door opener due to logic boards being destroyed by static electricity. I have had a second electrician check out my wiring and he says he can't find anything wrong. We did add a ground for the pole barn where before it was grounded through the house where the power originates. I have a surge protector on the garage door opener itself. These are Chamberlain garage door openers sold by Sears. All have been the same model since I had to add a extension for the rail because of the oversize door. It's the only model that Sears sells that will use an extension. I have been told by Sears / Chamberlain that static electricity is the problem and the logic boards are susceptible to static electricity. All of the problems have been after electrical storms. I have never had a direct hit to the barn or house. ( Knock on wood!)

I am trying to come up with a way to arrest the static electricity. My thought is if I ran some light wire around the top of the barn above the garage door opener and connected it to the direct ground wire that I had installed that this would be the best attraction for the static electricity. My concern is that I don't want to create an attraction for a direct lightning strike.

Before you give me your lofty answers let me tell you I know about as much about electricity as I know about quantum physics or women or ... well you get it, I'm an idiot about electric. So please explain to me like you would to let's say a Cocker Spaniel.

Thanks!

Bill

 

[dlgoff]

Welcome to PF WHS SHOCKED.

What type of roof does your pole barn have? If it's a corrugated steel one, you could put up a lightning rod connected to it.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

Welcome to PF WHS SHOCKED.

What type of roof does your pole barn have? If it's a corrugated steel one, you could put up a lightning rod connected to it.

It has an asphalt shingle roof and vinyl siding. All wood framing.

 

[dlgoff]

Well, my parents house has a lightning rod on the composite shingle roof and the house has never "attracted" lightning. It has a steel cable leading to a ground rod.

If you do put up one, the ground must be very good (depends on soil condition and how well the ground rod contacts the earth).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_rod"

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

Would a lightning rod on the outside of the barn arrest static electricity on the inside of the barn? There are no signs that the barn has ever been hit by lighting. Just static electricity caused by lighting?

Thanks for the reply.

 

[dlgoff]

The idea is, the static build-up on the building would be shunted to ground preventing discharge surges which may be what's killing your electronics. A lightning strike isn't necessary to get discharges. From the wiki link:

Diversion is a misnomer; no modern systems are claimed to divert anything, but rather to intercept the charge that terminates on a structure and carry it to the ground. The energy in a lightning strike is measured in joules. The reason that lightning does damage is that this energy is released in a matter of microseconds (typically 30 to 50 microseconds). If the same energy could be released slowly over a period of many seconds or minutes, the current flow would be in milliamperes or a few amperes at most. This is the intent of charge dissipation.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

The idea is, the static build-up on the building would be shunted to ground preventing discharge surges which may be what's killing your electronics. A lightning strike isn't necessary to get discharges. From the wiki link:

Ok now. Please remember to explain like you would to a Cocker Spaniel.

Are you saying yes, a lightning rod would get rid of static electricity inside the barn? If this is correct then why wouldn't a wire inside the barn attached to my ground wire do the same thing?

 

[dlgoff]

Cocker Spaniel? Nope.

Yes. The charge build-up will accumulate on the building with the highest charge on the roof. So the lightning rod should discharge (equalize the charge with Earth over time) of the whole building. Check out this explanation of how the charge builds up. i.e. how positive and negative charge build-up.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/lightning.html

From this animation, you can see that you don't have to have a direct strike to [STRIKE]be[/STRIKE] have discharges that can cause electronic component damage.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

So why wouldn't my inside "do-it-myself" system work? Does the suppression have to be on the outside of the building roof?

 

[dlgoff]

Does the suppression have to be on the outside of the building roof?

This would be best; where the charge density is largest.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

Would my system be better than nothing at all? Would it possibly create any more problems like attracting static electricity?

 

[dlgoff]

Without seeing your system (which doesn't sound like it would do too much), it would be hard to tell. As far as "attracting" static electricity; probably not.

Why not just put up a simple/cheap rod on the highest point of the roof? You must consider the cost between installing a lightning rod/ w good ground and the cost of replacing the electronics.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

Well beside being an electrical idiot, I'm cheap!

But replacing Garage Door Openers isn't cheap either so I am going to have to do something. Are there systems for "do it yourselfers" out there? Or is this something that is best left to the pros?

Thanks for your indulgence with me. I appreciate it much.

 

[dlgoff]

There are DIY lighting protection suppliers. For example (note: I'm not endorsing any particular supplier. I just googled.):

http://www.lightningrod.com/"

 

[Naty1]

It's the only model that Sears sells that will use an extension. I have been told by Sears / Chamberlain that static electricity is the problem and the logic boards are susceptible to static electricity. All of the problems have been after electrical storms.

What does this mean? "extension"?? How does the wiring get from your house to the barn? Above ground or buried? Even buried cable can require lightning protection. Power and communications companies do that all the time on their underground and sometimes above ground cables.

If lightning caused the problem, "static electricity" is hardly the issue unless you mean
"lightning". Try talking with someone else at Chamberlain..you might get a different answer.

Exactly how was the barn wiring "grounded" at the barn. What wires were connected to ground? Is the wiring from the house to barn "grounded"...a three wire cable for 120 volts, with a bare wire??

Are you positive your house is properly grounded??

Was this inspected and approved? If not, find out how it was grounded and go down to you electrical inspectors office and ask how it should be done.

You should to talk with someone who is expert in (practical) grounding issues not a run of the mill electrician who likely does not understand all the issues.

 

[dlgoff]

What does this mean? "extension"??

I'm fairly sure he means a mechanical extension of the door hanger.

All have been the same model since I had to add a extension for the rail because of the oversize door. It's the only model that Sears sells that will use an extension.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

What does this mean? "extension"??

Extension of the rail for an 8' door





How does the wiring get from your house to the barn? Above ground or buried?


Buried cable in conduit.





If lightning caused the problem, "static electricity" is hardly the issue unless you mean
"lightning".

I have been told that lightning strikes in the area will fry the logic board.


Exactly how was the barn wiring "grounded" at the barn. What wires were connected to ground? Is the wiring from the house to barn "grounded"...a three wire cable for 120 volts, with a bare wire??

There are 4 wires all the same.


Are you positive your house is properly grounded??


I haven't had any problems with anything else inside of the house. I even have an attached garage with the exact same model garage door opener that has worked fine for over ten years.




You should to talk with someone who is expert in (practical) grounding issues not a run of the mill electrician who likely does not understand all the issues.


That's why I'm here. I am looking for answers!

Thanks

 

[jim hardy]

Is the circuit board inside a metal box?
Is the metal box connected to the green (or bare) wire that goes back to Earth somewhere, hopefully to panel in your house??

Take your voltmeter and check voltage from black wire to that green (or bare) wire
you should get 115 volts or whatever the electric co is delivering you that day
and you should read exactly same between black and white wires.
If not, something is not right in your wiring out to the opener..

next take your 75 ft extension cord .
Plug it into a good outlet in your house and carry the other end out next to your garage door opener.

Using your multimeter on lowest ohms scale,
read the ohms between your garage door opener frame and the round safety contact hole in your extension cord plug. You may have to insert a nail or something to get contact there.
If it's more than an ohm or so find and fix the bad connection.
Now you've verified that you have a decent Earth ground at your door opener -

is the circuit board protected from electric field ?
If it's inside a metal cover that's grounded (i prefer term "earthed"), that should do the job.
If the cover is plastic, well, get your pop-riveter and some aluminum flashing and give it a metal skin, and Earth that with a screw to the frame or a short ground wire to a nearby frame screw.

I once had a Sears water softener that was sensitive to the power surges that come in when lightning strikes power line. You said you had a surge protector on the opener - close to the opener i assume.
it is important that the surge protector have good connection to earth. Hence those first checks. Your wire to Earth should be about as large as the conductors,
and run directly without splices.
Lastly routing is important. The Earth wire should be run physically with the other two wires to make a threesome.
If it is not physically close to the other two wires you have a loop antenna.
The wires define the loop and the larger the loop's area the more effective it is at extracting energy from nearby lightning strokes. Google Biot-Savart.

Same applies to the black and white wires - be aware that if they are not run together and a loop exists, that is a setup for your kind of troubles.

just guessing, but it's always good to rule out the simple stuff.

Hmmmmm what about those wires that go out to the photocells looking acrossbottom of door for tiny feet?
Don't build a loop antenna around the door, run both wires together even though it might take some extra.

old jim

 

[westom]

But replacing Garage Door Openers isn't cheap either so I am going to have to do something.

A direct lightning strike far down the street to AC wires is a direct lightning strike to every appliance in the house. Why are only some or no appliances damaged? A surge enters on one wire, does damage and stops? Of course not. That violates what everyone was taught in primary school science.

First and electric current must have an incoming and a completely different outgoing path. The electricity exists simultaneously everywhere in that path. Long later, something in that path is damaged - ie the garage door controller.

Again, the surge is incoming to everything. But only some things also have the outgoing path to earth. Those are the damaged appliances. This important concept taught in elementary school science is forgotten to create myths.

Static electricity can be so massive as to make the hairs on your arms or head stand on end. And that still must not cause any appliance damage. Protection already inside each household appliance is so robust as to make trivial static irrelevant.

Lightning rods only Earth static when myths are promoted. Either lightning uses something conductive to connect to Earth - ie wood. Or lightning is given a more conductive and therefore not destructive path to Earth - ie the wire and Earth ground wire that connects to a lightning rod. BTW, lightning rods do not do protection. Lightning rods only connect to what does protection; what absorbs hundreds of thousands of joules. That is Earth ground.

Earth ground explains why your garage door controller is damaged. For example, how many AC wires enter that garage? Two? Three? Four? If any wire does not connect direct to Earth before entering the garage, then the controller has zero protection. A best path to Earth is incoming on a 'hot' wire, through the controller, then out to Earth via the wooden garage. Why does lightning strike wooden church steeples? Wood is an electrical conductor.

Remember how damage happens. First, an incoming and another outgoing electric current path exists. Much later, electronics fail. That controller must be in a path from cloud to earth. Or it is not damaged. That explains what you must do to have no more damage.

You have at least one wire entering the garage without a short (ie 'less than 10 foot') connection to single point Earth ground. So that garage has no effective protectors. A protector adjacent to the controller (and too far from Earth ground) might even make damage easier. But again, protection begins when you first define the incoming and outgoing current path from cloud to earth. A surge seeking Earth (destructively) exists even when lightning strikes far down the street.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

So westom since I know nothing about electricity as I explained in my initial post, and therefore mostly what I read was blah blah, blah blah blah, blah, are lighting rods a good idea or not?

No offense intended.

 

[gtacs]

I think the lightning rods are a good idea, but I don't think it will solve your problem. I would guess your wiring is fine if you had it done professionally, you don't have any other issues, and you have had it inspected.

Is your opener plugged into a standard outlet mounted on the ceiling?

Is the logic board mounted on the wall, or is it in the lift assembly on the ceiling?

You said this is your 3rd opener; so you have replaced the complete opener assembly (the motor on the ceiling as well as the wall units)?

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

I think the lightning rods are a good idea, but I don't think it will solve your problem. I would guess your wiring is fine if you had it done professionally, you don't have any other issues, and you have had it inspected.

Is your opener plugged into a standard outlet mounted on the ceiling?

Is the logic board mounted on the wall, or is it in the lift assembly on the ceiling?

You said this is your 3rd opener; so you have replaced the complete opener assembly (the motor on the ceiling as well as the wall units)?

Opener is pluged into a standard outlet at the opener. The logic board in inside the opener itself. I am on the third opener. It's cheaper to replace the whole opener than replace the logic board. I have had at least two logic boards replaced under warranty. So actually this is about the fifth or sixth time I have had a logic board fail.

I have been told by Sears / Chamberlain that the surge protector they sell will take care of the problem. I have bought one of theirs to install after I get the thing fixed. Their surge protector is different in that it protects the electric eye control wires that go to the logic board and also the control panel where the door button is located. The electric eye wires go directly into the surge protector and then on to the opener. The control panel wires go to the surge protector and then on to the opener. And then there is the regular outlet for power for the unit itself. It makes sense that it would work if the static it reaching the logic board from the wires from the control panel or the electric eyes.

We'll see!

Thanks!

 

[gtacs]

Sounds like you got it! Good Luck!

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

Sounds like you got it! Good Luck!

Would you go ahead with lighting rods anyways?

 

[westom]

So westom since I know nothing about electricity as I explained in my initial post, and therefore mostly what I read was blah blah, blah blah blah, blah, are lighting rods a good idea or not?

Lightning is a connection from cloud to earthborne charges. So that lightning does not make that connection through a structure (ie wood), then Franklin connected that electric current to Earth via a better conductor: a wire that connects the rod to an Earth ground. How often does that problem exist in your venue? One needs at least a decade of history to begin to make that decision.

So that lightning does not make that connection through appliances, homeowners connect that electric current to Earth via a low impedance conductor: either a hardwire or a 'whole house' protector. How often does that problem exist? More often because a conductor network highest on poles down the street connects lightning directly to all appliances. This occurs maybe once every seven years. A number that varies with each venue depending on factors including geology, how utility wires connect to the building, and other environmental factors.

Are you protecting the structure or appliances? Two solutions for two different problems.

Static electricity: if typically destructive, then 18,000 or 20,000 volts generated by a human would routinely destroy computer keyboards, iPads, and mobile radios. Appreciate the threat. A long wire radio antenna intended to maximize an E-M field might have many thousands of volts. So an NE-2 (neon glow lamp also found in lighted wall switches) might connect to that antenna's lead. Single digit milliamps conducted by that glow lamp cause thousands of volts to be reduced to tens. The massive voltage created by nearby lightning strikes or static electric discharges are made irrelevant by things trivial such as a neon glow lamp. Many will cite that thousands of volts. But forget to mention how trivial protection is from such voltages.

Start by addressing what you want to solve (current through a structure or current through appliances). Appreciate how other anomalies (ie static electric discharges and EM induced voltages) are so easily averted.

Nothing stops or absorbs surges. A protector adjacent to electronics will somehow do just that because a salesman said so? Protection always means diverting/bonding/connecting/conducting a surge current outside a building, away from electronics, and harmlessly to earth. Effective protection means a lightning rod or 'whole house' protector does that earthing on a path that does not use a building and does not use appliances.

If every wire entering that building does not first connect to single point Earth ground, then all protection is compromised. How many AC wires connect a garage to the house? Is each wire earthed? Effective protection means no surge current is anywhere inside that garage. Obviously, you have a wiring fault that all but invites surge currents to seek Earth ground destructively via the opener. Any 'not earthed' AC wire is one example of why that destructive current exists. And why protectors adjacent to the opener do too little too late.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

westom,

I'm sure you know what you are talking about and I am sure many on this forum will be as physically excited reading your post as I get reading Dear Penthouse. However, all I got from your post was blah blah, blah blah blah, effective protection means a lightning rod or 'whole house' protector do that earthing.

I think you are agreeing that lightning rods would be a good idea for me.

No disrespect to you or anyone else intended. Just trying to make light of my ignorance of electricity.

 

[westom]

Just trying to make light of my ignorance of electricity.

Is that light as fleeting as lightning?

If you understand something in a first reading, then you already knew most of that. Did not learn something new. If that post contains new concepts, then at least three rereads are required to comprehend it.

The post contained many questions. None are rhetorical. In one of the rereads, provide answers to every question so that many solutions can be narrowed down to the few relevant ones.

If a surge current is given a path to enter the garage, then the resulting damage is traceable to human failure. Best learning comes from mistakes. For example, one question asked how many wires connect house to garage. An answer was required. How many of those wires connect to earth? Again, an answer is essential for a solution. Did lightning connect to that closer by conducting through "2 by 4's"? Then a lightning rod is needed. Did lightning not conduct through wood? Then a problem solved by a lightning rod does not exist.

What was a destructive current path from a cloud to earth? Only effective solutions will also answer that question. Any solution that does not answer is probably wasted money. Your every solution starts by finding the current path into the garage. And how that current then goes to earth. To understand a paragraph like this, to me, always meant rereading it multiple times.

Your every solution starts by learning how lightning connected to Earth via the controller. One place to begin is by answering every posted question even if you do not have an answer.

I think you are agreeing that lightning rods would be a good idea for me.

First you must say if lightning connected to the controller via 2x4 wood.

 

[jim hardy]

I'd wager the problem is from those "electronic eye" wires and a surge suppressor that protects them will cure it. That Sears offers one says you are not the first to have trouble.
[Good ol' Sears. Try getting support at Walmart...]
The eyes need to go into a logic input for the microcomputer and are a likely "soft spot" in the electronic design.

Also is the door metal?
If so, it's hanging out there like a giant flat plate antenna.
You might examine your car hood for an example of "how to" -- there is some electrical connection from hood to car chassis when closed. Sometimes a flexible cable, sometimes a flat spring with teeth that engage the sheet metal when hood is closed.
Purpose of that connection is to shield your radio antenna from the sparkplug wires. A shield does no good if it's not "grounded" and the hinges often have a nylon anti-friction bushing that unfortunately insulates too. .
Look closely at the garage door to see if the factory made provision to ground it to the track when closed.

What part of the world do you live in? I came from S Florida, the world's lightning capital.

You said there's four wires going to garage - that sounds good probably two black hots, a white neutral and a green or bare safety ground.



old jim

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

I'd wager the problem is from those "electronic eye" wires and a surge suppressor that protects them will cure it. That Sears offers one says you are not the first to have trouble.
[Good ol' Sears. Try getting support at Walmart...]
The eyes need to go into a logic input for the microcomputer and are a likely "soft spot" in the electronic design.

Also is the door metal?
If so, it's hanging out there like a giant flat plate antenna.
You might examine your car hood for an example of "how to" -- there is some electrical connection from hood to car chassis when closed. Sometimes a flexible cable, sometimes a flat spring with teeth that engage the sheet metal when hood is closed.
Purpose of that connection is to shield your radio antenna from the sparkplug wires. A shield does no good if it's not "grounded" and the hinges often have a nylon anti-friction bushing that unfortunately insulates too. .
Look closely at the garage door to see if the factory made provision to ground it to the track when closed.

What part of the world do you live in? I came from S Florida, the world's lightning capital.

You said there's four wires going to garage - that sounds good probably two black hots, a white neutral and a green or bare safety ground.



old jim

Actually I have the electric eyes mounted up near the opener itself to more or less by-pass this safety. So there is only a few feet of wire for the electric eyes. However, the wires for the control panel where the button is to open & close the door are probably about 20 - 30 feet long. I'm guessing since it's the longest run it's coming from there. Either way though, the surge protector should help, I'm hoping anyways. The people from Chamberlain / Sears seemed to be well aware of the problem.

The door is metal clad so yes I can see where I have a huge antenna looking for static. I wonder if I grounded the door track if that would offer some protection? I don't want to attract lightning though and I wonder if grounding the door if it would?

I have four wires going to the barn. Two hot, neutral and a ground. All are coated wire in conduit.

I'm in central Ohio. We get some dandy storms sometimes. The funny thing is the house is just 50 feet from the pole barn and I have never had any trouble with anything in the house. We have a lot of electronics and nothing at all. I even have the exact same garage door opener in my atttached garage. However, the barn does sit higher by a few feet than the house.

Thanks for the reply and the plain English.

 

[jim hardy]

" However, the wires for the control panel where the button is to open & close the door are probably about 20 - 30 feet long. "

look around that panel for anything unusual - a nicked wire touching metal, or a mounting screw that's come loose and laying against a PC board. Hand over hand that thirty foot wire looking for nicks or where it lays on something sharp. Probably won't find anything but if you do it's a jackpot.

Grounding the door track ought to ground the door through the bearings in rollers.
But only change one thing at a time...
I'd probably run a piece of bell wire from each track to frame
that'll give you a drain for static and nearby induced charge.

lightning strokes are interesting

typical one is only a few amperes
but they get huge
30 kiloamps is a whopper and not really uncommon
biggest I've seen referenced is in 200kiloamp range
when those big'uns get into an electric power system stuff gets blown up

study the wires on poles in your area.
In S Florida the electric company puts the bare and grounded neutral wire along the top of the poles so it'll act as a lightning rod and keep lightning out of the three phase conductors below.
Here in Arkansas i see the neutral run BELOW the phase wires.
You can tell the neutral - its insulators are the smallest, if it is insulated at all.

Just curious.

I'm still thinking about the layout of your stuff.
Is your garage between the house and power pole?
Inspect the bare copper wire down side of your utility pole. It is IMPORTANT that wire be intact - sometimes kids will cut a piece out of it for some project and power company won't know until they are on the pole for some reason.
And look at the grounding rod near your meter box, everything inplace and tight not oozing green corrosion?

old jim

 

[dlgoff]

Would you go ahead with lighting rods anyways?

I would wait to see if the surge protector is going to work. You may have to wait until you get a couple of those thunder storms.

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

" However, the wires for the control panel where the button is to open & close the door are probably about 20 - 30 feet long. "

look around that panel for anything unusual - a nicked wire touching metal, or a mounting screw that's come loose and laying against a PC board. Hand over hand that thirty foot wire looking for nicks or where it lays on something sharp. Probably won't find anything but if you do it's a jackpot.

Grounding the door track ought to ground the door through the bearings in rollers.
But only change one thing at a time...
I'd probably run a piece of bell wire from each track to frame
that'll give you a drain for static and nearby induced charge.

lightning strokes are interesting

typical one is only a few amperes
but they get huge
30 kiloamps is a whopper and not really uncommon
biggest I've seen referenced is in 200kiloamp range
when those big'uns get into an electric power system stuff gets blown up

study the wires on poles in your area.
In S Florida the electric company puts the bare and grounded neutral wire along the top of the poles so it'll act as a lightning rod and keep lightning out of the three phase conductors below.
Here in Arkansas i see the neutral run BELOW the phase wires.
You can tell the neutral - its insulators are the smallest, if it is insulated at all.

Just curious.

I'm still thinking about the layout of your stuff.
Is your garage between the house and power pole?
Inspect the bare copper wire down side of your utility pole. It is IMPORTANT that wire be intact - sometimes kids will cut a piece out of it for some project and power company won't know until they are on the pole for some reason.
And look at the grounding rod near your meter box, everything inplace and tight not oozing green corrosion?

old jim

I'll go over the wire to the panel to make sure.

I don't understand the bell wire from track to frame comment. Can you explain what you mean?

The power pole is seven hundred feet away. From there it is undergraound. I had the electric company out to check the above ground transformer which is right next to the barn. It all checked out and the ground on the transformer was good.

There is a ground rod at the meter and seems to be ok.

Thanks

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

I would wait to see if the surge protector is going to work. You may have to wait until you get a couple of those thunder storms.

Thanks for your answers. Unfortunately, if the past is any indicator of the future it will be until next August before I will know. All three openers have been bought in August and all around the third week of August. Perhaps there was someone that was killed in the area of my barn in August?

We do have some pretty good storms in late summer but we have some dandys in the spring too.

At this point I could believe anything!

Thanks!

 

[jim hardy]

"I don't understand the bell wire from track to frame comment. Can you explain what you mean? "

Sorry, i was just seconding your opinion about grounding the tracks.

"Bell wire " is that cheap solid wire usually 20 or 22 gage that you get in hardware stores. It's used for dooorbells.

A piece of that from each track to opener frame should provide a minimal ground.
You could use the bare wire from some leftover Romex, or whatever you have.
Just route it so it won't get tangled in the mechanism - i don't know if yours is shaft with spring wound around it or what.

hmmmm... several hundred feet between pole and transformer, transformer adjacent garage...
actually your nearness to transformer sounds like a good thing.

You said you added a ground rod at barn entrance...

how far fron transformer ground is it? no ideas here, just musing here.
I really think you'll be good with the protector from Sears/Chaimberlin.

old jim

 

[WHS SHOCKED]

"I don't understand the bell wire from track to frame comment. Can you explain what you mean? "

Sorry, i was just seconding your opinion about grounding the tracks.

"Bell wire " is that cheap solid wire usually 20 or 22 gage that you get in hardware stores. It's used for dooorbells.

A piece of that from each track to opener frame should provide a minimal ground.
You could use the bare wire from some leftover Romex, or whatever you have.
Just route it so it won't get tangled in the mechanism - i don't know if yours is shaft with spring wound around it or what.

hmmmm... several hundred feet between pole and transformer, transformer adjacent garage...
actually your nearness to transformer sounds like a good thing.

You said you added a ground rod at barn entrance...

how far fron transformer ground is it? no ideas here, just musing here.
I really think you'll be good with the protector from Sears/Chaimberlin.

old jim

Got you on the bell wire. I was actually thinking of grounding the tracks to the Earth ground next to the barn. Any ideas there?

My Earth ground to the transformer would be about 30 feet.