Should metal chimney liners be grounded against lightning strikes?

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SUMMARY

Metal chimney liners should be grounded to mitigate the risk of lightning strikes, similar to external TV antennas. A discussion highlighted a case where a lightning strike caused significant damage to a chimney, raising concerns about grounding practices. The furnace liner was indirectly grounded, while the wood-stove liner was not. Consulting local building codes and the city's Building Inspector's office is recommended to ensure compliance with grounding requirements.

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  • Understanding of electrical grounding principles
  • Familiarity with local building codes
  • Knowledge of metal chimney liner installation
  • Awareness of lightning strike risks and mitigation strategies
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  • Learn about proper grounding techniques for metal structures
  • Investigate lightning protection systems for residential properties
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Homeowners, contractors, electricians, and building inspectors seeking to enhance safety measures against lightning strikes in residential properties.

Spinnor
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I was at a home today which a while back had a lightning bolt strike the chimney and explode the top of the chimney off. On the drive home I got to thinking, I have two metal chimney liners, one for a first floor wood-stove and another for the furnace and only the furnace liner is indirectly grounded, I guess, via the furnace ground. If TV antennas need to be grounded should chimney liners be grounded in a manner similar to external TV antennas?

Thank you for your thoughts!
 
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Spinnor said:
I was at a home today which a while back had a lightning bolt strike the chimney and explode the top of the chimney off. On the drive home I got to thinking, I have two metal chimney liners, one for a first floor wood-stove and another for the furnace and only the furnace liner is indirectly grounded, I guess, via the furnace ground. If TV antennas need to be grounded should chimney liners be grounded in a manner similar to external TV antennas?

Thank you for your thoughts!

It seems like they should, but I don't know for sure. I'd suggest calling your city's Building Inspector's office to ask. There may be a building code that covers how it should be grounded.
 
I don't think a metal chimney gets high enough into the air as to drain the static charge off. So I don't think it would make a difference. Look how many times a year lightning strikes communication towers and they generally have a pretty low impedance to ground; certainly low enough to drain charge out of the atmosphere, but they still get plenty of direct strikes.
 

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