solar collectors for heating water systems, vs the power of lightning?

Question

solar collecters can be used to heat up our water for free, although this seems like a good idea saving you money and helping reduce pollution it also puts your home and you in danger. since it is connected to the pipes which are connected to earth its basically a path for lightning to travel down, lightning can travel through your piping and wiring and shock you since it spreads out at the point of impact every one touching or whom is near the piping system would be at danger, as well as your house hold applicances, my question is if this did happen would this be covered in most life and property insurance policies and do you think the chance of this happening is so small it doesnt bother you?

depends of where you live some places of the world have lightning every day others rarely but it only takes one strike to do so much damage tho

any material even plastic will conduct at some point given the voltage is high enough eg tree's are made of wooden material but they still get struck, and if lightning did strike it the change would spread out, this is why people get a shock on the phone when lightning strikes the telephone system

Answer 1

I'm not sure about the insurance question, but all-in-all lightning is not that dangerous if you're indoors. Your house certainly has a grounding rod in the earth that will serve as a lightning rod. All of your plumbing and wiring is connected to it, and since it surrounds you, it is actually shielding you and protecting you. Click here to find out more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

The lightning rod can be any electrical conductor that is large enough and conductive enough to carry extremely large currents, and thus withstand damage itself. The conductor will also bleed off static charge and reduce the likelihood of a strike.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_rod

Answer 2

First the solar collectors are covered in clear plastic for a "greenhouse" effect - so unlikely to be stuck by lightning. The metal parts if any would be earthed and so the charge would go straight to earth. Thirdly - lightening always strikes the highest point - so you could have an earth Pole next to your house 100 feet high for extra protection. I used to have a bloody big steel factory - they knocked it down and my brothers radio aerial was struck and that arced on to the TV aerial and that was buggered! But it was OK - it was under warranty! LOL

Answer 3

If lighting struck the house I think it'd take out the TV aerial or chimney stack beore the solar panels, so I don't think I'd worry over-much. Lightning strikes aren't very common anyway, are they?

Answer 4

No the TV aerial will cop it before the solar system.