The grounding wire is one of the most important elements of the building's grounding. What should you remember when choosing it? What requirements should it meet? We discuss these and other important issues in a new entry.
What is a cooper and what is it used for?
A band iron is a relatively thin steel strip with a flattened rectangular cross-section. It is used primarily in electrical installations, where it performs important functions, being part of the earthing responsible for protection against electric shock, lightning and overvoltage. As such, it has a huge impact on the safety of the building and its users. The choice of a band iron must therefore be well thought out and dictated by rational premises.
Check out the coopers at the Onninen wholesaler
For customers who do not have experience in electrical installations, choosing the right tape can be quite a challenge. The most serious difficulty is the fact that there are many variants of these elements on the market, differing primarily in size and finish. However, such problems can be avoided by at least basic knowledge of the subject. In the following paragraphs, we explain what to look for when buying tape.
25x4 steel strip in ground – regulations
Polish law does not impose the obligation to install an earthing system, but it is worth investing in it for safety reasons. The costs of the entire investment rarely exceed PLN 10,000, which is not a large amount compared to losses caused by overvoltage or lightning strike. A properly made earthing system also helps significantly protect the life and health of building users.
Investors deciding to make an earthing system should familiarize themselves with the content of the PN-EN 62305-3[4] standard. It specifies, among other things, the minimum length of the earthing system and the cross-sectional area of the strip. Following the recommendations contained therein is the best way to select the appropriate strip and thus create an installation that provides effective protection against hazards.
30x4 steel strip in foundation grounding
According to the applicable electric shock protection standard, the minimum cross-sectional area of stainless steel strips must be 90 square millimetres with a thickness of 3. In turn, lightning protection standards recommend that the cross-section should have an area of at least 100 square millimetres with a thickness of 2 mm.
However, finding tapes that meet these requirements will not be difficult. The tapes available in the Onninen offer in the size of 25x4 millimeters have a cross-sectional area of 100 square millimeters, which allows meeting the above standards. We also offer our customers tapes in the size of 30x4 millimetres and a cross-section of up to 120 square millimetres . Thanks to a large layer of zinc coating (up to 300 grams per square metre), they are characterised by high corrosion resistance.
Galvanized and copper plated strip
As part of the lightning and surge protection system, the tape is located in the ground, usually at a depth exceeding 2 meters. This location means that it is exposed to constant, direct contact with moisture contained in the soil and, as a result, corrosion. The steel affected by it gradually loses its properties, which in extreme cases can lead to the loss of protection provided by the earthing.
Therefore, one of the most important parameters of the tape is its resistance to rust. To ensure this, various solutions are used. One of them is to make the tape from stainless steel, which, however, significantly increases its production costs and has an impact on the physical properties of the element.
That is why galvanized tapes are commonly used – primarily galvanized and copper-plated tapes . Covering the tape surface with a corrosion-resistant metal coating ensures the durability of the grounding for at least a dozen or so years and allows you to enjoy trouble-free use of the building.
Knowing how important a safety element is, we offer only the highest quality products in our store. We offer a wide selection of galvanized tapes manufactured by the renowned Tiga-Cynk company . The service of the installation wholesaler is also ready to dispel all doubts related to the choice of the option that will work best in a given application.