What is this?

2 story, 73 years old, walk up attic. Bare wire that spirals from gable end to gable end and attached at each end with lag screws. One end leads down to the attic wall, passes through a ceramic insulator and disappears from view into the wall cavity. No knob & tube in the house.
I felt like a fool when the client asked what the wire was and I didn’t have an answer. I responded that I would find the answer and let him know.
First to answer wins the ‘Feel Good About Your Knowlege Award’
75 Wardman 042.JPG

75 Wardman 044.JPG

75 Wardman 042.JPG

75 Wardman 044.JPG

Antennae ???

Lightning arrestor…when connected to the roof rods, those spirals slow the lightning down so it can ease it’s way to the ground, nice and slow, throught the stud cavity.:cool:

Hmm…interesting…
In my area we have many homes dating back to the late 1800’s, that still have the lightning rods attached and wired…in all of them, the (shielded) conductor wire runs on the outside of the structure, directly to the grounding rod.
Continue to learn something new everyday! :smiley:

Did it work as described?

Have you seen the lightning arrestors (secondary surge suppressor) that install in the service panel across the two hot SEC’s. I have an older Square D that I believe is a small compact coil of small diameter wire that absorbs voltage by induction and reduces the current/voltage so that the units protecting individual devices will do their job and not be overpowered.