Dissipators
What They Are
Dissipating air terminals are brush-like devices with many sharp metal points, installed on top of tanks or tall structures.
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What They Do
Their sharp points release built-up electrical charge into the air through tiny corona discharges, lowering the tank’s electric potential and making it less likely for lightning streamer attachments.
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Why It Matters
By reducing the chance of an upward lightning leader forming, these terminals help prevent direct strikes and protect oilfield tanks and equipment.
Note
They don’t replace grounding—lightning rods handle strikes, while dissipating terminals help prevent them.
Aluminum 1/2" Rod-
18", 24", 36", 72"​
Stainless Steel 5/8 Rod-24", 36", 48",
Offsets- 60", 72"
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Cable Whip
Weighted Lightning Whips
Weighted lightning whips are flexible, stainless-steel braided cables with a heavy weight on the end. They hang over the top edge of a tank and create a constant, reliable bond between the tank roof and tank shell.
What They Do
When tank roofs move from pressure changes, product levels, or wind, the roof can lose electrical contact with the shell. The weighted whip maintains that contact at all times so the roof and shell stay at the same electrical potential.
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Why It Matters
If lightning hits nearby, any difference in electrical potential between roof and shell can cause an arc inside the tank — a major ignition hazard. The whip prevents this by keeping everything bonded.
In Simple Terms
The whip with a weight ensures the floating or moving tank roof stays electrically connected to the tank wall, preventing sparks and helping keep the tank safe during lightning events.
Kits
Wooden Light Pole Kit (Lightning Protection Use)
A wooden light pole kit is used as a mounting point for lightning protection equipment when a structure doesn't have a suitable attachment point. The pole provides the height needed to install lightning rods, candelabra rods, or dissipating terminals so they can protect tanks, equipment, or work areas below.
What It Does
By raising the lightning protection device higher than the tanks or equipment, the pole creates a safe strike point and extends the protection zone, directing lightning away from structures and into a proper grounding system.
Why Wood?
1. Wood is naturally insulating
2. Reduces risk of side-flashing
3. Strong and durable in outdoor conditions
4. Affordable and easy to install in remote sites
In Simple Terms
The wooden light pole kit is a safe, insulated support pole that lifts your lightning protection device high enough to protect your oilfield equipment from direct strikes.
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Windsock Kit (Lightning Protection Use)
A windsock kit is often mounted on a tall pole that also serves as a lightning protection point for oilfield sites. Because the windsock pole sits higher than surrounding equipment, it becomes an ideal place to install a lightning rod or dissipation terminal.
What It Does
The pole supports both the windsock and the lightning protection device. This gives the site a high, controlled strike point, helping direct lightning safely into a grounding system rather than allowing it to hit tanks, wellheads, or personnel areas.
Why It’s Useful
Dual-purpose: wind direction visibility + lightning protection
Places the lightning device at optimal height
Reduces risk of strikes to tanks and equipment
Ideal for tank batteries, well pads, and remote sites
In Simple Terms
A windsock kit provides a tall pole that doubles as a safe mounting point for lightning protection, helping keep workers and equipment protected during storms while still showing wind direction.
Thief Hatch Bonding Straps – Fiberglass Tanks
Fiberglass tanks are non-conductive, so they cannot naturally bond the thief hatch to the tank. A bonding strap creates the required electrical connection between the thief hatch and a grounded metal point, preventing static charge buildup around the hatch. This reduces the risk of sparks, arcs, or ignition when vapors are present.
In simple terms:
A bonding strap makes sure the thief hatch on a fiberglass tank is properly grounded so static electricity doesn’t ignite vapors.
Thief Hatch Bonding Straps – Steel Tanks
Steel tanks conduct electricity, but the thief hatch often sits on gaskets or painted surfaces that interrupt the electrical path. A bonding strap ensures the hatch is electrically connected to the tank shell, keeping all parts at the same potential and preventing static discharge.
In simple terms:
Even on steel tanks, a bonding strap guarantees the hatch and tank stay electrically equal, reducing spark risk during lightning or static events.
Saddle Base
A saddle base is a curved, clamp-style mount used to attach lightning rods or air terminals to round surfaces like handrails, pipes, tank vents, catwalk rails, stair rails, and small-diameter poles.
Below are the differences between each type:
1. Saddle Base – Upper
An upper saddle base mounts on the top of a curved pipe or rail.
It’s shaped so the lightning rod stands straight up when installed on the top surface.
Use: When the lightning device needs to sit on the uppermost part of a rail for maximum height.
2. Saddle Base – Lower
A lower saddle base mounts on the side or underside of a pipe or rail.
It holds the air terminal upright even when installed lower on the rail.
Use: When the top of the rail is not available or when equipment must be mounted lower for clearance.
More information Click Here
What it is
A candelabra rod is a cluster of multiple lightning rods mounted together on one base. Each rod stands upright and is bonded to a grounding system.
What it does
The multiple rods create a bigger protection radius, meaning lightning is more likely to hit the rods instead of the tank or equipment. When lightning strikes, the energy is guided safely down through the grounding system and away from the structure.
Why it’s used (especially in the oilfield)
1. Protects tall or large-diameter tanks where a single rod isn’t enough
2. Ensures the strike hits the rods—not the tank shell, roof, or vent system
3. Prevents fires, explosions, and equipment damage
4. Ideal for sites with high-risk flammables
In simple terms
A candelabra rod attracts and safely captures lightning strikes, giving tanks a wider protective “umbrella” so the structure doesn’t take the hit.
Multi-Head Dissipaters (Cerberus)
Bonding and Clamps
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Create a secure connection point for bonding conductors so all metal parts stay at the same electrical potential, reducing the risk of arcing during a lightning event.
Clamp lightning protection conductors to round or flat metal surfaces (like rails or pipes) to ensure a solid, code-compliant electrical bond.
Hold lightning rods, terminals, or grounding conductors tightly to pipes or poles, keeping equipment stable and electrically connected.
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Attach lightning conductors or terminals to structural beams without drilling, providing a strong, grounded connection point on steel framework.
