QA

Question: How To Electric Fence

Are electric fences easy to install?

Temporary electric fences are used to control animals inside a permanent fence, usually consisting of one or two wires attached to plastic or metal rod posts. They are easy to install, move, and take down. Attach one or more “hot” wires to existing fence posts or fence wires to keep animals away from the fence.

How much does it cost to run an electric fence?

Modern energisers are very power efficient and unless there is a load on the fence like grass or other vegetation “earthing” the fence out they are very low energy users with a 5km mains powered energiser costing about $5.00 a year to run.

How do I install an electric fence over my fence?

To do so, add an electrified wire on the top of the woven wire fence, and then one or more along the inside using special chain link insulators designed to attach to these fences. If your woven wire is too far gone, peel it off your fence posts and add multiple wire strands.

How many grounding rods do I need for an electric fence?

In fact, the majority of electrical fence systems will actually require at least three grounding rods. These rods should be about 10 feet apart and should be placed at the start of the fence.

Does an electric fence need to be a complete circle?

The answer is no, an electric fence DOES NOT have to make a complete loop. Creating a continuous loop will increase voltage on the fence line, because power is pushed in both directions. Essentially, with a continuous loop, voltage only has to travel half the distance.

Can electric fence wires touch each other?

Wires tend to flip due to the wind. Many people tend to install in-line strainers above each other, but this is not the right way to do it. You should separate them by a fence post so that they don’t catch on each other.

Do electric fences use a lot of power?

The typical Zareba® fence charger uses about 33 watts per day. So, 33 watts multiplied by 31 days is 1,023. Divide that by 1,000 to get 1.023 kilowatt hours per month. The U.S. average cost of a kilowatt hour is 12 cents.

Can you pee on an electric fence?

A stream of urine quickly separates into individual droplets. Because the urine isn’t a steady stream, it would be highly unlikely that a powerful electric current could travel up it. The American “MythBusters” program also found that peeing on an electric fence can be a shocking experience.

Can I put an electric fence around my property?

Electrified security fences: permitted use. Existing law authorizes an owner of real property to install and operate an electrified security fence, as defined, that meets specified requirements on his or her property, except where a local ordinance prohibits that installation and operation.

How many volts is an electric fence?

An electric fence will have a voltage range that can vary from 2,000 to 10,000 volts with 10,000 being the maximum permitted by international regulations. The amount of voltage chosen will depend on the distance that the fence can be shocked up to with the desired power of the shock.

Can you use rebar as a grounding rod for electric fence?

Proper Grounding Rod In most cases, pipe or rebar can be used. The grounding rod needs to be made of galvanized steel and also needs to be at least four feet in length for best results. Using copper rods will diminish the overall effectiveness of the electrical fence system.

What happens if you don’t ground an electric fence?

When an animal comes in contact with an electric fence, a pulse travels from the fence, through the animal and into the soil. Via the soil moisture, this pulse is captured by the ground system and returned to the energizer. Without proper grounding, the fence’s electrical circuit can not be completed.

Why is my electric fence clicking?

Clicking is part of normal fence operation when a charger releases energy that travels along the fence. Almost all radio noise generated by electric fences is caused by a spark or arcing of the electrical current across fence hardware.

How do I check the ground on my electric fence?

Lay an iron bar across the wires, making a direct connection from the fence line to the ground. Then place your volt meter on the last earth rod in the line to see if there is any voltage between the earth rod and the ground. No reading to under 500 volts – move on to Checking your Fence Connection.

Can I use a car battery for electric fence?

You can certainly use solar fence chargers; however, one easy way to keep your electric fence charged is to hook it up with to 12V car batteries in a parallel manner. Doing this doubles the amount of time that you have before you need to recharge your fence.

Why is the ground wire hot on my electric fence?

Generally, the ground wire completes the circuit of the current flow in the fence. So when an animal touches it, it gets a shock from the hot wire. So the ground wire is crucial for an electric fence. But if you notice that it’s heating up, the most probable cause is leakage or improper grounding installation.

Can electric fence dead end?

Electric fence does not need to make a complete loop. An electric fence line that dead ends will work just as well as a fence line that is a full loop.

How far apart should electric fence insulators be?

Although it’s really up to you, the commonly accepted distance between posts is 12 feet. However, others recommend anywhere between 15 feet and 30 feet.

How tight does electric fence need to be?

Wire tension and height Permanent fence tighteners should be installed midway within each electric fence span. The electric fence wire does not need to be stretched singing-tight like a barbed wire fence since the wire functions as a psychological barrier, not a physical one.

What is the best wire to use for electric fence?

Most electric fences use 14 or 17 gauge wire depending on how long the fence is and what animal is being contained or repelled. Keep in mind that the lower the gauge of wire, the thicker the wire will be.Aluminum Long lasting. Conducts a strong electrical charge, stronger than steel. Very flexible and easy to work with.