Electric Fence Problems

BalthazarB

Hello, I'm new to fencing, and am only getting a reading of 1000V on my voltmeter. I want to get it up to at least 4000 as it's for sucklers.

Have mains powered fence - approx 3 km long (3 fields).

I have been reading this - http://www.afence.com/Electric_Fence/how_to_elecfence/elecinstall.htm

On that page in fig 1.2 it says never to bend the wires around each other as this will result in reduced voltage, but many of my connections are like this.

Also I have noticed that some of my fencing posts are hardwood and have no insulator. I am sceptical about this method, and am going to replace them, to see if that works. They are not real fencing posts, but pieces of scrap timber. I have read online that its possible to get non conductive hardwood posts, but does any hardwood work the same way?

Other than that I plan to disconnect 2 of the fields and this will tell me if the problem is in the main field, and then reconnect the others one by one.

Also the fence is touching mature whitethorns in several areas, which I plan to rectify. A neigbouring farmer told me that briars and whitethorns don't effect electiric wiring that much. Is this true?

Is there anything else I should be thinking about? Or any other advice?

locky76

the energiser (electric fencer) brings your electric fence up to 5000v in comparison to ground on an ideal system, however anything which joins the fence to ground lowers this ideal voltage. fencing hammered in directly into a post will lower the voltage espeicially during wet weather(insulators should always be used), briars, whitethorn, thistles etc. etc. will also affect your voltage. you should also look at your earth on the enrgiser as this will also affect your output volatge. splitting up your fencing is no harm either when your checking it out, an egg insulator at a corner post could also be split through thus lowering the voltage.
hope this helps some bit

millertime78

Did you put the fence up yourself or get someone to do it for you? I need a fence put up, probably about 1km, thinking of getting it contracted out as I don't have the time to do it myself

wiggy123

B.... did u not use insulators??u just tie the wire around the posts..if so foolish! what power is ur fencer! an average battery fencer would give you that..4000v..if its clean-along hedges,etc...
a mains should give u aleast 10000v..

one i purchased--gives that voltage-also will do 10km + in area..
i am very pleased wit it--as it will still power strong-even with bushes/briars touching it!

BalthazarB

I didn't install this system, I have just acquired it with the land.

Yes, there are a few posts with the electric fence attached directly without insulators. I wondered about this myself, and when I questioned the previous owner, he said that they were hardwood and therefore didn't need insulators.

wiggy123

hi B..well i'm sorry he told u wrong,previous man!
get insulators for it--asap!

or use plastic posts--think can b got!

or else--buy the plastic posts--white ones!

notice a huge change in ur fence reading then,also!
anothe think--do not use baler twine/rope etc..to tie down wire--or to connect it to somthing! as--when its wet-voltage will be lost!

reilig

BalthazarB wrote: »

I didn't install this system, I have just acquired it with the land.

Yes, there are a few posts with the electric fence attached directly without insulators. I wondered about this myself, and when I questioned the previous owner, he said that they were hardwood and therefore didn't need insulators.

Hardwood fencing posts not needing insulators????? Not a bit wonder he's the previous owner, he doesn't have a clue.

You need insulators on every post - hardwood, softwood or metal. In fact your rule should be that the only thing the fence wire should touch in the 3km is insulators - from start to finish. If it touches a post, briar, nettle etc, it will have seriously reduced power. Insulators and insulation tubeing aren't expensive. Put them into it and you will see a noted improvement in power.

powerfarmer

As your new to fencing I would suggest having a look at some fencing installations done by someone like the farm relief services to get an idea of the correct way to run the wire and how to do the joinings to insulators etc, it should then be fairly obvious where your system is going wrong.

snowman707

BalthazarB wrote: »

Hello, I'm new to fencing, and am only getting a reading of 1000V on my voltmeter. I want to get it up to at least 4000 as it's for sucklers.

Have mains powered fence - approx 3 km long (3 fields).

I have been reading this - http://www.afence.com/Electric_Fence/how_to_elecfence/elecinstall.htm

On that page in fig 1.2 it says never to bend the wires around each other as this will result in reduced voltage, but many of my connections are like this.

Also I have noticed that some of my fencing posts are hardwood and have no insulator. I am sceptical about this method, and am going to replace them, to see if that works. They are not real fencing posts, but pieces of scrap timber. I have read online that its possible to get non conductive hardwood posts, but does any hardwood work the same way?

Other than that I plan to disconnect 2 of the fields and this will tell me if the problem is in the main field, and then reconnect the others one by one.

Also the fence is touching mature whitethorns in several areas, which I plan to rectify. A neigbouring farmer told me that briars and whitethorns don't effect electiric wiring that much. Is this true?

Is there anything else I should be thinking about? Or any other advice?

First of all you need a good earth for your fencer ,

we us 6 earth rods bonded at about 5 metres apart in a semi circular pattern

next you must insulate the wire from the posts & any growing vegetation, since you already have hard wood posts get some g0od quality insulators, we use the pin lock varieties which allows us drop the wire if needed .

Avoid coiling the wire around posts, coils induce resistance & thus henders the flow of current

you can buy clamp type connectors for joining

cut back vegetation

the wire must only come in contact with non conductive materials .i.e. insulators

as current flows on the outside of the wire, any wire which is rusty must be discarded, even if you only have a few metres of rusty wire in an unimportant place it will hinder the flow of current beyond this point.