How To Make A Well-Grounded Fence
Posted by Cyclops Electric Fence on
For your fence to function correctly, your earth (ground) system must be perfect. But very few are, despite the instructions provided with most energizers. Also I've not seen an instruction book with complete details of how to achieve perfect earthing and completely trouble-free operation in all respects. So I'll give all I know here:
Most farms seem to have earth systems which can't cope with the flow of electrons coming back to it from fences with poor insulation, leakage into vegetation, and the occasional wire which breaks and touches the ground or touches a non-insulated wire. Energizers have become more powerful, but many ground systems and their recommendations have not kept up with them.
When the energiser (charger) earth system can't handle the increased flow of electrons, they find other ways of getting back to the power supply earth system. Unfortunately they sometimes do this through the cows and milking machine, and through steel water pipes or the water in plastic pipes.
Most farms seem to have earth systems which can't cope with the flow of electrons coming back to it from fences with poor insulation, leakage into vegetation, and the occasional wire which breaks and touches the ground or touches a non-insulated wire. Energizers have become more powerful, but many ground systems and their recommendations have not kept up with them.
When the energiser (charger) earth system can't handle the increased flow of electrons, they find other ways of getting back to the power supply earth system. Unfortunately they sometimes do this through the cows and milking machine, and through steel water pipes or the water in plastic pipes.