Electric Fence question

[islgrl]

Hi all,

Put up a new three strand electric fence, brand new charger, not new hot tape. Fence is not touching anything. We used wire from the box to a alligator clip to the grounding rod and to the hot tape. Fence is NOT hot. I can vaguely feel it is on when I touch it. Why isn’t it hot? It is one continuous circuit, where there were gaps in the tape we used the metal clips to join the two pieces of fence. The only place the fence is not joined with the clips is at the very end the last piece is tied back on to another strand.

The run isn’t very long so I think the box is definitely powerful enough…

Could it be that the tape is too old and it has broken down? I don’t know how old it is. Some is new and unused, but then other pieces are older.

Its maddening. I’ve never had this problem before.

[endlessclimb]

You need to get a fence tester, start by the box and see where you’re losing the charge.

If you don’t have any charge, beginning to end, the first thing I’d be looking at is the ground.

[JB]

@islgrl

The only place the fence is not joined with the clips is at the very end the last piece is tied back on to another strand.

what kind of tape? Tying doesn’t work (well) for something like Horseguard, you need much more metal touching metal

Like endlessclimb said, you need to start with a fence tester at the box, and work your way out.

How dry/wet is your soil? How many ground rods? The drier the soil, the more ground rods you typically need, OR you need a different kind of tape that doesn’t require as much moisture. For example, Horseguard makes a Bipolar tape for that purpose.

If ground is wet enough, and you only have 1 ground rod, you may need 3-4.

[NancyM]

If your tape is old, it “works” back and forth in the wind over time, and the tiny wires that run through the tape break, one at at time, over time. You can’t find these tiny breaks… the tape just doesn’t run the current any more. If you need the tape, for it’s “visual” use, you can simply add a metal wire… a regular electric fence wire, either aluminum or steel, and run it with the existing tape, in the same insulators, and it will reliably carry the charge, while what is left of the tape will create the “visual” for horses to notice the presence of the electric fence. This will work for you IF your problem is not in your box, or with grounding with the box (as mentioned above).

[NaturallyHappy]

^^^^ This.

[trubandloki]

@endlessclimb

You need to get a fence tester, start by the box and see where you’re losing the charge.

If you don’t have any charge, beginning to end, the first thing I’d be looking at is the ground.

You will never regret buying a fence tester, as long as you have electric fencing.

It makes finding the issues so much easier.

[islgrl]

we have a tester, and it shows that there is a charge through much of the fence but it just isn’t hot… An electrician friend is coming to morrow with better equipment…

[endlessclimb]

When you say it’s a continuous circuit, what does that mean?

How many volts is your charge?

[islgrl]

I mean that the tape is continuous so that the circuit isn’t broken anywhere. Its a 6 volt charger

[endlessclimb]

When you test your fence, what is it testing at voltage wise? What’s the joule rating?

For example, my fence maxes my tester out at every point. 7000+ volts.

[islgrl]

It was definitely not maxing out. Also, the tester we used isn’t great. Will get a better one tomorrow.

[islgrl]

In doing some reading I"m wondering if we need another grounding rod…

[endlessclimb]

That would be my first guess. I’d test off those clips straight off the charger, make a nice wet spot on the ground and jam the ground on the tester into it. That should show you what it’s capable of.

[islgrl]

@endlessclimb

That would be my first guess. I’d test off those clips straight off the charger, make a nice wet spot on the ground and jam the ground on the tester into it. That should show you what it’s capable of.

You lost me here - what are you suggesting?? Not sure what you are saying I should do…

[endlessclimb]

Pour two buckets of water on the ground, where your charger connects to the tape. Put your tester on the wire that you’re connecting your charger to the tape with (or put it direct on the + post), and stick the ground on the tester into the wet spot you made with the two buckets of water.

That will test, for real, if you have good charge coming from your charger.

[islgrl]

ah, got it! thanks