Tips/Dealer Info

Build Electric Fences From the Ground (System) Up

Ninety percent of electric fence problems are the result of poor grounding. Spending 45 minutes to install a good ground system could save hours of trouble down the road.

Why is the ground system so important? For an electric fence to work, the voltage must complete a circuit. The energizer (fence controller) condenses electricity to generate a high voltage pulse. From there, it travels to the fence, waiting for an animal to touch the fence.  When an animal touches the fence, the pulse travels through the animal to the soil to a ground rod and then up the ground rod back to the energizer. That is when the animal feels the shock. A poor ground system reduces the electricity as well as the shock felt by the animal.

A good ground system consists of three six-foot long galvanized ground rods, 1/2 inch thick, spaced 10 feet apart. The ground rods must be connected with insulated cable or galvanized wire attached by means of a ground rod clamp. Simply wrapping a wire around the ground rod makes a poor connection.

Copper ground rods are OK, but connecting galvanized wire to a copper rod will result in corrosion. Eight-foot ground rods are often available, but they are hard to install and don't need to be so long. If you can't find six-foot ground rods, galvanized pipe will work. If you use pipe, be sure to plug the top end to prevent water from collecting inside. Where rocks prevent driving ground rods, bury a long (20+ feet) galvanized pipe in a trench as deep as possible for a ground system.

Never use water pipes or utility ground rods (installed by the power/hydro company) to ground your fence. Doing so will allow stray voltage to get into your household current or water system. Do not install your ground system within 50 feet of a utility ground rod to prevent lightning from damaging the energizer.

Ground systems are often inadequate because they are installed last. Most people put up the posts and wires first, followed by the energizer. By the time they install the ground system they are in a hurry to finish. They wrap the ground wire around the closest steel post and call it a ground rod. WRONG! Always install the energizer and the ground system first. Take your time, do it right, and you greatly reduce the potential for problems with your electric fence installation.

One problem with ground systems is they work for a while and then one day they don't. Dan Hummell, General Sales Manager for Parker McCrory, calls this the 'spring/summer syndrome' as most fences are built in the spring when the soil is moist. The ground system and the fence work fine, then summer dries the soil and suddenly your electric fence quits working. That is why one ground rod isn't always enough. Remember, for maximum effectiveness, three ground rods is the minimum number you should install, even in wet climates. In drier climates as many as 10 ground rods are sometimes required for an effective ground system.

For fences with more than one wire, a hot/ground system can be used. Every other fence wire is attached to the ground system so an animal completes the circuit by touching the two wires. This is an effective solution in very dry areas, but requires extra care in building the fence to prevent shortening. It is often easier and better to simply install more ground rods.

Electric fencing is an economical, effective means of stock management, but it does require regular servicing. Check the electric fence on a regular basis with a voltmeter made for electric fencing to ensure that your ground system is working properly.
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