We are demolishing our older house and building a new modern house. Our old fence won't look that good with a modern house, so we are searching for a sleek, modern fence to complement the new house. It's quite fun to shop for the new house and see how the different fence styles might look with the new house. This blog has some inspiration for other home owners looking to get a new fence installed. We have a range of materials, styles and fencing techniques on display on this blog. I hope you will find it useful when looking for a new fence.
Electric fencing can be an economical way of keeping livestock penned without the hassle and expense of building post and rail barriers. However, electric fencing is only effective if it is constructed and grounded properly.
Here are some tips on how to make sure that your electric fencing doesn't let you down.
Common causes of electric fencing failure
The primary reason for electric fence failure is poor or ineffective grounding of the energiser unit. Grounding can be affected by wet ground, vigorous weed growth around the unit and periods of heavy snowfall.
Check voltage
It's important that you check the voltage of your system periodically, especially during periods of very wet weather when your ground is saturated. Similarly, you'll need to monitor the voltage output during the summer when the ground is parched and hard. This helps to ensure that your fencing won't fail without you noticing and is particularly relevant if you have a lot of fenced area to maintain.
All you need to do is check the voltage metre read-out on your energiser unit once a week and make a note of it for comparison.
Use the right lead-out wire and rods
It's extremely important that you use insulated lead-out wire that is specifically designed for use with electric stock fencing. This type of cabling should be rated at 20,000 volts. Household or industrial cabling won't have the capacity to support your fencing system, as it is only designed for 400 volts.
You must also use the right type of rods for grounding your system. These must be made of galvanised steel rather than copper, which is not as effective in maintaining connectivity. For maximum effect and reliability, you should use two or three grounding rods, and these should be placed equidistantly at the start of the fence.
When setting up your fencing system, ensure that the start point, and therefore the grounding rods, is not positioned too close to your utility grounding. This could cause problems with your phone lines or even result in interruption to your domestic electricity supply.
In conclusion
If your electric fencing is to do its job of keeping your animals in and predators out, you must make sure that the system is properly grounded. You can do this by following the tips given above. Alternatively, ask a local fencing contractor or contact companies like Combined Metal Industries for more advice and guidance on setting up and maintaining your electric livestock fencing system.
Share21 September 2016
