Electric fence

Buford T. Justice XIX

Checked the electric fence yesterday and it was reading 3.3 where the cows were, which is lower than normal but enough to keep them in place. When I checked today, it read 0.

I started back along the fence line disconnecting all the lines and cables under roadways and still nothing until I was near the fencer, at about 100 yards it read 0.8 and rose steadily all the way back to the fencer itself where it read 9.9.

At the first join from the fencer using insulated Pel cabling, it read 6.1, along to the first join(10 yards) where it read 5.1, under going under the first road, it read 3.3 and dropped steadily over the next 20 yards to 0.8.

What am I missing here? There are no earths on the line and the earth cable seem to be ok.

Totally stumped and we are off for the evening so can't do anything till tomorrow.

Any ideas welcome

tomieen jones

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Checked the electric fence yesterday and it was reading 3.3 where the cows were, which is lower than normal but enough to keep them in place. When I checked today, it read 0.

I started back along the fence line disconnecting all the lines and cables under roadways and still nothing until I was near the fencer, at about 100 yards it read 0.8 and rose steadily all the way back to the fencer itself where it read 9.9.

At the first join from the fencer using insulated Pel cabling, it read 6.1, along to the first join(10 yards) where it read 5.1, under going under the first road, it read 3.3 and dropped steadily over the next 20 yards to 0.8.

What am I missing here? There are no earths on the line and the earth cable seem to be ok.

Totally stumped and we are off for the evening so can't do anything till tomorrow.

Any ideas welcome

Would it be that your fencer is on the way out?

patsy_mccabe

Turn off the fencer, disconnect the earth and live terminals. Connect a small bit of wire to the live, then another small bit to the earth. Clip the tester on to the live wire. Turn on the fencer. Carefully touch the earth wire with the tester probe. It should give a full reading. If not you have a problem with the fencer.

After that run a new temporary earth. If things improve, then it is your earth that it is not functioning right.

Last would be to check for earthing on the fence wire. Process of elimination there. Good luck!

Edit above in bold.

Buford T. Justice XIX

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Turn off the fencer, disconnect the earth and live terminals. Connect a small bit of wire to the earth, then another small bit to the earth. Clip the tester on to the live wire. Turn on the fencer. Carefully touch the earth wire with the tester probe. It should give a full reading. If not you have a problem with the fencer.

After that run a new temporary earth. If things improve, then it is your earth that it is not functioning right.

Last would be to check for earthing on the fence wire. Process of elimination there. Good luck!

Thanks, will do first thing in the morning. I was going to put in a temp earth but ran out of time.

Just hope it's just an earth problem and not a shagged fencer.

Nekarsulm

Don't join copper wire to high tensile. Dosen't allow current to pass properly between the two dissimilar metals.

Miname

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Don't join copper wire to high tensile. Dosen't allow current to pass properly between the two dissimilar metals.

That's a new one to me, any reason why it's that way?

Nekarsulm

I think it's because dissimilar metals can result in a layer of corrosion and inhibit current flow.
It's one of those "facts" you hear and then spend years following without any definite proof!

grassroot1

I think its copper and galvanise rather than high tensile that causes the corrosion

patsy_mccabe

It's called Galvanic Corrosion.

mark085

Nekarsulm wrote: »

I think it's because dissimilar metals can result in a layer of corrosion and inhibit current flow.
It's one of those "facts" you hear and then spend years following without any definite proof!

true

orm0nd

check your earth & disconnect the first under road way connection

are you sure you havent missed a short somewhere was ages looking for `& eventually found where the hedge cutter had tangled a bit of sheep wire it wasn't sparking cos it was jammed to gether

patsy_mccabe

You know, if you go out in the dark you might see where it is sparking. I've often seen this with the white temporary wire when it was shorting.

49801

mark085 wrote: »

true

Agreed

Also copper causes galv to rust. Spent the last few ripping out copper insulated wire

Op does sound like you've an earth problem

Jimlh86

I had a similiar problem here a few weeks back it had dropped to 3 all the way round, turned out after lots of walking/slashing that an insulated line running under a driveway to another field had split. To be fair it was in the ground as long as I can remember but I disconnected it and I'm back up to full power!

Base price

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Don't join copper wire to high tensile. Dosen't allow current to pass properly between the two dissimilar metals.

I have heard about this before but where can you get steel insulated wire to join up to the fence. I have 5/6 strand copper wire and every few months have to clip it back as it gets corroded and that is after greasing it and binding it with that sticky tape stuff that electricians use for earth rods.

Bullocks

Base price wrote: »

I have heard about this before but where can you get steel insulated wire to join up to the fence. I have 5/6 strand copper wire and every few months have to clip it back as it gets corroded and that is after greasing it and binding it with that sticky tape stuff that electricians use for earth rods.

You should get it in any agri merchant or an electrical shop . Some people call it lead out wire . I often find if you go into and electrical shop and tell them what you need it for they are pretty helpful and it would usually be cheaper there than an agri shop

patsy_mccabe

Base price wrote: »

I have heard about this before but where can you get steel insulated wire to join up to the fence. I have 5/6 strand copper wire and every few months have to clip it back as it gets corroded and that is after greasing it and binding it with that sticky tape stuff that electricians use for earth rods.

All the COOP stores have it. this is the Gallagher stuff;
https://am.gallagher.com/us-en/products/electric-fencing/fencing/permanent-fencing/wire-and-cable/G627014

Buford T. Justice XIX

I was a bit under the weather today so I disconnected the fence and threw on a battery fencer, throwing 2.2 where the cows are tonight so I'm hoping the wet ground will help keep them in place.

I will put in a temporary earth tomorrow and see if there is a current running then.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Well, I just put in a new earth bar and cable to it and current is steady at 9.1 so it looks like a damaged cable to the earth.

Thanks for the help.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Yeah, broken earth cable. I upgraded the line under the road to 2.5mm from 1.6mm cable and reading is stable now at 4.8.

An old join under the road had broken off with rust I suppose.

orm0nd

glad you got sorted

Buford T. Justice XIX

orm0nd wrote: »

glad you got sorted

Thanks, yeah, you and me both:)