Fencer on the blink...

BnB

I have a mains fencer. Plug it in and it will work away for 30 seconds or so, start to sound a bit wobbly and then give up. Plug it out for 10 seconds and plug it in again and it will be the same story. Goes for 30 seconds before cutting out again.

Does it sound like the fencer is completely goosed?

CHOPS01

Might not be. Had a cheetah mains fencer last year that was not firing at all so thought is was goosed.
Sent it down to them in Carlow and turned out to be small problem and only cost something like €35
Certainly a lot cheaper than a new fencer

pedigree 6

Is this after the lightning a few days ago?

Most of the companies will fix the Fencer and it will be cheaper than replacing.

Edit : presume all connections have been checked to see if they are not loose or corroded.

Farmer

Disconnect the fence line and see how it behaves with no load

BnB

Farmer wrote: »

Disconnect the fence line and see how it behaves with no load

Good idea. I'll try that.

Bass Reeves

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Is this after the lightning a few days ago?

Most of the companies will fix the Fencer and it will be cheaper than replacing.

Edit : presume all connections have been checked to see if they are not loose or corroded.

There is also some guys around that will fix electronics. open up fencer and have a look at the circuit board is there any blackening on it. Generally this is a sign that 1 or two of the components are blown. A good electronics guy will replace them. However as pedigree says most companies fix them as well. Take back to local co-op. I had this years ago main board blew got it replaced for less than half the price of a new fencer

patsy_mccabe

I'd let a DIY electronics guy at a battery fencer alright but a mains, I'd be very careful. You could end up sending mains voltage/current down the fence.

satstheway

Look for a electronic service engineer.
They fix TV'S and the like. He's ur man.

Bass Reeves

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I'd let a DIY electronics guy at a battery fencer alright but a mains, I'd be very careful. You could end up sending mains voltage/current down the fence.

I am not talking about DIY guys there are a few guys around that fix tv's etc. Mostly all they have to do is replace a capacitor or a transistor beyond that it is a replacement board. It is often just as well to get the board replaced.

valtra2

Sorry to hijack tread but my fencer is putting out full 5 lights when no load on. Then when I ture on isolated no lights on tester. Have been around the wire and tidy up a few bit but still the same. Any idea what wrong. Thanks

patsy_mccabe

valtra2 wrote: »

Sorry to hijack tread but my fencer is putting out full 5 lights when no load on. Then when I ture on isolated no lights on tester. Have been around the wire and tidy up a few bit but still the same. Any idea what wrong. Thanks

Have you those staple and black insulator pipes on the posts, as in the pic below?
They can earth very easily if driven in too far. Have you checked the earth?

valtra2

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Have you those staple and black insulator pipes on the posts, as in the pic below?
They can earth very easily if driven in too far. Have you checked the earth?

No have different type ones. They were a few earth's and I fixed them. But can't understand why the minute I ture on the isulater switch it goes from 5 lights to none not even a faint light.

pedigree 6

valtra2 wrote: »

No have different type ones. They were a few earth's and I fixed them. But can't understand why the minute I ture on the isulater switch it goes from 5 lights to none not even a faint light.

Put your hand on the earthpost and see if you can feel any current.

Edit do this when you have current going to the fence.

OverRide

valtra2 wrote: »

No have different type ones. They were a few earth's and I fixed them. But can't understand why the minute I ture on the isulater switch it goes from 5 lights to none not even a faint light.

You have a large earth somewhere
What you may do is disconnect 1 paddock at a time from the system until your fence tester shows a full 5 lights
Then you know where the earth is and can find it easier

patsy_mccabe

Take off the fence wire and take a short insulated wire and connect to the fencer. Turn on fencer then and see if wire will spark if put close to the fence wire. Don't shock yourself!
If fence wire is earthing it should spark.

valtra2

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Take off the fence wire and take a short wire and connect to the fencer. Turn on fencer then and see if wire will spark if put close to the fence wire. Don't shock yourself!

It sparks when I touch isatuater together just as it's is about to touch. Has always done that

patsy_mccabe

valtra2 wrote: »

It sparks when I touch isatuater together just as it's is about to touch. Has always done that

Sorry,, don't follow?

satstheway

I changed all my rebar type posts the ones that have a black push on insulator for the good gold foot pig tail type as the black insulators were starting to earth through.
Just a pin hole straight through to the bar. Only noticed it one day that I was out in the dark.

pedigree 6

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Sorry,, don't follow?

I think the poster means they have an isolator switch to turn the current on and off from the fence without plugging the fencer out or having an electric switch.

Sorry for butting in.

valtra2

pedigree 6 wrote: »

I think the poster means they have an isolator switch to turn the current on and off from the fence without plugging the fencer out or having an electric switch.

Sorry for butting in.

Ya that is exactly what I was trying to say. Not the best at explaining things. Will have a look at earth tomorrow

pedigree 6

valtra2 wrote: »

Ya that is exactly what I was trying to say. Not the best at explaining things. Will have a look at earth tomorrow

It's a pity you don't have a fence tester.
That way you'd know exactly what the fencer was putting out.

The whole idea of looking at the earths is if the earth on a fence (i.e. insulators broken, bushes on fence, hanging/touching off sheep wire ) is greater than the earth bars on the fencer, the polarity can swap around and the fencer can actually start putting out a shock into the earth bars instead to the fence.
Earth bars get the shock.
Fence gets none.

If that makes sense.

So that's why the more galvanized 5ft earth bars you have spaced far enough apart and earth wire clamped properly to the bars the better.

valtra2

pedigree 6 wrote: »

It's a pity you don't have a fence tester.
That way you'd know exactly what the fencer was putting out.

The whole idea of looking at the earths is if the earth on a fence (i.e. insulators broken, bushes on fence, hanging/touching off sheep wire ) is greater than the earth bars on the fencer, the polarity can swap around and the fencer can actually start putting out a shock into the earth
bars instead to the fence.
Earth bars get the shock.
Fence gets none.

If that makes sense.

So that's why the more galvanized 5ft earth bars you have spaced far enough apart and earth wire clamped properly to the bars the better.

I have a tester. It puts up 5 lights when at live end of the isulater but when I turn isulater on to send power around field it goes to no lights on.

White Clover

valtra2 wrote: »

I have a tester. It puts up 5 lights when at live end of the isulater but when I turn isulater on to send power around field it goes to no lights on.

Your fence is going to ground somewhere, Caught in Sheepwire somewhere maybe?

OverRide

valtra2 wrote: »

I have a tester. It puts up 5 lights when at live end of the isulater but when I turn isulater on to send power around field it goes to no lights on.

Aye because there's a HUGE earth somewhere on the system
Get someone with you to turn on and off the fencer
Get them to turn it off
Take your fence tester
Disconnect last section
Ring the person at the fencer to turn it on
Check if you've 5 bars then ,if not eliminate the next line ,ring to turn on fence,test again
Keep repeating until you find the line causing the problem
Then fix it

pedigree 6

valtra2 wrote: »

I have a tester. It puts up 5 lights when at live end of the isulater but when I turn isulater on to send power around field it goes to no lights on.

That's it then.
Your fence is earthing somewhere or in a few places.

You can never have the earth on the fencer itself half strong enough.
Ground probably dry at your earth as well maybe??