Fence Building - Electric Fence Frequently Asked Questions
Why use electric fencing over barbed wire or barrier-style fences?
How safe is electric fencing?
How does electric fencing compare in cost to conventional fencing?
How much does a fencer cost to operate?
Why don't I get shocked when I touch my fence?
How far apart should I space my posts?
How do I splice fence wire?
Is there a difference in insulators?
How do I install gate openings?
Do I really need 20,000 volt insulated wire?
Does the fence have to make a complete circle?
Why do I hear clicking in my phone?
What is the light for on my fence controller?
Do I need to keep the weeds off my fence line?
Why does my fence controller make clicking noise?
What do the lights on my controller mean?
How long will the battery last in my battery operated or solar fence
controller?
How does lightning affect my fence controller?
How do I know my fence is working?
Why does my fence controller need grounding?
Why use electric fencing over barbed wire or
barrier-style fences?
Electric fencing is economical, easy to install and maintain, and it also
offers better control than conventional fences. Barbed wire and woven wire
fences are more likely to be damaged by animals, and animals are more likely to
be damaged by them. Because animals seldom come into contact with an electric
fence more than once it can last longer than conventional fences.
* Barbed or woven wire fence will last 7-12 years
* Permanent high tensile fence can last 25-40 years
How safe is electric fencing?
Electric fencing is very safe. There is at least one second between each pulse
of electricity in all Zareba capacitive-discharge controllers. This prevents
prolonged shocking to animals or people. In addition, the short on-time,
normally 1/10,000 of a second, prevents heat build up. All Zareba
capacitive-discharge and direct-discharge fence controllers meet Underwriters
Laboratories (U.L.) approval and specifications. UL tests fence controllers to
make sure that they pass stringent safety measures. Having a short "on time"
and then having the "off time" between shocks is what makes the fence
controller safe to use.
How does electric fencing compare in cost to conventional
fencing?
Typical costs for different types of fencing: Fence type Cost per mile Cost per
foot 3-strand barbed wire or woven-wire $2,470 $0.47 5-strand barbed wire
$1,710 $0.32 Permanent 6-strand electrified high tensile $1517 $0.29 Temporary
2-strand 14-gauge electric fence $409 $0.08
How much does a fencer cost to operate?
Fence controllers are very inexpensive to operate. Zareba AC-operated fence
controllers only cost pennies per day. In fact, you will probably not notice a
difference on your electric bill. Approximate costs per month to operate
various fence controllers, based on $0.085 per kwH: Fencer Mileage Rating
Approx. Wattage Cost per Month to Operate 20 miles 3.5 $0.22 50 miles 5 $0.31
100 miles 15 $0.94 200 miles 30 $1.89
Why don't I get shocked when I touch my fence?
Electric fencing utilizes the animal to complete the circuit. When the animal
touches the fence, the current goes through the animal's hooves into the earth,
back to the fence controller ground system and then back to the fence
controller. When the circuit is complete, that's when the animal feels the
shock. Someone standing in rubber soled shoes touching a fence wire may not
feel the shock because they're not earth ground. The same applies if standing
on cement or wooden floors.
Having very rocky, sandy or dry soil can also affect the amount of "shock"
felt. Please refer to the Zareba Installation manual for installing a "Ground
Wire Return System".
How far apart should I space my posts?
Post spacing and Positioning from page 29 of the planning guide.
How do I splice fence wire?
Copy the splicing diagram from page 7 of the installation manual.
Is there a difference in insulators?
Insulators allow you to fasten electrified wire to posts without losing energy
through the post. There are many styles to choose from, because the insulator
must match both the type of wire and the type of post being used. In addition,
low impedance fence controllers require insulators with greater arcing
protection because of their high energy output.
Insulators are made from materials that do not conduct electricity, most
commonly plastic or ceramic. Using a good quality insulator is important to the
performance and efficiency of your electric fence system.
How do I install gate openings?
Do I really need 20,000 volt insulated wire?
Most fence controllers put out between 1,000 to 14,000 volts. When an insulated
wire is needed to get the energy from the controller to the fence or for under
gate applications, a standard household wire or romex wire will not do. The
insulation on these types of wire is only 600 volts and not able to contain the
high voltage that electric fence controllers produce. You will develop a
voltage loss through the insulation causing low or no voltage on the fence
line. The 20,000 volt fence insulated wire will only be found at retailers that
carry electric fence supplies.
Does the fence have to make a complete circle?
NO. An electric fence circuit is completed when the fence is touched. The
current goes through the animal, through the earth and back to the controller
to complete the circuit. A fence line can be terminated at any point.
Why do I hear clicking in my phone?
Hearing the fence controller click on the phone is caused by the phone line or
the phone ground picking up current from the fence line. In order to minimize
or eliminate this, make sure that the ground system for the fence controller is
at least 50 feet from any phone ground or underground phone line. If your fence
runs parallel to an underground phone line, you can try to "capture" the
current. This involves having a "ground wire return system" on your fence. With
a ground wire running the length of the fence where the phone line is buried,
insert ground rods every 1,300 feet and attach them to the ground wire on the
fence. The ground wire must also be connected to the grounding system of the
fence controller. The ground rods will pick up any stray current taking it to
the ground wire and in turn back to the controller keeping the phone line
untouched by stray current. Refer to the installation manual for instructions
on ground wire return systems.
What is the light for on my fence controller?
Most fence controllers come with a "fence ok" light. This is an indicator light
that the fence is being charged. Every time the light blinks, it is sending
current to the fence. As long as the light is blinking, everything should be
OK. If you notice the light becoming dim or not showing at all, that is a sign
that something is wrong.
Disconnect the fence controller from the fence and then watch for the light. If
the light starts to blink again without the fence attached, then something is
shorting out the fence line. If the light is still dim or non-existent then the
problem could be in the fence controller.
Do I need to keep the weeds off my fence line?
Weeds will "pull" the voltage from the fence line to the earth causing low
voltage or shorting on the fence. Low Impedance fence controllers are
recommended where weeds will be a problem. They are designed to increase
amperage or "joule" output to compensate for the voltage loss. Standard or High
Impedance will lose voltage more dramatically and you may not have enough
energy left on the fence line for adequate control of animals.
Why does my fence controller make clicking noise?
The fence controller has a pulsed output. Every time it "clicks" it is
releasing energy to the fence that has been stepped up or increased through a
capacitor and a transformer. This release of energy makes noise.
What do the lights on my controller mean?
Most fence controllers come with a "fence ok" light. The light flashes every
time the fence controller releases energy to the fence line. If the fence OK
light dims, that could be an indication that the fence line is shorted or that
there is a problem with the controller. To test which it is, disconnect the
fence line from the fence controller. If the light brightens up, then there is
a problem with the fence. If it continues to stay dim, test the fence
controller for voltage output.
How long will the battery last in my battery operated or
solar fence controller?
For battery operated fence controllers Zareba Systems suggests using a marine
deep cycle battery rated for at least 85 amp hours. In normal operation, the
battery could be expected to last several weeks before having to recharge.
For solar operated fence controllers, the internal battery should last 3 to 4
years. This is dependant on how the controller is installed and or stored. If
the controller is out of sunlight for 3 months or more, the battery starts to
lose voltage. A battery that loses over 3 volts without being recharged may not
take a charge or even hold the charge thus limiting its life cycle.
How does lightning affect my fence controller?
Lightning is the number one cause of fence controller failure. Although Zareba
builds protection into every controller, lightning is so powerful that it is
impossible to completely protect against it. To help minimize your chance of
fencer failure due to lightning, you should add protection to your fence line
and power source. Lightning can come into the fence controller from the power
side and from the fence line. The fence line acts as a large antenna with a
ground system at the end and lightning is always looking for the closest ground
to strike. The fence line then carries the energy along the through the
controller to the ground system.
There are several items that help deter lighting and take it to ground or
dissipate it before it can damage the fence controller. Use a surge suppressor
for the AC outlet. For the fence line, there are lighting diverters, lightning
chokes, the Lightning Constrictor and the Storm Guard to help protect the fence
controller. Check with your local retailer for availability of these items.
How do I know my fence is working?
The best way to test an electric fence is with an electric fence tester. There
are generally two types of testers. One is a light tester that has a series of
lights and will light up when holding it to the fence. For every light that
lights, it represents a certain voltage level. The voltage levels should be
marked on the tester. A more accurate test is with a digital fence tester. This
will give you a digital reading of exact voltage normally from 100 volts to
9,999 volts. A digital fence tester is recommended for testing low impedance
fence controllers for more accuracy but may also be used with any fence
controller.
Why does my fence controller need grounding?
The animal only feels a shock if the electric fencing circuit is completed.
When the animal touches the electrified fence line, current goes through the
animal's hooves, through the earth, back to the ground rods and finally back
into the controller to complete the circuit. The better the ground system, the
more shock the animal will feel. For dry, sandy, rocky or frozen soil where the
animal is not feeling a very intense shock, there is also an alternate method
of grounding called ground wire return system. Refer to your installation
manual for grounding in these conditions.
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