The significant work you have done in installing your fence would be wasted if you don’t use the right charger to give power to your wires.

Imagine having a 10 mile fence The work you have done to install this should have cost you a significant amount of money, time and effort. The one weakness in all your planning and hard work was the type of charger you picked. You were eager to release your animals and proud of the work you did when suddenly your animals showed you that there are parts of your fence with almost no power on the wires. Your face would be red as you tried to corral your animals back in, scratching your head as to what went wrong.

At the onset of the planning phase, you should consider which charger would be suited for your electric fence.  In deciding on the appropriate charger, you should consider the following factors:

• What power source you will use;
• What kind of animals will you be keeping within the enclosure;
•  How long is your fence and your electric wires;
• What type of electric fence wire; and
• Other factors.

AC vs. DC vs. Solar

What power source you will use will affect which type of charger you will need.  There are three types of chargers based on the power source they use: AC, DC, and the solar chargers.

AC chargers run on alternating current and are plugged directly into an outlet.  These types of chargers are most recommended if you have access to a reliable power source. It is also recommended for maintaining a high electric charge, which is advisable for the enclosure of larger and more aggressive animals.

Chargers running on AC can generate more power compared to other sources, and the higher voltage they generate makes them advisable for long-distance transmission.  AC types of current can also be easily stepped up or down by using transformers, making it possible to adjust the current in you electric fence. It can even be easily converted to DC current.

DC chargers are battery operated. The main advantage of these types of chargers is the smooth flow of the current they produce. Since wires are less resistant to DC, it takes lower voltage to run this type of current and it produces less heat on the wires compared to AC. DC chargers are also not subject to reactance. This lowers the possibility of losing power on some parts of your fence.

Solar chargers are chargers which basically run on DC-type current.  These are the most economical types when maintaining farms on remote areas far from power lines. These types of chargers convert sunlight into electricity and store them in batteries.  When fully charged, these types of charger can maintain power for up to two weeks.

The following matrix would give you a larger view of the difference between these types of chargers:

	AC Chargers	DC Chargers	Solar Chargers
Power	Strong	Average	Average
Distance charged	Can carry current to long distances due to its higher power output.	Can carry current to a reasonable distance.	Can carry current to a reasonable distance.
Current conversion	Can easily be converted to DC type of current	Much more difficult and costly to convert to AC	Much more difficult and costly to convert to AC
Output conversion	Output can easily be increased or reduced using transformers	Power supply must match the load	Power supply must match the load
Effect to electric wires	Shortens life of electric wires due to heat it produces as a result of resistance and reactance	Prolongs life of electric wires due to lesser heat it produces	Prolongs life of electric wires due to lesser heat it produces
Cost	More costly	Economical	Economical
Efficiency	Less efficient due to wire resistance of the wires to this type of current and impedance it causes	More efficient to use	More efficient to use
Location	Advisable for any location with a reliable power source	More advisable for remote areas	More advisable for remote areas with more exposure to sunlight
Animals for enclosure	Advisable for enclosure of larger and more aggressive animals.  Also advisable for herd types.	Advisable for more sensitive animals which requires lesser enclosure area.	Advisable for more sensitive animals which requires lesser enclosure area.

Use this matrix in order to properly identify the type of electric fence charger that will be most suitable for your needs.  Being prudent in choosing these chargers saves a lot of time, money, and effort.

Helpful guides to diagnose defects in your electric fence.

Maintaining your electric fence could be costly if you call an electrician each time you have a problem. For example, sometimes problems like having low or no charge could be caused from faulty wiring or a damaged charger, requiring professional help. Or, it may be something as simple as a blown fuse or a wrong setting. So here is a guide to use before calling your electrician. Hopefully you’ll be able to save some money.

An electric fence system is composed of the fence charger, the ground wire, the ground system, the lead out wire, lightning diverter (optional) and the fence wire. If you know these parts well, you’ll have a leg up in troubleshooting your own system. We recommend researching exactly how your particular brand of electric fence works and fits together.

There are two main problems that may occur on your electric fence system: either there is no power on your fence wires, or the power is too low to be an effective deterrent.

If the there is no power on your electric fence, you should consider the following causes:

• No power from main source
• Charger not plugged in
• Blown fuse
• Dead batteries
• Corroded terminals
• Defective charger
• Faulty lightning diverters
• Line break
• Short circuits
• Improper/inadequate grounding

Possible reasons for having low power are similar. Examples includE:

• Low voltage from main source
• Corroded fuses
• Low-charged batteries
• Corroded terminals
• Defective charger
• Faulty lightning diverters
• Short circuits
• Improper/inadequate grounding

To pinpoint the actual cause of the problem, you should use the elimination method in checking your electric fence system.  Here’s how to do it:

(Note: you probably don’t need to be told, but you’re working with electricity here, which could be dangerous or fatal if you don’t take the proper precautions! If you feel out of your depth, don’t try to do this yourself; call an electrician. Be sure that you only have power running through your systems when you need it. If it’s not neccesary, turn off the power at the breaker box to prevent shocks.)

Step 1:  Check the main power source and electric chargers

For AC chargers you should check whether your chargers are plugged into the main power source. If they are, check the main power source for lack of power or low voltage output.

For DC and solar chargers, check the charger batteries. Make sure they are properly charged. As you do so, check the output terminals for corrosion. Do the same of the input terminals of your electric charger.

If no defects are found, check your electric chargers. Use a tester to measure its power output. Check output terminals for corrosion.

If no defects are found, proceed to the next step.

Step 2:  Check lead out wire

You should disconnect the lead out wire from the main system. Do the same with the ground system. Turn off the power before you do so. Once isolated, turn the power back on and check the lead out wire for voltage output.

If no defects are found, connect the ground system.

Step 3:  Check ground system

Once the ground system is connected, check the voltage. If it’s defective, check the ground system. This may be caused by a wet ground where ground rods are buried, improper spacing of the ground rods, or underground water system or other underground utilities that are affecting the ground system.  Further familiarization with the grounding system is recommended to properly carry out this job.

If no defects are found, connect the lightning diverter.

Step 4:  Check lightning diverter

After connecting the lightning diverter to the lead out wire, check for voltage output.

If no defects found, connect the fence wires.

Step 5:  Check fence wires

If you are maintaining multiple levels of wire fence, you should test each level for power charge. In doing this, always disconnect all other wire levels not being tested to isolate the cause.  Once you have found which wire level or levels are faulty, it’s time to make your rounds of the fence.

You should check for the following while making your way around you fence:

• Tree branches touching the wires;
• Weeds touching the wire;
• Damaged insulators;
• Line breaks; and
• Short circuits.

You may check for short circuits by using an AM radio.  Short circuits cause interference in radio signal.  Once interference occurs, you will know that you are near the part of the fence with a short and it would be easy to locate the damage.

In doing the entire troubleshooting process, don’t forget to always check for corrosion on the wires or any parts of the circuitry.  Repair or replace the damaged part of the electric fence system if you think you are capable of doing so.  If not, seek the help of an expert.

Protect yourself while doing the troubleshooting by using insulated gloves and being careful in each step.  A defective electric fence can always be repaired; injuries or fatalities due to electric shock might not be so easy.

Electric systems need to be grounded in order to prevent electric shocks. A grounding system carries electric current away and leads it into the ground, where it is absorbed. It’s important that your electric fence is properly grounded to protect yourself and your loved ones.

In an electric fence, grounding is a vital element since the wires are exposed and can easily be subjected to short circuit or human contact.  To prevent accidents, you should know how to install proper grounding before starting the installation of your fence. Soil conditions, charger capacity, and the composition of the grounding materials are the most basic considerations in proper grounding.

Soil conditions:

Dry soil or soil with low moisture content is more difficult when it comes to grounding. Dry soil needs to have longer grounding rods in order to be correctly grounded. High moisture soil is a grounding-friendly type of soil. Moisture will help the grounding rods dispose of the fault current from the circuit, since wet soil conducts electricity better. The presence of minerals and organic matter in the soil also improves the grounding capability of the buried rods.

Charger capacity:

Charger capacity and required grounding are directly proportional. The higher the capacity of your electric charger, the more grounding you will need. Be sure you know the power of your charger, and the required length of your ground wire.

Grounding materials:

Knowing a bit about the types of metal available for use as grounding rods will help you decide which ones to use for your fence:

1. Aluminum rods – will easily corrode in the soil. Not recommended for use as grounding rod.
2. Galvanized steel rods – last for long periods but tend to lose conductance once they corrode. Can be used as grounding rods.
3. Copper rods or copper clad steel rods – last for longer periods and never lose conductance, even if they corrode. These are most recommended for use as grounding rods.

In the installation of your grounding system, you should use a 600 volt to 20 kilovolt insulated ground wire. The first ground rod should be placed within 20 feet of the charger.  For best results, use 6 ft to 8 ft rods driven into the ground, with a distance of 10 ft between each rod.

Use at least 3 ground rods for your electrical fence. If 3 rods would not provide proper grounding, use additional ground rods until the desired effect is achieved. These rods should be placed a reasonable distance away from drinking areas for your animals. You should also make sure that the ground rods are away from any underground utility lines, as this would disrupt signals of telephone lines or any electric utilities. Use grounding clamps in connecting the rods to the ground wire as these will not easily corrode when paired with the appropriate ground rod.

Grounding is an important part of the electric fence system that you are installing, so you should allot a considerable amount of time and effort to it. Once you have done these and made a faultless ground, you have already solved 90% of the connection problems that may happen to your electric fence.

If you own a dog, you may have considered trying to keep your dog in your yard, where it’s safe, or keep undesirable critters out, with an electric fence. You might be surprised to know that there are electric fencing options for your pets. These options are safe, humane, and people-friendly, and when installed properly, will train your pet in no time that digging or climbing is not allowed.

For better planning of your yard perimeter electric fence, the first thing you should do is know your own dog and its behavior. The following are the qualities of your pets that are relevant to the installation of your electric fence:

1. Jumping capacity – knowing how high your dog could jump will help you determine the height of your fence. The higher their capacity to jump, the higher your fence should be.
2. Athletic composition – If your dogs are bigger and more muscular, you’ll need a multi-level, multi-wire fence. But for less brawny, “jumpier” dogs, less levels will suffice.
3. Hair type – the type of fur your dogs have will determine which type of electric fence charger is appropriate to use. The more fur, the more voltage you need.
4. IQ – believe it or not, your dog’s IQ may help you in planning your electric fence.  Bright dogs would easily grasp the perimeter of your electric fence through exposure to it while less intelligent dogs may need constant reminders that there is an electric wire that would prevent them from getting out of your yard.  For intelligent ones, you may opt to use steel or aluminum wire.  For the not-so-smart ones, it’s better to use tape to make the fence more visible to them.

Another thing that you should consider in installing your yard perimeter fence is the vegetation around your premises.  You should make sure that there are no shrubs, weeds, ornamental plants, or other vegetation in contact with you electric fence. These would drain energy from your fence.

Yard perimeter electric fences are similar and at the same time different than other electric fence types (e.g. fences for cows, horses, and other livestock). The similarity is that you are installing the same type of fence, and you will need the same components.  Fence chargers, fence wires, grounding systems, fence posts – all of these are still the same vital parts for you yard perimeter electric fence.

There are a few differences and they are as follows:

1. Wire levels – to fence in your pets, you may need a greater or lesser number of wire levels of depending  on the type of dogs you own.  The spacing of your wire levels is also smaller than those for livestock fences.  Ideal wire level spacing for dog fences ranges from 4 inches to 12 inches.
2. Lowest fence level – for dog fences, you need your lowest fence levels to be nearer to the ground.  This is to prevent your dogs from escaping by digging the ground below the fence.
3. Accessories – you may need more accessories for your dog fences.  These fences may have a low electric current — not enough to do too much harm — but they will certainly cause annoyance to anyone who come in contact with them. Having adequate warning devices around your fence will ensure everyone stays safe and happy.