electric fence charger

[Rhon]

"Disconnect the ground from the charger and put your tester between the hot connection on the charger and the ground connection on the charger. If that is hot then the ground is most likely the problem. If it's not hot then the charger is the problem."

I checked it and the test light lit up. So it's looking like a ground problem.

Yeah, I moistened a hot wire once when I was a kid. Childhood "Hold my beer and watch this" moment. Talk about making your eyes water... Guess that's where I get my healthy respect for electricity...

What is the best size wire for a ground?

 

[Jerry/MT]

"Disconnect the ground from the charger and put your tester between the hot connection on the charger and the ground connection on the charger. If that is hot then the ground is most likely the problem. If it's not hot then the charger is the problem."

I checked it and the test light lit up. So it's looking like a ground problem.

Yeah, I moistened a hot wire once when I was a kid. Childhood "Hold my beer and watch this" moment. Talk about making your eyes water... Guess that's where I get my healthy respect for electricity...

What is the best size wire for a ground?

grounds are the usual problem. For the ground wire, use the same stuff you use for the hot wire. In my case it's 12-1/2 gauge high tensile wire.

 

[hosspuller]

The electric company specifies #8 solid copper wire for a ground. I connected three 8 foot copper coated rods in series. Daisy chained the rods with a single strand. Each rod separated by ten feet. My major point is to use UL rated "Direct Bury" ground wire clamps sized for the diameter of your ground rod. Those plated steel or pot metal clamps give it up after a few short years.

 

[MotorSeven]

The first time I put up an electric fence I didn't bother to put in more than one ground rod....big mistake. Proper grounding is a must if you want full output. The price difference between galvanized and copper rod is not that much, so I used 3 copper rods and bronze clamps. I get full Joule output this way.
I also had the cheap led tester and could not for the life of me see tha dang thing in the daylight, so I bought the digital. By looking at the number of the Joule output I can instantly tell if I have any kind of a short on the line...very handy.

 

[Rhon]

Great suggestions and help. I'm starting on it tonight new ground rods, wire and clamps.

 

[KYDan]

I know it sounds funny, but it ain't. I found out by accident when I was around 12.
Ok maybe its funny now, that I can look back.

When I was 5 or 6 my two older sisters and I were at our grandparents farm (We lived in the city.) and they convined me to pee on the electric fence. It scarred me for life I am 63 now and still remember it. It's not something you forget! I still don't trust women.

 

[BeezFun]

What is the best size wire for a ground?

I use the same high tension wire to connect the ground that I use for the hot side because I alternate wires on my fence so if I ever need to reverse hot and ground fence wires it's easier to do. I have 6 fence wires, top is hot, bottom is hot, middle is alternate hot and ground. We have very dry, well drained soil so I always make one fence wire a hot and the one below/above it a ground, that way horse straddles both wires and still gets a shock. I also drive a ground rod about every 300' out in the field and attach it to the fence wires that are grounded. I have a cutoff switch for the bottom (hot) fence wire because in the winter the snow can ground out the bottom wire, so I just disconnect it.

We've had 3 chargers destroyed by lightning, so it's possible your charger has the capacity to drive your test lead, but doesn't have the capacity to drive your fenceline. Although generally they fail outright as opposed to partially.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I use the same high tension wire to connect the ground that I use for the hot side because I alternate wires on my fence so if I ever need to reverse hot and ground fence wires it's easier to do. I have 6 fence wires, top is hot, bottom is hot, middle is alternate hot and ground. We have very dry, well drained soil so I always make one fence wire a hot and the one below/above it a ground, that way horse straddles both wires and still gets a shock. I also drive a ground rod about every 300' out in the field and attach it to the fence wires that are grounded. I have a cutoff switch for the bottom (hot) fence wire because in the winter the snow can ground out the bottom wire, so I just disconnect it.

We've had 3 chargers destroyed by lightning, so it's possible your charger has the capacity to drive your test lead, but doesn't have the capacity to drive your fenceline. Although generally they fail outright as opposed to partially.

I concur but I only run my second from the top wire as ground.

Additional to sporadically placed rods around my fence, I have three rods for my main ground. I also have a lightning diverter with another three rods. Beyond that, I have switches on my ground and positive leads that I can throw to shunt everything directly to the ground. If I am around when a storm is coming, I throw them just for a little extra insurance.

My charger and the switches are in a weather resistant box outside of the barn. I have had chargers inside the barn zapped. While I did not observer it first hand, the demeaner of my horses told me it must have been quite noticeable.

I had been having trouble due to a short that I could not locate so I took my charger to a local farm supply. Rather than a test light, the guy put it on a testing device specifically designed for the job. The charger was good so I went out at dusk when I could see the spark and found my short.

I now try to make it a point to occasionally walk my fence line near dusk to check for shorts. Though, admittingly, I do not have miles of fence to care for.

 

[BeezFun]

I concur but I only run my second from the top wire as ground.

The bottom hot wire and ground above it is for coyotes. We have chickens so anything I can do to deter them hanging around the pasture is a help.

Additional to sporadically placed rods around my fence, I have three rods for my main ground.

Ditto, I did some research on this and found that ground rods have to be at least 6' apart to add value, so I put 3 in a cluster around my charger with about 10' in between them.

I also have a lightning diverter with another three rods.

I've thought about diverter, but my experience is lightning destroys everything it comes near whether there's any kind of protection or not. We had a professional system installed at work, blew the whole thing off the pole before it proceeded down the wire and destroyed everything it was supposed to protect.

Beyond that, I have switches on my ground and positive leads that I can throw to shunt everything directly to the ground. If I am around when a storm is coming, I throw them just for a little extra insurance.

Ditto on the switch, I have one right next to the charger that disconnects everything too. I'll have to say though that I've never once remembered to cut it off during a storm.

I had been having trouble due to a short that I could not locate so I took my charger to a local farm supply. Rather than a test light, the guy put it on a testing device specifically designed for the job. The charger was good so I went out at dusk when I could see the spark and found my short.

Yes this works good, I've also found that carrying a small battery powered radio as I walk the fenceline is a good detector. It turns completely to static as it gets near a short. Must be a lot of interference generated by the short.

 

[Rhon]

Well, I'm now thinking that after 30 years the charger is shot. I replaced the old ground rod with three new ones with new acorn nuts. They're spaced about 10' apart, hammered down between 6 and 7' and linked with one ground wire to the box. The top wire on the fence was replaced as well with a new connection to the box.

Still no power to the top wire with the ground connected. I think I'm going to try and hijack my BIL's box, hook his up and see what happens.

Thanks guys, appreciate the help

ron