ELECTRIC FENCE LIGHTNING DIVERTER THOUGHTS ?

[bullbreaker]

Howdy too All !
Maybe its just me but I don't think so . Of the countless TBN threads /posts I have read throughout the years , it seems like when it comes to electric fence threads rarely do you hear someone mention a lightning diverter installed inline to protect especially their high $ chargers .
Whenever I have ran and installed a permanent electric fence charger I have always used in series with it a Kencove L diverter . Like this one : Lightning Diverter Of course there are other types /models manufacturers that build them of different designs for the public . I'am in sw Fla what I would consider heavy lightning country . From the ones I have installed for me and others it seems like we have never lost any chargers to lightning . This just might be coincidence !
Any of you's out there also running lightning diverters on your high dollar units ? If so what brand ? Any of you's out there ever lost a charger fried by lightning with a lightning diverter correctly installed inline ?

Anybody out there think or know for sure if lightning diverters are "SNAKE OIL" for sales and profit ?

Electric Fence Lightning Diverter 11 - YouTube

How to protect your energizer from lightning | Patriot - YouTube

Thanks for any replies in advance !!! (sorry for all capital letters on thread heading couldnt fiqure out how to correct ).....

 

[kenmac]

I have this brand charger Taylorfence.net - Electric Fence Solutions and Electric Fence Chargers including AC/DC and Solar Chargers they claim to have the best lightening protection of any charger made. I have't had it go out yet due to lightening.
Maybe it's because lightening hasn't hit it yet... I don't know for sure though

 

[oosik]

Long ago I had a small - low dollar - electric fencer. About 450 feet of electric fence. Only used this arrangement for two years. Manufacturer recommended one ground rod. So - that's what I did.

However - if lightning would have ever hit the fence or fencer unit - I would have fully expected to see a blinding flash.

I really would not hold out much hope if lightning made a direct hit on the wire or the fencer unit.

I've seen what lightning does to a power transformer on top of a power pole. It ain't pretty.........

 

[bullbreaker]

kenmac thanks for pointing out and reminding me some manufacturers claim some internal protection in there units . No doubt "Cyclops" makes some bad arse units . Just like Stafix / Gallagher(Kiwi) /and a few others . Stafix SE36R Energizer (Remote Included)



– Powerflex

 

[bullbreaker]

I've seen what lightning does to a power transformer on top of a power pole. It ain't pretty.........

Agreed , yeah I hear Ya ! Seen it also the "oil" ? or whatever is in them transfomers at least back then was on fire before it hit the ground . Started good size fire .

 

[BHD]

think about it for a bit, lighting will jump thousands of feet through the sky, and some little wire an 3/4' to 1 inch away from the fence sill drain it off and not bother the fencer, I don't think so,

It may help for a near miss, or if the air gets charged, but a direct hit, it crispy critters,

 

[EddieWalker]

I put one in on my fence. My thought was that the fence covers a lot of area and odds are decent that if lightning hits anywhere near the fence, it's going to cause problems. I've had clients that had all of their electronics fried from lightning strikes 100 feet away. If I never need it, I'm not too worried about what it cost.

I have the one in your first video.

 

[kenmac]

think about it for a bit, lighting will jump thousands of feet through the sky, and some little wire an 3/4' to 1 inch away from the fence sill drain it off and not bother the fencer, I don't think so,

It may help for a near miss, or if the air gets charged, but a direct hit, it crispy critters,

I was sitting in the house during a lightening storm about 5 yrs ago.
I watched as lightening hit a tree. It ran down the tree. Jumped off a limb and went through the roof of a small utility shed.
It then traveled through the electrical wire in that building, missed the ground rod at that bldg. traveled through electrical wire all the way up to my garage, went through that electrical panel missed a ground rod there. Then, traveled to my home where into that electrical panel, burn up my security system then left through that ground at the house.

If lightening hits something electrical, I'm not so sure anything will save it

 

[kenmac]

kenmac thanks for pointing out and reminding me some manufacturers claim some internal protection in there units . No doubt "Cyclops" makes some bad arse units . Just like Stafix / Gallagher(Kiwi) /and a few others . Stafix SE36R Energizer (Remote Included)



– Powerflex

Reason I went with this unit is, it's made by a guy that lives about 30 minutes away from where I live. If something happens to it I can drop it off at his shop for any repairs

 

[radios1]

"Positive lightning strikes tend to be much more intense than their negative counterparts. An average bolt of negative lightning carries an electric current of 30,000 amperes (30 kA), and transfers 15 coulombs of electric charge and 500 megajoules of energy. Large bolts of negative lightning can carry up to 120 kA and 350 coulombs.[40] The average positive ground flash has roughly double the peak current of a typical negative flash, and can produce peak currents up to 400,000 amperes (400 kA) and charges of several hundred coulombs.[41][42] Furthermore, positive ground flashes with high peak currents are commonly followed by long continuing currents, a correlation not seen in negative ground flashes.[43]

As a result of their greater power, as well as lack of warning, positive lightning strikes are considerably more dangerous. Due to the aforementioned tendency for positive ground flashes to produce both high peak currents and long continuing current, they are capable of heating surfaces to much higher levels which increases the likelihood of a fire being ignited." Lightning - Wikipedia SO, Lightning protection needs to be REALLY heavy duty!.. on the order of at least 400,000 amps.. for a direct strike!..