Information on Electric Fence Chargers

Your electric fence is only as powerful as your charger.

An electric fence without a charger bears a remarkable resemblance to a human body without a heart. Just as the heart pumps blood to the remote parts of your body, your electric fence charger sends high-voltage electric pulses streaking through the electric wire--and through the bodies of any animals or people that may touch it. Understanding basic facts about electric fence chargers gives you the information you need to select the right energizer for your particular fencing situation.

The Facts

Electric fence energizers pull in electrical power from an outside source and convert it into short, quick, high-voltage pulses. They then send these pulses of energy into conductive wire. Most energizers available for purchase are low-impedance chargers, which means that the pulses have a low resistance to outside materials such as weeds or grass touching the electric fence wire. Although this charger style shorts out less frequently than traditional high-impedance chargers, you should still develop the habit of walking along your electric fence daily to ensure that vegetation contact is not shorting out your fence and weakening the electrical charge from your energizer.

Power Source

Electric fence energizers fall into three separate categories. AC-powered, 120-volt electric fence chargers plug into a regular electrical outlet, which provides the power for your fence. DC electric fence energizers use batteries as their power source. Solar fence energizers come equipped with a solar panel to convert the sun's bright rays into electrical energy. As a general rule, opt for a plug-in charger when possible, since it is a more reliable source of power.

Warning

Fence energizers are expensive, but creating your own energizer at home could be deadly. According to Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services, fence energizers must meet the safety standards of either the Underwriter's Laboratories, Inc. (UL) or the International Commission for Conformity Certification of Electrical Equipment (ICCC). Do not attempt to build your own energizer at home or to directly connect an electric fence without the use of a fence energizer.

Considerations

When you're purchasing an electric fence charger, talk to several different dealers to get a range of opinions. Let the dealers know the length of fence you're creating and whether you're planning on building a permanent or temporary fence. They'll also need to be aware of what animal species you plan to contain with the fence, since that directly affects the amount of power your energizer needs--a fence for raccoons doesn't have to have the same amount of energy that a cattle fence requires.

Grounding

The charge your electric energizer sends out into the fence creates an open circuit. When an animal touches the fence, the electrical charge goes through its body and the soil to return to the energizer. This closed circuit results in the electrical shock. Although it's not required for some small electric fence energizers--such as those used for certain garden or pet fences--having a separate grounding system in place ensures that the electrical energy traveling through the animal's body returns to the energizer itself to create the closed circuit necessary for electrical shock to occur. Use at least three six-foot galvanized grounding rods in your grounding system to create the most reliable grounding system.

References

• University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension: Fence Energizers
• The American Fence and Supply Company: How to Install an Electric Fence
• Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Services Meat Goat Manual: Fencing