How to Repair an Electric Fence

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Your electric fence is essentially the simplest kind of circuit. But though a lot of repairing a fence may be intuitive or easy in theory, a long and winding fence perimeter, or tree lines or other issues, can make fence repair more difficult. The best maintenance is done on a regular basis, rather than only when there is a problem.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Step1

Turn the fence off. This is a crucial step, unless you want to be the recipient of your fence's voltage. Make sure the power is off before starting to work on your electric fence.

Step2

Get appropriate "tie-ins" of conductive material. Find some lengths of the same type of wire that is on your fence. You can make easy fixes by constructing "eye" type loops in either end of your tie-in. When you find a break, you can twist the loose end into the eye to make a secure repair of a break in the line.

Step3

Check the entire line for breaks. Start at one end of your fence and go methodically around the perimeter looking for any kind of obstruction in the line. Some materials hanging on your fence can also cause circuit diversions.

Step4

Check all handles and connectors. Many fences are fitted with plastic connectors that you can use to open or close the fence while it still has current running through it. If the handle is broken inside, you may be able to fix it by opening it up and adding connective wire or other materials. Otherwise, just replace the handle or bypass it.

Step5

Use an electric charge detector to monitor the current if necessary to figure out where current is weak or absent.

Tips & Warnings

It can help to get hold of plastic "line holders" (usually small square or circular plastic pieces) in case you want to put additional controls on the line as you go along. Line holding pieces help keep the fence taut and in the right place and are part of good electric fence maintenance.
Listen for a "snapping" sound. Periodic snapping or clicking can indicate a short in the line and help you diagnose your current problems.