How to Connect an Electric Fence
Electric fencing either provides the safety factor of animal containment inside property boundaries or keeps small animals out of your property or garden area. Electric fencing does not reduce visibility and can install to any height with any number of strands to accommodate large livestock. Correct grounding procedures and installing the controller box in a dry area will enable the controller to work effectively. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 3 copper ground rods, 6 feet tall
- Post driver or hammer
- 10-to-14 gauge insulated electric fence wire
- Wire cutters
- Ground rod clamps
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
Instructions
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Grounding a Fence Controller
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1
Drive a copper ground rod into the ground with a post driver or a hammer 20 feet from the fence controller. Leave about 4 inches visible above ground level. Drive second and third ground rods in a line from the first ground rod at 10-foot intervals.
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2
Cut two 10 1/2-foot lengths of insulated electric fence wire with wire cutters. Cut one 20 1/2-foot length of insulated electric fence wire. Attach a rod clamp to the ground rod closest to the controller box with the longest wire leading to the controller box and a shorter length to the second rod in the line of three rods. Screw the clamp tightly with pliers to hold one wire on each side.
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3
Attach the loose end of the shorter wire to the next ground rod with the second shorter wire running to the third ground rod. Attach the loose end of the second wire to the third ground rod.
Installing the Fence Controller
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4
Screw the fence controller onto a pole or wall with a screwdriver in an area protected from rain.
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5
Unscrew the wing nut on the ground connection of the fence controller and insert the loose end of the insulated electric fence from the first ground rod between the two washers. Wrap the end of the wire around the terminal and tighten the wing nut.
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6
Cut a length of insulated electric fence wire that will reach from the other nut on the fence controller to the fence line. Attach to the controller around the terminal between the two washers and tighten the wing nut. Attach the loose end to the fence line by wrapping it around the top string of fence and tightening with pliers. This is a jumper wire for continuous current travel.
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Tips & Warnings
Ground rods work best in a low area that retains moisture like a small indention in the ground. One copper ground rod may be sufficient, but the addition of two extra ground rods will provide better grounding capabilities in electrical storms.
Heavier electric fencing wire will carry the current over longer areas without loss of signal and shocking power.
Connect ground rod clamps tightly so that the clamp bites into the rod to hold the electric fence wire tightly.
When installing a fence charger outdoors on a post of the fence or in an unprotected area, enclose the controller in a waterproof plastic container. In this application, you will drill two 1 1/2-inch holes for the wiring to extend from the ground and terminal connections on the charger for installation.
If there is more than one strand of electric fencing, each strand will need a jumper wire from the top strand to the next strand so that the electrical current can travel through all of the wires.
Ground rod installation should be more than 50 feet away from buried telephone lines, water lines and utility company ground rods. Stray voltage may electrify these items, resulting in shocks or pulses when using the telephone or water in a home.
