How to Connect an Electric Fence Lead Wire

Electric fences keep livestock in place.

Electric fences--when properly installed--are effective barriers for keeping livestock inside or outside of the enclosure. Improperly connecting the wires will lead to a malfunctioning fence system. All electric fences have two main electrical components, the hot wire (or lead wire) and the grounding system. The hot wire sends out the high-voltage electricity. The grounding system completes the circuit when an animal touches the hot wire. It is the animal that makes the final connection between the two, and then the fence "shocks" the animal.

Things You'll Need

• Two 8-foot galvanized ground rods
• 3-pound hammer
• Two ground rod wire connectors
• Screwdriver
• #12 AWG copper wire with insulation
• Electric fence wire
• Wire strippers
• Wire pliers

Instructions

Grounding System

1. Install the two 8-foot ground rods 16 feet apart below the location of the fence energizer or charger. Drive the ground rods into the earth using the 3 lb. hammer. Leave approximately 6 inches of the ground rod exposed for the connector attachment.

2. Connect the ground rod wire connectors to the top of the ground rods. Tighten the screws with the screwdriver.

3. Strip 2 inches of insulation from the #12 AWG wire, exposing the bare copper. Slip the bare copper wire in through the wire connector attached to the ground rod. Tighten the screw terminal with the screwdriver. Run the insulated wire to the fence energizer or charger.

4. Cut the ground rod wire to length. Strip 1 inch of insulation from this end. Connect the bare copper wire to the terminal on the fence energizer or charger identified as "Earth Ground."

5. Install another wire from the second ground rod in the same fashion to the fence energizer or charger. It is best to run a separate wire from each ground rod rather than tie the two rods together.

Hot Wire

1. Remove 2 inches of the insulation from the end of the #12 AWG wire.

2. Connect the bare copper end to the terminal marked "hot" or "fence" on the energizer or charger.

3. Run the other end of the insulated wire to the electric fence wire. Support the insulated wire from the earth as per the fence energizer or charger manufacturer's instructions.

4. Strip 3 inches of insulation from the #12 AWG wire.

5. Wrap the bare copper wire around the electric fence wire in a concentric-circle pattern.

Tips & Warnings

• The overall length of the #12 AWG wire depends on the size of the electric fence system and the distance between the fence and the energizer or charger.

• In areas where the ground can severely dry out, a separate grounding wire may be installed 6 inches below the hot wire around the full perimeter of the fence to aid in the completed circuit.

• AWG is the American Wire Gauge standard.

References

• University of Minnesota: Fencing Systems (PDF)
• University of Wisconsin: Grounding Electric Fences