Connections

[rnh2]

My fence charger is putting out 7000 volts. I'm getting very little at the fence I've checked connections and for shorts. I'm using two wires one hot and one ground because I wasn't getting a good ground in dry weather. I want to put ground rods in wet area but am waiting for the reptiles to hibernate. Suggestions?

 

[dun]

How do you know it is "really" putting out that voltage? Are you reading that at the output lug of the charger? If so you must have a ground on the hotside somehwere in the fence.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

Sounds like a short to me. They can be hard to find.....cracked insulator, spider nest, etc. A fault finder will make it much easier for you to find your problems. You will still need a ground rod on your ground wire, unless it's tied directly to metal posts. Call me if you decide you want a fault finder, and we'll fix you up.

 

[oscarsteve]

I just finished putting in cross fencing using a 2-strand hot wire with 3 ground rods set 10 feet apart. I was having the same issue. Voltmeter was reading 9.5 kV at the energizer terminals, but only 2.0-2.5 kV on the wire itself. This was my first experience with HT wire and an AC energizer. I built my fence like I always have for barbed wire; including H-braces with brace wire at the ends. Realized I was getting electrical "leak" from the hot wires to the brace wires. They were about two inches apart. Cut all the brace wires out of the fence braces and now the hot wires are carrying the full 9.0+ volts they're supposed to. Don't know if that helps or not, but your issue sounded so much like what was happening with mine.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

I just finished putting in cross fencing using a 2-strand hot wire with 3 ground rods set 10 feet apart. I was having the same issue. Voltmeter was reading 9.5 kV at the energizer terminals, but only 2.0-2.5 kV on the wire itself. This was my first experience with HT wire and an AC energizer. I built my fence like I always have for barbed wire; including H-braces with brace wire at the ends. Realized I was getting electrical "leak" from the hot wires to the brace wires. They were about two inches apart. Cut all the brace wires out of the fence braces and now the hot wires are carrying the full 9.0+ volts they're supposed to. Don't know if that helps or not, but your issue sounded so much like what was happening with mine.

Ahh the joys of hot wire. :bang: In high humidity, "leak" can jump 6" or better. Insulatube works well when you get close to your brace wires. Gripple makes a quick brace.....just a single strand of cable.....that would be easy to slip an insulating tube over and get your braces put back together. Also, Spiralators work well for after the fact insulators.

 

[rnh2]

I didn't know you could just ground it to a metal fence post.im also ditching metal rod posts for fiberglass since insulators twist and cause probs.

 

[bball]

I just finished putting in cross fencing using a 2-strand hot wire with 3 ground rods set 10 feet apart. I was having the same issue. Voltmeter was reading 9.5 kV at the energizer terminals, but only 2.0-2.5 kV on the wire itself. This was my first experience with HT wire and an AC energizer. I built my fence like I always have for barbed wire; including H-braces with brace wire at the ends. Realized I was getting electrical "leak" from the hot wires to the brace wires. They were about two inches apart. Cut all the brace wires out of the fence braces and now the hot wires are carrying the full 9.0+ volts they're supposed to. Don't know if that helps or not, but your issue sounded so much like what was happening with mine.

Ahh the joys of hot wire. :bang: In high humidity, "leak" can jump 6" or better. Insulatube works well when you get close to your brace wires. Gripple makes a quick brace.....just a single strand of cable.....that would be easy to slip an insulating tube over and get your braces put back together. Also, Spiralators work well for after the fact insulators.

I did not realize it could leak over such a distance. Thanks for the info. Please tell more about the fault finder you recommend. I'd like to hear your recommendation. Thanks

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

I just finished putting in cross fencing using a 2-strand hot wire with 3 ground rods set 10 feet apart. I was having the same issue. Voltmeter was reading 9.5 kV at the energizer terminals, but only 2.0-2.5 kV on the wire itself. This was my first experience with HT wire and an AC energizer. I built my fence like I always have for barbed wire; including H-braces with brace wire at the ends. Realized I was getting electrical "leak" from the hot wires to the brace wires. They were about two inches apart. Cut all the brace wires out of the fence braces and now the hot wires are carrying the full 9.0+ volts they're supposed to. Don't know if that helps or not, but your issue sounded so much like what was happening with mine.

Ahh the joys of hot wire. :bang: In high humidity, "leak" can jump 6" or better. Insulatube works well when you get close to your brace wires. Gripple makes a quick brace.....just a single strand of cable.....that would be easy to slip an insulating tube over and get your braces put back together. Also, Spiralators work well for after the fact insulators.

I did not realize it could leak over such a distance. Thanks for the info. Please tell more about the fault finder you recommend. I'd like to hear your recommendation. Thanks

We stock a Stayfix fault finder(about a hundred bucks). It works very simply......When you touch it to the fence, it points an arrow in the direction of the short while giving a volt reading. If you had a short in the underground jumper wire in a gate hole, for example, it would point the arrow toward the gate from either side.