Electric Fence Grounding Question

[Rafter S]

I need to put up an electric fence around some hay. Can I ground it to the barbed wire fence, which is mostly steel posts, or will I need to drive a ground rod?

 

[Caustic Burno]

I need to put up an electric fence around some hay. Can I ground it to the barbed wire fence, which is mostly steel posts, or will I need to drive a ground rod?

Ground rod

 

[dun]

If it's temporary use the barbed wire

 

[Rafter S]

Two responses and two different answers. That cleared it up. If it helps, the fence will be temporary, there will be about 10 head against it 2 days per week, and they'll still be entirely within a barbed wire fence, so if the electric fence fails they won't be able to get out.

 

[M-5]

Two responses and two different answers. That cleared it up. If it helps, the fence will be temporary, there will be about 10 head against it 2 days per week, and they'll still be entirely within a barbed wire fence, so if the electric fence fails they won't be able to get out.

it will ground fine as long as you have normal ground moisture , if it get real dry it will not be as effective

 

[pdfangus]

What M-5 said....depends on ground moisture...

but then I would not put in a ground rod six feet deep for a fence to be up for just a few weeks...

 

[Rafter S]

Thanks everyone for the input. I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work I can always drive in a ground rod. The big drawback to that is getting it back out when I don't need the fence any more.

 

[dun]

Thanks everyone for the input. I'll give it a try. If it doesn't work I can always drive in a ground rod. The big drawback to that is getting it back out when I don't need the fence any more.

Thus the reason to use existing fence if possible.

 

[Caustic Burno]

They make a clamp to put the ground wire on a t post. That is better than running it to the barb wire.
TSC carries them.

 

[HDRider]

I've done it. Works fine.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

It'll work until you backfeed a lightning strike into the ground side of the charger. Low impedance chargers take a more advanced grounding setup than chargers of yesteryear to operate at peak efficiency. Yes, you should be just fine unless it doesn't work. lol

 

[dun]

It'll work until you backfeed a lightning strike into the ground side of the charger. Low impedance chargers take a more advanced grounding setup than chargers of yesteryear to operate at peak efficiency. Yes, you should be just fine unless it doesn't work. lol

I've only done it with the 12 volt chargers. Even during the really sry spell we had for 2 months the polywire still read 7.8 k volts.

 

[HDRider]

That is what I did it on too Dun.

 

[M-5]

For what it's worth a step in metal electric fence post turned upside down will work and easy to pull