Electric Fence help please

[travlnusa]

I have a 3 joule fence charger. That is working just fine, but I only have about 1000 volts near the charger, and it drops the further I go. Total run is about 2 miles ( 2 wire, 1 mile each).

I have three ground rods, 10 feet apart, down 7 feet each.

As I walk the fence trying to find any metal touching it, I noticed that at each insulator on each t-post, I can hear the "click" of the charger coming on. The further from the charger I get, the less I hear the click.

I have quite a bit of grass touching the newly run wire. I will mow that down in the morning to see if that helps.

I just can not explain the clicking noise at each insulated t-post.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[msscamp]

I just can not explain the clicking noise at each insulated t-post.

Any ideas?

Thanks

I think it's just the charge cycling through the fence, but I'm not sure. I know I can hear ours cycling, but can't remember if it 'clicks' or not.

 

[Proverbs 12:10]

Sounds like the positive wire is arcing to ground if the click is loud enough to hear. I would see if I could find where it is making the connection. I've had them arc up to 1/2 inch depending on the strength of the charger and humidity.

 

[Herefordcross]

It's shorting out against the posts. If you can hear a click then, you know where your problem is usually!

 

[Susie David]

Close enough to the posts to arc....have a look at night and I'll bet you see the sparks....may need the longer insulators...buy on line, alot less expensive unless you have a really good outlet.
We run a 9 joule charger that has 7K at the far end and will arc a good 1/2 inch
Lots of fence respect on our farm....has set me over on my heels a time or two...
DMc

 

[rattler]

Sounds like it is grounded out on T post.We space our ground rod,s at least 25ft apart i think on ours the mfg recomends 3 grounds 50ft apart.


rattler

 

[dun]

Cheap insulators breakdown internally. Whatever kind you get get black ones that are UV stabilized. We have been hanging hightensile on T-posts for years. I use Gallagher insulaotrs and have never had one fail.

dun

 

[travlnusa]

Thank you all for your help. I did not know a fence could/would arch that far. I will be out working on it today.

Thanks

 

[AngusLimoX]

I have a 3 joule fence charger. That is working just fine, but I only have about 1000 volts near the charger, and it drops the further I go. Total run is about 2 miles ( 2 wire, 1 mile each).

Joules and volts are different measurements. Did you run your 2 wires as a loop, or in parallel. Running 2 seperate wires will 1/2 the voltage on each.( Anyone else jump in here, I am no electrician! ).

I have three ground rods, 10 feet apart, down 7 feet each.

Ground composition, moisture etc.. affects ground as well

As I walk the fence trying to find any metal touching it, I noticed that at each insulator on each t-post, I can hear the "click" of the charger coming on. The further from the charger I get, the less I hear the click.

That sounds more like the normal noise that travels the wire from the energizer, rather than a short.

I have quite a bit of grass touching the newly run wire. I will mow that down in the morning to see if that helps.

It can't help but help.

I just can not explain the clicking noise at each insulated t-post.

When it is working perfectly ( 9000 volts,less than 2 amps ) I can hear my energizer ( 9 Joules ) cycling at insulators or connections well over a hundred yards away. It is not a "Snap" like a short, but a dull thump like a throb in the wire. You didn't say what type of tester you use, but I use one that is digital and shows direction of the fault, made by same folks dun buys his insulators from. :lol:

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[travlnusa]

Now have 7000+ volts (according to cheap tester) on the entire fence run.

Thank you all!!!

 

[KenB]

:?: What did you find the problem to be?

 

[travlnusa]

I replaced the short t-post insulators with 5" insulators.

Rather than having two wires running out, I connected the ends to make a complete loop as to not split the voltage.

I moved my ground rods further apart.

I mowed the tall grass that was running under the bottom line.

In other words, I did whatever I was told to do by others in their posts.

 

[Bama]

I replaced the short t-post insulators with 5" insulators.

Rather than having two wires running out, I connected the ends to make a complete loop as to not split the voltage.

I moved my ground rods further apart.

I mowed the tall grass that was running under the bottom line.

In other words, I did whatever I was told to do by others in their posts.

All of the above helped. The part about running two wires splitting the voltage is a old wives tale. Both wires will have the same voltage on them if they have the same resistive load on them. Resistive load refering to length, wiresize, grass, bad insulators, etc... Although tieing them together at the end did help. A common thing that happens with poor insulators is people wrapping the wire several times around the insulator. This will cause a inductive or transformer type action that will show up on poor insulators. When the charge goes from 0 to full voltage it will induce a current into a nail or other metalic object if it is passing through the coil of wire. Once the charge hits full voltage ( were talking miliseconds here) the emf will cease. Its hard to explain just don't use cheap insulators.