Fencer doesn't need grounding?

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millstreaminn

millstreaminn

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Oct 4, 2006
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Northern Pennsylvania
Went to the barn the other day and found the fencer was grounded out. Unplugged the fencer, grabbed the mule and chainsaw and rode the fences. Cut a few fallen trees off the fence then plugged the fencer back in. Signal strength went back up to 13.6, so it was perfect. Grabbed the tester and verified the fence was indeed hot all the way around the farm. The weather was nice so I started to cut some weeds around the barn that escaped the weedeater last fall. On the back side of the barn was a wire sticking out. I traced it back to my fencer. It was the ground to my fencer so the fencer wasn't grounded to anything. I had work done to my barn last summer and I'm sure the wire got cut then. I don't know how the fencer was completing a circuit without being grounded, but the fencer was on and the fence was HOT without being grounded. :nod:
 
Chargers work by use of stored energy in capacitor(s). I suspect, that when you stuck the probe in the ground, and touched the tester to the wire, you saw the capacitors discharge. A charger will also work minimally if there is sufficient humidity in the air to make a connection to ground--won't be enough to send a strong shock but enough to be measuable. Most testers indicate volts--not joules.
I just went out and removed the ground lead from the rods on my fence charger, and tested the wire. Showed 7000 volts.
 

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