Electric fencing provides a safe and effective alternative to conventional fences for containing livestock, deterring predators or pests and excluding wildlife. The main component of any electric fence system is the energizer. Modern energizers are low internal impedance devices that are capable of powering many kilometres of multi-strand wire, providing an effective and cost-efficient control tool for animal management.
Modern fence energizers use a pulsing current to prevent injury to animals and people. This is much safer than continuous current as the pulses of electricity allow animals and people to escape from the source of the shock rather than being trapped by it. The pulses are also short (3/1000 of a second) which reduces the risk of injury. The voltage of the pulses is high enough to cause a painful, but not lethal, muscle contraction that effectively disables the target. The shock is not permanent and is designed to be remembered, so the target does not attempt to cross the electric field again.
A properly insulated insulator (such as wood, metal, rubber or a plastic) is essential to the safety of an electric fence. A poorly insulated insulator can result in a short to ground or leakage of energy into the soil, which is dangerous for both the animal and the person touching it. Using a quality insulator, as well as regularly checking the insulators on your fence, will help ensure that the energizer is safely producing a consistent pulse of electricity for the desired length of time and at the required voltage.
There are a variety of insulators available from your local hardware store or online. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for installation and use. The voltage of an electric fence should be checked daily and after thunderstorms. Insufficient or excessive voltage may damage vegetation and/or irritate animals.
Fence insulators need to be inspected and replaced as needed. They should be kept free of dirt, debris and weeds to ensure that the pulse passes through them as intended. It is recommended that insulators be made of a material such as stainless steel or galvanised steel.
The insulator should be placed between the live and ground wires of the fence. This allows the energizer to deliver the full energy of the pulsing current through the entire electric fence malaysia, without leaking into the soil via dead or neutral wires. Energizers should be grounded with either a heavy gauge copper wire, or in most cases with a stainless steel ground rod.
The grounding rod helps to prevent the energizer from being overloaded by excess voltage created during lightning strikes, and is an important part of any electrical fence. It is recommended that the rod be at least a foot above the ground, and be connected to a well-grounded earth terminal on the energizer.
It is also recommended that a double-insulated HTG cable be used to run the grounding from the energizer to the earth spike. This can be purchased from most hardware stores and is cheaper and easier to install than the traditional hose clamp held to a rusty T-post.