Electric Fence Racoon

[newbiemoron]

Hi quick question as I am noticing a raccoon sniffing around the coop and run. I got the stuff for an electric fence. But forgot to get the insulated cable. I was toying around with the electric fence device and the meter. I just connected the ground without connecting the positive to anything. When I tested with putting into the ground and other to positive it read voltage.

But I was curious and also touched the plastic insulation of the electric fence (remember it’s not connected) and I still got voltage (about the same as before).

I then touched it to the fence string itself and still got voltage.

Is that normal? I would expect that by touching the electric fence (as the ground) and other one to positive I will not see any voltage.

Only thing I can think is the concept of path of least resistance explaining this and that if it was properly electricfied I would see the correct voltage?

Hopefully tomorrow I will get the insulated cable to properly set it up and protect my chickens!

 

[Howard E]

Not following the description of your setup. But to clarify.....

Fence charger (fencer) will have two terminals to connect to. The hot side.......the part that connects to the hot wire fencing material......is usually color coded and is red. The hot side fencing material you use for that has to be insulated......or isolated.....from any pathway to the grounded or cold side terminal. By ground, we mean literally the soil you walk upon.....plus any conducting material that connects to the ground. The woven wire or chicken wire fencing material on a run can connect to the ground (soil). That means if an animal is climbing or clinging to the wire fence of your run, that then becomes part of the earth field.....and a pathway to ground and thus back to the ground side of the fence charger.

On the fencer, the grounded side terminal will usually be color coded black or sometimes green. The wire that connects to that has to connect to the soil.....usually by a metal grounding rod you pound into the soil.

The hot wire and ground wire are never to meet......except and unless the animal, while standing on the soil, or touching any conductive material attached to the ground.....then comes into contact with the hot wire. When that happens, the juice in the hot wire, flows through the animal to ground.....completing the circuit. The animal feels the juice as a painful electric shock.

When testing this circuit, the only time your meter should be showing any reading at all is when the hot side terminal of the tester is touching the hot wire conductor.......and ground side terminal of the tester is is grounded. For the fencer to be working properly, the hot side wire needs to always be insulated or isolated from ground. When a pulse is sent up the hot wire side, unless there is a pathway to ground, nothing should happen. Fencer will reload and fire again.....and again, and again. Fencer may click....or flash a small light with each pulese....so you know its on and working. About once every second....and will continue to do that for years to come. It is patient like that.

 

[newbiemoron]

Sorry I think I figured it out. It was definitely a case of using the wrong cable to the charger. Once I got the real insulated cable I tested the system flawlessly. Lesson learned just because it’s insulated doesn’t mean it’s sufficiently insulated.

 

[BARNgril101]

I'm sorry to hear that! I'm NOT VERRY HANDY with the fence but I hope you figure it out!!! and rid of that coon!

 

[newbiemoron]

Not following the description of your setup. But to clarify.....

Fence charger (fencer) will have two terminals to connect to. The hot side.......the part that connects to the hot wire fencing material......is usually color coded and is red. The hot side fencing material you use for that has to be insulated......or isolated.....from any pathway to the grounded or cold side terminal. By ground, we mean literally the soil you walk upon.....plus any conducting material that connects to the ground. The woven wire or chicken wire fencing material on a run can connect to the ground (soil). That means if an animal is climbing or clinging to the wire fence of your run, that then becomes part of the earth field.....and a pathway to ground and thus back to the ground side of the fence charger.

On the fencer, the grounded side terminal will usually be color coded black or sometimes green. The wire that connects to that has to connect to the soil.....usually by a metal grounding rod you pound into the soil.

The hot wire and ground wire are never to meet......except and unless the animal, while standing on the soil, or touching any conductive material attached to the ground.....then comes into contact with the hot wire. When that happens, the juice in the hot wire, flows through the animal to ground.....completing the circuit. The animal feels the juice as a painful electric shock.

When testing this circuit, the only time your meter should be showing any reading at all is when the hot side terminal of the tester is touching the hot wire conductor.......and ground side terminal of the tester is is grounded. For the fencer to be working properly, the hot side wire needs to always be insulated or isolated from ground. When a pulse is sent up the hot wire side, unless there is a pathway to ground, nothing should happen. Fencer will reload and fire again.....and again, and again. Fencer may click....or flash a small light with each pulese....so you know its on and working. About once every second....and will continue to do that for years to come. It is patient like that.

Thank you that really helps explain the process. So based on that I think there is a short somewhere. I’m going to head over to the tractor supply and get the insulated cable and go from there

One other question if there is a short (besides) someone/thing touching them to make it short. Is there any harm if it’s shorted? If not then I can use the meter to determine where the short is happening

 

[Howard E]

By short, I presume you mean that somewhere in the loop, the hot wire is able to touch a pathway to ground. If so, that does two things......it provides an alternative to ground, so bleeds off or diminishes the potential for shock. That is the case, even if fencer is of the plug in to your household AC type although these types will continue to work. If your fence charger is battery powered.....that will quickly bleed down the battery, and fence charger will stop working.

Explain again why you think it is malfunctioning and how?

 

[cmom]

@Howard E explains it well. Do you have a picture of your setup? Most predators first explore with their nose and if they touch the wire they will know it. I have game cameras set up and once the predator tests the wire they usually don't test it again. When I first put my electric wire up I did hear some yelps, probably coyote. Now they know the hot wire is there and will go right up to it but won't touch it. This is the chick/grow-out coop.