Question on electric fencing setup / ground rod?

[nao57]

Hi, good morning everyone...

Had a quick question on electric fencing. A lot of people build these. I'm sort of doing that to make sure I don't get cheap plastic parts. The part in question, that I'm wondering about is the grounding rod.

Does the metal grounding rod have to be copper? Or can it be any metal? Since some of us are making this with what we have, copper might not be laying around in the garage.

Thanks.

 

[Finnie]

I read to NOT use copper. What I read said to use the same metal for the grounding rod as for the wire. Mine are aluminum.

 

[Captain13]

Depending on how long your electric fence is, you will probably need more than one ground rod. Usually, three is a minimum. Here’s a good link explaining how an electric¿c fence should be installed.

https://backyardvirtuoso.com/grounding-rods-for-electric-fences-the-ultimate-guide/

 

[mcard]

I used 2 galvanized pipe 4 foot long, three feet apart,it works well I have gotten into it, it definitely works, lol. I have about 300 feet of wire on it, maybe a little more.​

 

[mcard]

I used 2 galvanized pipe 4 foot long, three feet apart,it works well I have gotten into it, it definitely works, lol. I have about 300 feet of wire on it, maybe a little more.​

I used the same electric fence wire, going to each ground rod and back to electric fence charger.

 

[nao57]

So I had other stuff I was curious to pick your minds on, regarding this also...

Like, I heard some people say not to use continuous charge fence chargers, compared to I guess something that uses a pulse or not a pulse? How do you tell the difference? And also how much does your battery get drained in a day or a week using a fence charger? And if the battery gets lower, does the quality of the fence charge still hold up?

 

[Captain13]

There is a greater fire hazard when using a continuous type fence charge and that’s why most use pulse chargers. The specs will tell you if a charger is continuous or pulse and if it is pulse, what the pulse rate is. You want to go with a low impedance type charger which will give you a shorter pulse rate. Shorter pulse rates are the safer option. For instance pulse rates can vary between 30 ops to 330 pps (pulses per second. 330 pps is about a 3 millisecond pulse and is a safer option.

12 volt battery systems typically last about 10-20 days without a recharge. Good chargers will have a good voltage regulation7efficient transformer system which should give consistent power across the decreasing battery voltage.

Here’s a good link for things to consider

https://dreamoutdoorliving.com/how-many-joules-should-an-electric-fence-have/

 

[nao57]

There is a greater fire hazard when using a continuous type fence charge and that’s why most use pulse chargers. The specs will tell you if a charger is continuous or pulse and if it is pulse, what the pulse rate is. You want to go with a low impedance type charger which will give you a shorter pulse rate. Shorter pulse rates are the safer option. For instance pulse rates can vary between 30 ops to 330 pps (pulses per second. 330 pps is about a 3 millisecond pulse and is a safer option.

12 volt battery systems typically last about 10-20 days without a recharge. Good chargers will have a good voltage regulation7efficient transformer system which should give consistent power across the decreasing battery voltage.

Here’s a good link for things to consider

https://dreamoutdoorliving.com/how-many-joules-should-an-electric-fence-have/

Hey you are a pro.

Thank you very much.

 

[nao57]

In theory, a tire iron or a crowbar should work for the grounding rod right?

 

[Captain13]

I‘d use galvanized rods that you can drive in deep. The galvanized ground rods also have the clamp you will need to secure the ground wire. You need to get deep enough where the ground stays moist to have a good ground.