Technical grounding rod question for use with electric netting

[farmgirlroots]

If this is reapeat I apologize now. I did a search but didn't come up with the answer.

I've never set up an electric fence before. I have the electric netting. I bought a charger which will be used with a deep cycle marine battery, 3' ground rod, and rod clamp all recommended by Premire 1 for my fence.

I just don't get the whole grounding thing...I mean, I understand why it is needed, I just don't get how this is supposed to act as a temporary, easily movable fence if I have to pound a 3 foot rod substantially into the ground??? Is there a different grounding rod I should be looking at if I want this movable? I got the one that the energizer system I have (Speedrite) recommended. For those that use the netted fence around a chicken tractor, and move it 8-12x a year, what do you use? I'm feeling like a complete dunce about something that is probably simple!

 

[Folly's place]

The ground rod goes near the charger; will you be moving it often? Maybe several ground rods left in safe and convenient locations, marked to be easily found? Mary

 

[ChaoSS]

A couple choices. If you are only moving once a month pounding a 3 foot rod into the ground is nothing, just pull it and move it. My system around my yard uses a ten foot rod driven 8 feet into the ground. It's not moving.

Is your charger solar or plug in? If it it's solar you can either move the ground rod, use multiple ground rods as suggested above, or you can forgo the ground rod and run grounding wires around the tractor in such a easy that anything trying to get in will have to touch hot and ground wire. The benefit of doing this is if any animal is smart enough to jump onto the enclosure, and never touches ground and wire at the same time, a traditional set up won't zap them. It will take a bit of work to set it up properly.

If your system is plug in, you can do the above, but you will have to run wires to wherever you have the run anyway, so instead of running an extension cord to the charger on the run, put the charger on your house next to where it plugs in, and just run an insulated hot wire over to your run. They sell this kind of wire for going underground at gates and such. Drive you're ground rod right next to the charger and leave it there.


couple options there for you.

 

[farmgirlroots]

It is an AC/DC charger, but we will be using it as DC as AC isn't an option at the location.

How far do I need to pound in the 3 foot rod? Halfway?

 

[ChaoSS]

The more resistance in your system, the less effective it will be. Some of those things you can't control, such as the wire to the animal, (fur) the animal to the ground, but the charger to the ground is where you can control it. If they recommend a three foot rod then I would guess that you want it three feet in the ground. If you are going withmultiple rods or moving the rod you may want to get a longer rod, say 5 feet, and drive it three feet. This makes it easier to grip to remove, it easier to see so you don't trip over it or lose it. Grounding rods are cheap so it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Folly's place]

The ground rods need to contact damp earth, so your environment is an issue. Here in Michigan 3 ft. in the ground is good; in the desert maybe not. Mary

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

I move my coop every 3 weeks in the summer and use two 165' electric net fences. I move my 3 ft grounding rod every time. If the ground gets really dry, like 2 summers ago I just dump a bucket of water around the rod. Its more of a hassle to move the fences than the rod and charger IMO.
Stationary rods wouldn't work with my setup but it is a good idea.

 

[farmgirlroots]

Now this may be a stupid question that really shows my ignorance on the subject, but here goes...if you touch a grounding rod while all hooked up will it shock you?

 

[ChaoSS]

No. A shock comes from touching a hot wire and "ground". In a properly set up system ground can be the actual ground, the grounding rod, or the grounding wire that goes from the rod to the charger. You can also have ground wires that don't connect to physical ground if you want.