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 Security Barriers - Security barriers information and links in a range of forms of security including: bollards, security doors, gate openers, electric fencing, security gates and other great security barriers to protect your property.
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The electric fencing page gives details of how it works and what you need to do to set up electric fencing to protect your home and property.
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How it Works
Electric fencing runs on a charger, which converts a typical 110-volt, 15-amp branch circuit, such as those you might
find in a house, into a pulsed, high-voltage, low-current output. Although the potential involved may be on the order
of 2,500 to 9,000 volts, the current is limited to a safe level and the actual pulse lasts only milliseconds.
A minimal one-second duration is mandatory between pulses to allow
people who inadvertently grab onto a "hot" wire, the time to let go and avoid injury. Continuous current causes the
muscles to contract, making letting go difficult and potentially interfering with the function of the heart.
The electric fencing wire is connected to a ground rod, usually just a galvanized pipe that has been driven deep into the ground.
Any conductive material, such as a critter's nose or ears, that touches the wire after it has been electrified completes
the circuit and - ZAP! The critter gets a short but unpleasant shock.
But gone are the days when you had to drive big metal or wooden posts into hard, rocky ground and wrestle with heavy
reels of stiff wire that always wanted to go anywhere but where you wanted them to go. Permanent high-tensile electric
fencing still has its place for perimeter fences, corrals and other applications where the fence is meant to last, but
the new temporary styles are gaining popularity quickly on many farms and homesteads.
Most of the temporary electric fencing equipment fits together easily with just a rubber mallet, screwdriver, pocketknife and a pair of
pliers. And you can buy it at just about any farm supply center or from a variety of specialty companies, which often
offer application and installation tips on their web sites.
The power supply
You'll need an adequate charger to control the electricity flowing to whatever type of electric fencing you choose. Chargers
running on 110-volt AC (household) current provide maximum shocking power, so many people run an AC supply wire from
their house or barn into their fields, and then connect their temporary electrified fencing onto it wherever needed. Chargers range
in price from $60 to $400.
In remote locations, electric fencing battery-powered chargers are almost as effective. Batteries range in size from flashlight to
deep-cycle marine, and optional solar panels will recharge them even on cloudy days, which can double a battery's life.
Prices for batteries with solar chargers range from $180 to $280.
Electric fencing mesh is as easy to transport as it is to install. To really boost shocking power, especially on dry
ground or snow, use "Pos/Neg" fencing, now available in a variety of
styles.
Traditional electric fencing has a positive charge in each electrified wire. It relies on the animal making good contact
with the soil in order to ground the charge and receive a shock. That doesn't always happen when soils are sandy, rocky,
dry or covered with snow. Having both positive and negative (grounded) wires manufactured right in the electric fencing increases
the chance of an animal receiving a convincing shock.
Weeds also can complete the circuit when they touch the wires, sometimes shorting out the electric fencing so it can't shock
anything. Today's fence chargers can carry what the catalogues call a "heavy weed load," but don't expect to just set up
electric fencing and forget it. The more you keep grass and weeds in check, the better your fence will work. Keep all
electric fences free of branches, grass, weeds and debris that can short out the whole electric fencing.
Electrified netting requires the most maintenance. When left around vegetable beds for the season, it needs to be moved
periodically and the grass mowed or weed-whacked. Or place cardboard, carpet or flat stones under it to prevent weeds
from growing up and touching the wire.
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Tricks of the Trade
Regardless of what you add to your system in the way of end posts, line posts, insulators, switches (very useful when
searching for a short) and other gizmos, a few basic rules apply to all electric fencing.
First, electric fences really do their job, but only if they're turned on - all of the time. That's why vegetable growers,
pastured poultry producers and other users equip their electric fencing with blinking lights or alarms to signal operational
problems.
Want a good night's sleep? There is nothing more reassuring just before slipping between the sheets than glancing out a
bedroom window, seeing that little twinkle of light pulsing in the far field and knowing that your defence shields are
activated. Of course, if the field is totally dark, there is nothing more exasperating than stomping outside through the
wet grass in your bare feet to find that you've merely forgotten to plug the fence charger back in. Like the wild and
domestic animals learn to avoid the fence, you soon will learn to turn it back on after you've consciously shut it down
for whatever reason.
Second, making good contact with charged electric fencing wire is the only way animals will develop a healthy respect for the
fence. Many people set a pan of feed just outside the fence to train young livestock to stay away. Baiting the fence
with peanut butter or other lures also assures that predators get the message to keep out.
Third, electric fencing is primarily a psychological deterrent, not a physical barrier. Any animal that is hungry, scared
or being chased can and probably will run right through or leap over an energized electric fence. But that can happen
with traditional fencing, too.
Whatever you decide to install, get a voltage tester so you can make sure your fence is well-grounded, and pinpoint the
problem when it shorts out. Mr. Japhy might agree that's a lot better than relying on your pets to tell you whether your
fence is working properly.
The most relevant links we could find, placed here free
 Mother Earth News
- Information about Electric Fencing. Mainly written for livestock and farming, but still good info. If you search Mother Earth News for electric fencing you'll also find other interesting articles. www.motherearthnews.com
Bramley
- even more on electrified fencing. www.bramley.co.uk
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