How to Test Your Grounding System
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- Issue Time
- Apr 23,2022
Summary
The exciter grounding system must be as conductive as possible in order for the fence to provide an effective shock to the animal. A simple guideline is to have at least three ground stakes for every 5 joules of stored energy.
The exciter ground system must be as electrically conductive as possible in order for the fence to provide an effective shock to the animal. A simple guideline is to have at least three grounding pins for every five joules of stored energy.
In addition, you will need to set up electric fences based on how "green" the area is throughout the year.
Full line system - best for wet areas
Use in green areas with good grounding conductivity. All the fence lines are connected to the red terminal on the Energizer, and when the animal touches the ground and the fence at the same time, it receives an electric shock.
All live wire grounding system test
This should be done once a small section of fence has been built. You should test your system at least once a year at the height of any dry period to ensure that the grounding capacity is sufficient to meet the joule rating of the exciter.
Short-circuit the fence at least 330 feet from the ground system by using grounding rods between the wire and the ground. Reduce the fence voltage at this time to 2000V (2kV) or lower.
Use a voltmeter to measure the voltage between the wire connected to the Energizer grounding terminal through the grounding rod and the independent grounding rod. The rod shall be galvanized metal rod at least 8 inches long. Place the rod 3' from the ground rod or as far as the voltmeter cable can reach.
There should be no reading on voltmeter; However, a maximum of 200V (0.2kV) is acceptable. If the voltage is higher than this, turn off the Energizer, insert more grounding rods at the recommended spacing and connect them to the existing grounding system until the voltage drops to an acceptable level.
Ground loop system - best for dry areas
Suitable for use where the ground is difficult to conduct enough electricity (year-round dry, icy or snowy conditions). When the animals touch them at the same time, the fire wire and ground wire on the fence produce an electric shock.
Test the grounding loop system
Install a 2m ground post as close to the end of the fence as possible. Install a 500 ohm load tester between the hot wire and ground wire. If possible, select a location to place the grounding rod in a wet area. If wet areas are not found, ground tests may not be reliable.
Use a voltmeter to measure the voltage between the hot wire of the newly installed load tester and the ground wire. Next measure the voltage between the hot wire and the independent ground rod, leaving the load tester in place.
If the second voltage reading exceeds the first by more than 1000V (1kV), check that the grounding circuit is securely connected. Finally, separate ground rods are connected to the ground loop as a permanent connection. Additional grounding rods can be added at various locations around the fence system and connected to grounding loops to improve grounding performance.
If the first voltage reading is below 3kV, your fence system is at risk of poor animal control. Assuming your ground line return check is satisfactory, please check that the fence wire is properly connected. If the connection is good, your energizer may be too small for your fence system.
Check the grounding
Poor grounding is usually the cause of low voltage of the electric fence. Your ground rod shall be made of galvanized steel and connected to the exciter by underground cable.
The rod shall be 10 m away from any other grounding device, i.e. Those used by telephone or power companies. Do not use steel pipes or structures as soil.
Generally, one meter of soil is required for each joule of energy, i.e. a five-joule fence energizer requires five meters of ground. Your grounding rods should be at least four meters apart.
If your grounding looks correct, test it by creating a full short circuit hundreds of meters from the power supply. Lay an iron bar over the wire to connect the fence line directly to the ground. Then place the voltmeter on the last grounding rod in the line to see if there is a voltage between the grounding rod and the earth.
No readings below 500 VOLTS - continue to check your fence connection.
Any reading above 500 volts. Any recorded voltage represents a loss on the fence line. Add more rods at four meter intervals until the reading is below 500 volts.