Electric fences work on the principle of simple electronics. For a good flow of live positive energy there needs to be good path to the negative earth. In standard electric fencing this is achieved in two ways.
Through the ground with electrical flow returning to an earth stake
In poor soil conditions a return through an earth wire.
Both of these methods can be used in conjunction for better efficiency.
There are differing opinions on what a sufficient earth system is but the fact of the matter is everyone’s fence setup will require different amounts of attention depending on various factors. Varying factors may include, the condition of the soil (moisture and element make up) the distance being fenced, the type of animal that the fence is for and vegetation along the fence line.
The main thing to keep in mind if you are unsure how much effort you need to put into your earth system for your fence is:
You can never have too much earth – but you can easily have too little.
Below are a few short videos relating the differing opinions.
An electric fence needs to be earthed in order to operate effectively. The earth spike or earth stake is used to earth the electric fence system. Nemtek’s Copper clad earth stake offers the best conductivity to earth your electric fence.
Gallagher are global leaders in electric fencing. The Gallagher Electric Fence Manual covers everything from wire and post spacing to what size energizer to use for different animals.
