Vancouver Fencing Company Shares Shocking insight About Electric Fences

As a Vancouver Fencing Company, the team at QS Fencing know that electric fences aren’t usually made with people in mind. It’s more about animals wandering off your property, or getting too close. And far from being lethal, they are designed to deliver a short, sharp jolt that will either contain or ward off intruders, depending on the situation.

The fence itself isn’t what’s electrified. It involves the addition of an offset electric wire separate from the fence, which gives the animal a slight shock when it touches it. Designed as a deterrent rather than a punishment, it can be a useful solution for pet owners with large dogs or other large animals that have a tendency to escape.

For those contemplating an electrified chain-link fence, we’ve prepared a simple outline of the process. However, such steps should only be taken by a professional. Do not try this on your own.

Before setting up an electric fence, it’s important to understand the weaknesses of the current fence. For example, are animals digging their way outside or in? If so, adding a wire along the bottom of the fence would be the way to go. If climbing is the problem, the top should be.

The process begins by Measuring how much wire will be necessary (poly wire or poly tape work better than plain electrical wire because they’re more visible). Special offset insulators will be required to hold the wire away from the chain link fence. And make sure your fence energizer has enough power for the entire fence.

When installing the offset insulators, clip the ends around the opposing wires onto a section of the chain-link. Space them ten or so feet apart along the edge of the fence, and if you are installing one along the base, make sure that the wire doesn’t make contact with the ground or vegetation and ground out.

Once it’s time to string the wire or tape. Run it through the insulators along the circumference of the enclosure, followed by the other wire. Cut a length of insulated cable that reaches between the two strands, then peel off a couple of inches of insulation and wrap each around a different wire. This jumper will now connect the two energized wires.

At this point, it’s necessary to connect the fence charger and the jumper wire with another length of insulated cable. Once again, peel off some of the insulation on one end, then wrap it around the exposed end of the jumper wire where it’s attached to one of the energized wires. Repeat this for the other end of the insulated cable, attaching it to the positive fence terminal on the charger.

Don’t forget the grounding. Check the energizer’s instruction manual for proper grounding directions for the specific model. Connect an insulated cable to the negative terminal on the fence charger, then insert a copper ground rod into the ground at least ten feet away from the energizer, with about 2 inches of the rod sticking out of the ground. Attach the other end of the cable to the rod using a ground clamp.

Finally, all components of the electric fence should be checked and re-checked before plugging in.

Remember, a good fence always starts with a solid base. Eclectic or otherwise, when it comes to chain-link fencing, QS Fencing in Vancouver makes installation fast and affordable.  Call 604-345-5145 for a free quote.