Electric Fence Grounding

Host: Joanna Coles, Warren County Extension Agent for Agriculture & Natural Resources
Guest: Dr. Morgan Hayes, Assistant Extension Professor
Topic: Electric Fence Grounding
Electric fencing provides a successful boundary by shocking an animal when there is a contact between the animal and the fence wire.  For electric fencing to work properly, current or electricity from the fence must travel through the animal, into the ground and back to the energizer. The grounding on the energizer works as an “antenna” to collect the current and complete the circuit, which allows the animal to feel the shock. Frustration with electric fencing occurs when animals do not receive a proper shock when they first come in contact with the fence. The most common point where the electric fence fails is in the grounding systems.  Tips for a successful electric fence are as follows: Use at least 3 ground rods, 10 feet apart and 6 feet into the soil, avoid setting up a grounding system adjacent to other grounding systems, use galvanized ground rods, use 12.5-gauge or larger wire with a Class III galvanization from the energizer to the ground rods. Also, regularly check the wire from the energizer to the ground rods, and use proper connectors to attach wire to the ground rods.