Earthing
'The more powerful, the better' is something we often hear from our customers. It is thought that with a powerful energiser the fence will always work.
Unfortunately this is often not the case. We often see that a very powerful energiser is installed on an improperly installed or ill maintained fence. Which is a waste, as you are not making use of the optimal performance of your energiser and your animals can still outsmart the fence and escape.
Therefor check on a regular basis the voltage on your fence, but also check regularly the condition of the fence. Is the heart of your electric fence beating good enough to support fencing the whole paddock?
Step by step on how to check your earthing
1. Use a Gallagher tester such as the Fault Finder
2. Turn off the energiser
3. Place an iron rod/post against your fence at a 100 meter distance from your earthing system
4. Turn the energiser back on
5. Make sure that there is less than 1.0 kV on your fence
6. When this is not the case while the iron post is touching the fence, you add as many iron posts as needed to make sure the voltage level drops below 1.0 kV
7. Measure the voltage on the earth stake with a digital volt meter
8. The voltage on the earth pen should read less then 0.3 kV. If so, the earthing is working fine
9. Is it reading a higher voltage than 0.3 kV, another earth stake needs to be added
Why is earthing important?
Without good earthing, you won't have a functioning fence. Poor earthing provides little current on your fence and is the most common problem with non-functioning or malfunctioning fencing. A shame, because this means you are not benefiting from the optimal performance of energisers and your animals can still outwit you and break out.
Earthing material
For good earthing, you can use different products. For example, Gallagher has various earth stakes, earth mix and ground cables. View our complete range of earthing materials.
Applying earthing
As earthing is very important, we would like to help you get started! Thus, we have prepared a complete step-by-step plan for installing a fence, and applying earthing. This will ensure that you build a strong fence that will last for years!
How does an earth stake work?
One of the important earthing materials is the earth stake. At Gallagher, you can buy earth stakes in various lengths and prices. View the product range
How many earth stakes do I need?
The number of earth stakes needed varies from situation to situation and depends partly on the electric fence device you use. We have a comprehensive overview of the materials needed in each situation. However, every type of soil around the world is different, which is why you may need more earth stakes than the recommended amount. Therefore, always measure it to be sure! Make sure that if you need more than one earth stake, put them at least three metres apart!
How deep should an earth stake for electrified wire be?
Make sure that the earth stake including the cable is at least 10 cm below ground level. Do you have several earth stakes? Then connect the first to the second earth stake with double insulated ground cable and the second to the third, etc.
How does an earthing cable work?
An earthing cable -also called ground cable- is used for grounding an energiser in a fence. The use of an earthing cable is necessary for connecting the energiser to the fence and to the earthing pins. A ground cable is also used to make underground connections, for example at fences and passageways. Find out which earthing cable is best to buy!
How thick should an earthing cable be?
Different types of fencing require different materials. The thickness of an earthing cable also varies depending on which energiser is used. Fortunately, we have a comprehensive overview of mounting the device and earthing where you can find all the information.
Earthing tests
An essential step for a well-functioning fence is to carry out an earthing test. Testing your earthing can be quick and easy, but is hugely important. Therefore, regularly check the current on your fence using a fence tester, but above all, check now that the base of your fence is sound. Is the heart of your fence beating well enough for your meadow? We are happy to help you test grounding.
Buy earthing
Ready to get started on creating good earthing to ensure a properly functioning fence? Check out all our earthing materials!