Do the Gallagher check!

As an animal lover, you want to be confident that your animals will stay safe in their pasture and not have to deal with them escaping or breaking out from the fence. It is therefore important to check your fencing to ensure it is working efficiently. Spring time, for example, is a perfect time to carry out this check for a fresh start to the new grazing season. But regular checks are also very important during the grazing season!

For an easy check of your fence, we have developed the Gallagher Check. Thanks to the step-by-step explanation, you can easily check your own fence at home, without it taking up a lot of your time. Watch the video of the Gallagher Check or download the Gallagher Check (pdf) so that you have all the information at hand and can go through it step by step at your leisure. After the check, you can be sure that your fence is in good working order and ready for the grazing season!

Do you have a fault on your fence and can't fix it yourself? Then we advise you to enlist the help of the Gallagher customer service team. Here, we can assist you over the phone in finding a solution to the problems on the fence you have. Would you rather have someone visit you? Then make an appointment with a Gallagher specialist. They will come to your premises to identify the problem and give you advice on your fencing.

Getting the animals outside safely: check your fences

The safety of your animals comes first at Gallagher. This starts with developing the safest products possible. But as the saying goes, good tools are half the battle. The other half of the work lies in proper installation and maintenance. You do not necessarily have to be a specialist for maintenance. Gallagher has developed the Gallagher Check especially for this purpose. With this step-by-step check, you can check your fence yourself and be sure that you have done everything to provide your animals with the safest possible pasture.

Step 1: Check your energiser

Switch the device off and disconnect the fence at the red button (the output of the current). Switch the device back on. Then hold your tester against the end of the red button, and hold the end of the wire attached to your tester against the end of the other button (green - where the earthing is attached). Is the voltage higher than 6000V? Then the device is okay. Is it lower? Then the device is broken.

Step 2: Check the voltage on the fence

Go to the end of your fence and check the voltage. Is this voltage more than 1500V lower than what you have measured on your energizer? Then go back to the energizer and check the earthing (see further step 4).

Step 3: Check the fence itself

Walk past the fence and check if everything is in order. Is the wire tensioned properly? This reduces the chance of your animals becoming entangled in. Is the wire damaged and are the connections between the wires still intact? It is also important that all insulators are intact. This will prevent the wire from losing its current or your animals from getting hurt. You should also check the posts: are they straight and undamaged? Finally, you check whether the gates still function properly. Are the gate handles still in one piece and is the wire well tensioned?

Step 4: Check the earthing of the energiser

Why? To make sure you get the most out of your energiser. Your energiser can be powerful, but if it has a poor earthing it will perform less than a well earthed unit that is much lighter. You check the earthing by placing an iron post against the fence at a distance of 100 metres from the energiser. By creating a short circuit, you ensure that there is less voltage on your fence. Is it now less than 1000V? Then you can continue. Is it still more than 1000V? Then place a few more posts against the fence until the voltage has dropped below 1000V. Then walk to the earth pin of your energizer and measure the voltage on it. You can measure this by holding the tester itself against the earth stake and sticking the wire with the pin in the ground at a distance of about one metre. Is this voltage less than 300V? Then your earthing is fine. Is the voltage more than 300V? Then install extra earth stakes and carry out the test again.

Need advice?

Gallagher stands for quality, both in product and service. That is why, in addition to online advice for your fence, we also offer you the option of getting customized advice at your premises. Want to make sure your fence is safe for your animals or want a completely new fence? Then feel free to contact the Gallagher specialist.
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