Electric fence question

48C-MAN · Aug 3, 2015

Can you use 12-3 gauge copper burial wire between the fencer and the fence? Appox. 50 ft in this case, the fencer is going to be inside my shed and the fence runs by about 50ft away.

rustyfarmall · Aug 3, 2015

(quoted from post at 11:42:56 08/03/15) Can you use 12-3 gauge copper burial wire between the fencer and the fence? Appox. 50 ft in this case, the fencer is going to be inside my shed and the fence runs by about 50ft away.

Don't know why not. I've even ran single strand, insulated 12 gauge copper inside of 3/4" PVC. Sealed the ends of the PVC with caulking to keep the water and critters out. Worked fine for 2 years and then I didn't need it anymore.

K Effective · Aug 3, 2015

After fighting the shorts in the direct-burial electric fence wire, I started to use regular 12-3 romex- has held up fine for several years. You may want to consider mounting the fencer outside and running the 120V power to it- bringing lightning into the barn can be detrimental. Definitely use several ground rods if you to leave it inside.

notjustair · Aug 3, 2015

I use 12-2 Romex wire around here and have for years to get from pen to pen. I run the hot through the black and white lines and ground through the bare. I have a ground rod driven in for each place it travels. Works pretty good - haven't had any problems. One A/C charger runs all of the hog pens and the bull pen.

Greg K · Aug 3, 2015

That 12/3 Romex© has insulation on it rated for 600 volts. If your fencer puts out more volts that that you may be out of luck. If you also put it in plastic pipe that should create enough insulation to keep it from shorting out. Long story short, I don't know either.

Steve@Advance · Aug 3, 2015

I agree with K. Use the 12-3 to run the 120v out to the charger, put the charger inside a weather proof container.

WellWorn · Aug 3, 2015

48C-MAN, most modern "high impedance" fencers put out upwards of 6,000V, some as high as 15,000 or more. The insulation rating on house wire (regardless of whether it's NM, UF, or THHN) is 600V. Will it withstand more? Some. For a short period of time in good dry conditions. Underground? For more than a day or two? NM? Not a chance. UF? maybe for a short while.

I know for fact that 12THHN woven through a cattle panel to reach a hot wire at the other end, I can see small sparks at night every point the wire crossed the steel panel, and even after running the wire through an old hunk of garden hose, could still feel a small shock in the panel. This with a 2 joule Zareba charger throwing about 7kv. The Parmak 6 joule in the big barn easily does 15K on a dry but weed covered fence; about 9K after a rain. That level of voltage will leak and form carbon tracks through 'house wire' insulation that gets worse fast when exposed to moisture.

In short, can it be done? Yes. Is it a good idea? Not if you don't want to do it have to do it right later, after rounding up critters that figured out that the fence ain't that hot anymore.

pburchett · Aug 3, 2015

(quoted from post at 11:42:56 08/03/15) Can you use 12-3 gauge copper burial wire between the fencer and the fence? Appox. 50 ft in this case, the fencer is going to be inside my shed and the fence runs by about 50ft away.

Save yourself the trouble and put it in conduit. If you have a good fence charger it will arc through the thin 12-3 insulation and coating. As it gets into the wetter season it will arc more and more. Put it in conduit of some sort and it will be fine. Or you could buy the under ground wire. It has about a quarter inch of insulation on the wire. I know this by experience...

Part Time Pete · Aug 3, 2015

I use the high voltage wire and sleeve it in black well pipe (carlon or polybutylene)
Pete

fixerupper · Aug 3, 2015

Use the Romex wire, hook it up, plug in the charger and then walk alongside the insulated Romex with the wire running through your hand. Do you have the guts to do it?

paul · Aug 3, 2015

The wire is fine, but the insulation might not be good enough for the high voltage. I'd run it in conduit.

Paul

formenwhogrow · Aug 3, 2015

Use the insulated 12 ga aluminum lead out wire that any fence supply company sells and bury it some kind of pvc conduit. That way if and moisture finds its way into the pipe you won't have to worry too much about voltage loss.

Electric fence question

48C-MAN

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rustyfarmall

Well-known Member

K Effective

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notjustair

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Greg K

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Steve@Advance

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WellWorn

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pburchett

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Part Time Pete

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fixerupper

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paul

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formenwhogrow

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