Electric Fencing Solutions

electric-fencing-Solutions in Kenya

An electric fence is a barrier that uses electric shocks to deter people or animals from crossing a boundary. The voltage of the shock may have effects ranging from discomfort to death.

Hubtech limited electric fences are commonly used for agricultural fencing and other forms of non-human animal control. They are also used to protect high-security areas such as military installations or prisons. Virtual electric fences for livestock using GPS technology have developed.

Building a good electric fence is like anything else, you get out what you put in. If you use the proper equipment and maintain the fence the result will be permanent. Using ‘electric’ or ‘high tensile’ fences costs less than a barb wire fence and they take less time to install. The electric fence option is also more versatile; you can take it down quickly and re-install it somewhere else.

Electric fence Design and function

Electric fences complete an electrical circuit when touched by an animal or human. A component called a power energizer converts power into a brief high voltage pulse. One terminal of the power energizer releases an electrical pulse along a connected bare wire about once per second. Another terminal connects to a metal rod implanted in the earth, called a ground or earth rod. Touching the wire and the earth during a pulse will complete an electrical circuit and conduct the pulse, causing an electric shock. The effects of the shock depend upon the voltage and the energy of the pulse. It also depends on the degree of contact between the recipient, fence, and ground, and the route of the current through the body. It can range from barely noticeable to uncomfortable, painful, or even lethal.

Electric Fence Equipment and Installation Recommendations and Tips

Fencer/Energizer

When purchasing the energizer you should think ‘bigger is better.’ This means, purchasing a fencer that is a little bigger than your requirements. There is an allowance of enough voltage is flowing through the wire to deal with brush and wet. A basic rule of thumb is you need no less than 2000 volts in the summer and 4000 volts in the winter.     Install a fencer where rodents can not chew on the wires (preferably in a building).

·    Ground Rods

The grounding system is the most important part of the fence. Ensure you have installed your ground rods properly. You will need a minimum of 3, 6-8 foot long, rods placed at least 2 meters away from the energizer. Also, they should be 3 meters apart from each other. We usually connect the rods and clamps back to the energizer using galvanized wire.

You should check to see if someone properly ground the fence. Grounding usually does this out the fence with a metal bar and then checks the ground rods with a volt meter. If the reading on the volt meter is higher than 200 volts you need more ground rods. There should be no volt reading on the meter with a properly grounded fence. Use galvanized materials – they do not rust.

Wire

·         Use 12½ gauge galvanized high tensile wire.

·         Tie wire properly.

·         For a two-wire fence, the first wire should be 22 inches from the ground and the top wire 40 inches.

·         The top and bottom wires should be always connected at least every 1/2 mile.

Insulators.

·         Buy high-quality insulators – they require a nail at the top and bottom/insulators requiring a single nail will draw power from the fence.

·         Many different manufacturers provide a multi-year warranty on insulators and will replace broken ones at no cost to you.

Corner Strainers

·         Tie corners properly.

·         Porcelain or plastic strainers are acceptable. 

Gates

·         Use a good quality gate kit.

·         Underground coated wire is often required to transfer power from one side of the gate to another. 

Braces

Braces are the backbone of any good fence.

·         For a one-wire paddock division a lighter brace can be always used.

·         Ensure the horizontal brace is 2.5 times the height of the vertical brace post.

·         There are many options to build braces. The most critical is to have corner posts (4 to 5″) at least 3.5 feet in the ground. In addition, the horizontal brace and straining wire have to be usually installed correctly.

Posts

·         Post spacing can be up to 60-75 feet with high tensile wire on level ground.

·         On hilly ground spacing should not exceed 30-40 feet.

How to install an electric fence

1.       Clear the brush, grass, deadfall, and trees area.

    Clear areas of bushes, grasses, dead ends, and trees. This will minimize the risk of short-circuiting the fence, thereby greatly reducing the charge.

2.       Install electric fence posts

First, you will need to install the more permanent posts (i.e., wood, steel, or concrete).

Pound in the permanent posts spaced 5m-10m apart, put in at almost exactly 20-30cm deep. It is best to make a mark on the base of each post to get a more uniform set of posts installed.

3.       Mount the electric fence insulators.

Because you need to keep the electricity in the wires and away from the posts, electric fence insulators are important to install. It’ll depend on the type of fence wire you purchase.

Because different types of fence wire will have different insulators to match.

Each post through the fire line needs to be always installed with one insulator.

4.       Install the electric fence polywire.

Depending on how many strands you wish to have for your electric fence, it is usually best to start from the top down.

The top electric fence wire should be at nose-level with your cows (which is around 32 to 36 inches off the ground).

5.       The Cross –connection between two wires.

The firewire is usually connected by connecting buckle/opening bolts at intervals of 30m to make the pulse voltage more uniform and allow the electric fence to function better.

To ensure that all permanent electric fences have effective animal control at the very end of the fence.

6.       Build an electric fence gate.

Transfer power under the gate from one side to the other with an underground cable. Permanent and temporary gates should be always wired identically.

7.       Install an electric fence energizer

An efficient electric fence energizer is the foundation of the basic power supply to your electric fence. The output power of an energizer is in joules.

8.       Install earth stakes

An electric fence is a circuit in which current flows.

For permanently installed mains and electric fence energizer, 3 earth stakes of 1-2m in length are generally sufficient.

Electric Fence Maintenance

One of the most useful tools will be a volt meter or a fault finder. This will help you ensure the proper voltage is being delivered regularly. If you have a fault finder it will speed up the repair process by indicating the direction of the problem.

Every spring it is important to walk the fence line to ensure the insulators are still in place and then the wire is tight. As well you can check for debris such as fallen trees which will decrease the power running through the wire. In the winter, if the energizer is not in use, it should be always stored in a clean, dry place.  If you are using a solar-powered electric fence you will want to charge the battery before storing it for the winter.

Solar Option

Ensure the solar panel is always installed properly and facing the sun at high noon. If you place a pencil vertically on the panel at this time of the day there should be no shadow. With this done the solar panel will charge your battery which in turn powers the fence.

Temporary Electric Fencing

Electrified, the high tensile wire can be usually used as an economical, easily install portal fencing option.  This option provides producers with flexibility in rotational grazing systems to divide up paddocks and feed options during periods of drought. Equipment recommended for this type of fencing includes a reel with wire and step-in posts.

Troubleshooting

The most common problem with an electric fence is low voltage. This could be due to one or more of the following problems.

·         Vegetation/trees on the wire.

      Solution: Ensure the fence is free from debris

·         Missing and/or poor-quality insulator

 Solution: Check insulators and replace missing and/or poor quality

·         Inadequate grounding

 Solution: Add more ground rods or replace corroded ground rods

·         Low battery in the solar system

 Solution: Charge or replace the battery or replace the solar panel with a larger one

·         Too small of a fencer/energizer

 Solution: Buy a larger fence

Benefits of Electric Fencing

·         Safety – Electric fencing offers a safer alternative than conventional barrier fences such as barbed wire and woven wire. It’s less harmful than many fence types, which routinely cut, gouge and scrape livestock, leading to expensive vet bills and production losses.

·         Flexibility – The various systems available from Hubtech limited gives you the flexibility to design the enclosure you need. It is either a permanent, semi-permanent, or portable application to work in most environments or geographical conditions.

·         Ease of installation – Electric fence systems install quickly with minimal standard tools, saving on time and labor.

·         Affordability – The cost savings of our electric fence are significant compared to other fencing options.

·         Effectiveness – Most animals are strong enough to escape through physical barriers. A psychological deterrent, like an electric fence, improves the effectiveness of existing barriers.

Hubtech limited offers the following brands of electric fences.

  1. Druid

Keeping people, animals, and property safe is no simple task. You want a brand you can trust with a wide range of products and services that are cost-effective, quick to install, and easy to use.

Nemtek has been an innovative and reliable force in the electric fence industry for over 30 years. Manufacturing a full range of energizers and fencing hardware, Nemtek uses its in-house knowledge and expertise to deliver applications. Applications such as agricultural animal management and industrial-, commercial- and residential-security fencing.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or upgrading an existing electric fence system, Druid electric fence has the perfect solution for your security needs.

Features

  • Robust and flexible design for home and commercial security
  • Built-in alarm monitors tampering or faults on the high voltage and earth fence wires
  • Connectable to armed response radio or GSM module
  • Lightning and power surge protection
  • Intelligent power saving to extend battery life
  • Easy-to-use tag included for controlling the energizer
  • Walk test mode for easy fence testing
  • The LCD background color changes to easily identify the fence condition
  • Built-in gate alarm input to monitor if the gate is open or closed
  • Optional keypad for controlling and programming the energizer. This allows the user to control the energizer remotely, with up to two keypads.
  1. Hammer

Hammer is an electric fence that has the energy to power an electric fence.

  • High voltage live line monitoring with alarm
  • Gate (Auxiliary) monitoring with alarm
  • Siren and Strobe connections
  • Connect to armed response radio
  • Battery backup
  • Solar enabled
  • Lightning & power surge suppression built-in
  • Easy to use optional LED keypad

Hammer is available in three options.

Hammer EZ 630

  • 4-joule energizer
  • Stored energy: 6J
  • Backup time: 6hrs.
  • Battery capacity 2.4 ah

EZ 640

  • 5-joule energizer
  • Stored Energy: 8J
  • Backup time: 12 hrs.
  • Battery Capacity 7ah

EZ 680

  • 8-joule energizer
  • Stored Energy: 15J
  • Backup time: 12 hrs.
  • Battery Capacity 7ah
  1. JVA

JVA designs and manufactures electric fencing products for perimeter security and livestock management. Our goal is to provide the very best technology, quality, and service to our customers.

The JVA electric fence electronically monitors 24/7 and reports directly to your phone if there is a problem. Now JVA has a solution in a box. We know you’re probably not an electrician, so we have done all the wiring for you. The energizer, monitor, mobile phone connection, solar panel, and more are all in a weatherproof box ready to mount on a pole.

  1. Wizord

Homeowners trust Wizord to provide security for everything they value most. Our extensive range of electrified fencing security products helps ensure the safety and well-being of households. Economical, reliable, and effective designs have been wizord’s focus for more than 30 years, ensuring exceptional electric fence performance daily. The continually growing and inventive Hubtech limited range offers innovative solutions for any residential application.

Features

  • Robust and flexible design for home security
  • Built-in alarm monitors tampering or faults on the high voltage and earth fence wires
  • Connectable to armed response radio or GSM module
  • Lightning and power surge protection
  • Intelligent power saving to extend battery life
  • Easy-to-use tag included for controlling the energizer
  • Built-in gate alarm input to monitor if the gate is open or closed.

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