There can be numerous reasons why you require an electric fencing around your property. Whether you are trying to contain your livestock or domestic animals within your boundaries or you are preventing other animals or predators from gaining access electric fencing is the perfect solution. Electric fencing generates enough shock to prevent the animal moving across the boundary. When installing electric fencing around your premise it can be quite difficult to assemble. This article provides step by step instructions to help you install your electric fencing with ease.

Electric fencing items and tools required

Electric fencing items:

·Electric Fence Controller

·10 to 14 Gauge Wire Insulated for 20,000 Volts

·Grounding System (copper or galvanized rods and brass clamps)

·Electric Fence Posts

·Insulation Wrap

·Wire-strippers

Tools needed:

·Hammer

·Screwdrivers

·Pliers

·Post-Hole Digger

Electric Fencing Installation Guide

1.Firstly, you need to source the ideal location to harbour your electric fencing controller. This needs to be kept in a clean dry location away from any areas that suffer from abiotic factors such as wind and rain. In a basement or garage is regarded as a suitable location. Also a 120 Volt polarized outlet needs to be in close vicinity so the controller can be plugged in. However, DO NOT plug into it at this stage.

2.Secondly a copper or galvanised grounding rod which is at least 6 feet in length needs to be embedded fully into the ground. This rod needs to be installed WITHIN 20 FEET of the electric fencing controller.

3.Grounding wire that can support the transfer of 600 volts to 20,000 volts needs to connect both the grounding rod and the electric fencing controller. To keep the rod attached to the grounding rod a grounding clamp needs to be used.

4.To get the best out of your electric fencing embed into the ground a further two 6 feet grounding rods at a distance of 10 feet apart. You then need to daisy chain the rods to the grounding wire to create a circuit.

5.You then need to think about installing your fence posts around the perimeter of the protected area. Firstly, the posts need to be spaced at a distance between 25 and 75 feet. The posts need to be kept a suitable distance apart as the wire needs to be kept flexible enough to prevent the connection from breaking. Secondly a post pole digger is required to install the post for a quick and easy assembly.

6.At this point we can see that the fence posts are up and installed. Now it is time to install the wiring starting with the furthest post from the electric fencing controller. When connecting the wire it is important to use good joins and connections to the posts as well as providing an insulation covering to reduce corrosion.

7.A typical height for the electric fencing if you are containing animals like horses is 48 inches above ground. As a rough guide to spacing electric wiring, at the bottom the distance should be approximately six to eight inches to stop smaller animals gaining access. As you move towards the middle and the upper part of the electric fencing the distance between the wires can be greater up to a distance of 10 inches apart.

8.When all the posts have been connected, a ten to fourteen gauge of insulated length with 20,000 Volt wire needs to connect the rows of wire to act as a jumper. For example, a jumper wire will connect the top wire to the second one down and then second wire down to the third wire. This will continue down to the very bottom of the electric fencing.

9.Once this has all been completed and the fence wires are now connected you need to connect the electric fencing controller to the top wire of the electric fencing.

10.Before plugging into the 120 Volt polarized outlet it is advisable to go back over all the connections you have made. When this has been carried out insert the electric fencing controller's plug into 120 Volt polarized outlet. An indicator light on the controller should now identify that the electric fencing is working properly.

11.Once the electric fencing installation is complete a voltmeter needs to be used to check the voltage along the length of the fence to ensure that electricity is travelling the entire length.