Electric fences have become a necessity for many home and business owners in South Africa, and for good reason too. As crime continues to surge, people need to have as many protective layers of security as possible to protect their loved ones and assets.

The process of electric fence installation isn’t complicated at all; even if you’re not an expert who specializes in this process, it won’t hurt to know how it’s done, especially if you think you can do it yourself. Let’s take a look at  how the pros do it, from planning to completion.

 

Assess your property

Before you buy an electric fence, you need to first do your homework. To get started, find out whether you’re allowed to use electric fencing on your property by checking in with your local municipality. This will give you all the information you need about your utility line, so you can avoid running your electric fence along these lines.

Once you’ve determined where the electric fence can be placed, proceed to map out the fence’s placement. Look for potential geographical issues like hills, densely wooded areas, or high brush that needs to be avoided.

Measure the perimeter of the fence line and determine what amount of wiring you need for your fence. Once that’s done, you can go ahead and purchase your materials.

Remember, grounding rods will need to be installed within 3 to 10 feet of one another, and you’ll also need connectors and insulators to complete your electric fence. Be sure to spend some time making the right calculations in accordance with your prior planning.

 

Connect Your Fence Controller

When you install a fence controller, you need to protect all of the electrical connections from any moisture to keep them working properly. Only use insulated cable that’s specifically intended to be used with electric fencing – typical electrical wiring is rated for a lower voltage and will malfunction.

A fence controller must be properly grounded to prevent any electrical shock should it malfunction. To ground the fence controller, we recommend that you install three grounding rods that are galvanized or made from copper.

Each rod should be about 1.8 meters, and you ought to install them within 6 meters of the fence controller. The rods should be driven down 6 feet deep and should be spaced 3 meters apart. Once installed, a ground rod clamp should be used to attach the ground wire to the ground rod. Connect the ground wire to your fence controller.

 

Fit the Fence Posts

Fence posts are usually spaced from about 6 to 22 meters. This spacing will ultimately depend on your terrain, since a hilly area (or one with curves) would require additional fence posts at smaller increments.

Once you’ve figured out where your posts need to be rooted, you can begin the installation process. Depending on the sort of posts you’re using, you’ll need to dig a few holes. Some fence posts, like metal T-posts, are mostly driven down directly into the ground to properly root them in. Install any insulators that you may need on the posts.

 

Run the Wires

This step may be different for you compared with others; it depends on the amount of wires you’ll be running along your fence. Regardless, you should always start the wire where the charger will be connected.

Next, run the wires through the insulators on each post. Make sure that the connections between the wires are sturdy – always use wire clamps, connectors, and splices to make proper connections. Once all of the fencing is installed, attach the wires to the charger.

 

Time for testing

Power up your fence and test it to ensure that it’s functioning properly. Use a voltage meter and check different areas of the fence, as well as each individual wire strand if your fence has multiple strands.

If your fence isn’t getting the right amount of power in your readings, make sure that nothing is interfering with the fence line. You’ll also need to ensure that the fencing is securely held within the insulators and isn’t grounding out on a post, as well as the fact that the charger you’re using is right and proper for your fence’s size.

 

And there you have it! If you’d like some help installing your electric fence, don’t be too shy to get in touch with us today, we’d love to hear all about your project!