Ask The Expert - Electric Fencing FAQ
There are always lots of questions to be answered when it comes to electric fencing. Here are answers to two of the most frequently asked electric fencing questions. We do have a few more questions answered in our FAQ Page - click here
Can barbed wire be used for an electric fence?
Well of course in theory and from a practical point of view barbed wire could be used as an electric fence. It is metal and could carry a current if it were insulated. But that is as far as it goes – we would never recommend using barbed wire as an electric fence and here are the main reasons why not:- It is not legal – in many parts of the world electrifying a barbed wire fence is illegal.
- It is dangerous – barbed wire fences and electric fences are not dangerous if installed correctly on their own, but they are dangerous when the two are combined. If a person or animal got entangled in the wire, then they would receive multiple shocks over and over because they could not escape from the fencing. This would be very harmful and could cause serious injury.
- As I mentioned earlier it is possible to electrify a barbed wire fence – but the way barbed wire is constructed with lots of joins and open points would give the current resistance and therefore it would be less effective.
This is a resounding no. Please don’t use barbed wire as an electric fence.
How do you add electric fencing to an existing fence?
We hear this question a lot and for many different applications; keeping the fox out of an existing pen, stopping horses from cribbing on a wooden fence, making sure sheep don’t get through a stock fence etc. With all of these examples and many more it is possible to add an electric fence to an existing fence by following these guidelines:- Insulators - Electric fencing will short if it touches wood, metal, or foliage so to insure this doesn’t happen the electric fence line needs to be insulated from the existing fence by attaching insulators. There are screw in insulators, nail on insulators, bolt on insulators, stand-off insulators, off-set insulators, tube insulators… there are many different kinds of insulators, and you will find one that will suit your fencing needs and conductor!
- Tension - The electric fence line will require good tension as it is sitting near to wood – so it is a good idea to use strong and/or off set insulators to keep the fence from sagging and getting blown on to the other fence. Inline tensioners can be used to keep the fencing taut too.
- Conductor - There are different types of electric fence line to be used for different animals and different insulators can be used too for different circumstances. Research what is best for your animal, and you will get the most effective result. For example – horses will be kept back from a wooden fence with one line of rope running through stand-off insulators whereas foxes could be kept out of an existing enclosure with three lines of polywire running around the outside of the pen on ring insulators and standoff insulators.
This type of electric fencing is similar to free standing electric fencing as in the principals are the same – keep the electric fence line clear and insulated then you will create an effective barrier.
A bit of planning to start off with will ultimately create a stronger and more effective electric fence which will keep your animals in and the predators out. For help with further electric fence questions… get in touch:
Call: 01620 860058 or Email: [email protected]
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