Fence battery doesn't seem to work?

[spotty_pony]

As title. I have charged it up and it reckons it is fully charged but I can't hear any ticking and the spotty one keeps leaning over it! ? is there any way to test it without getting a tester? And anything I can do to find out why it's not working?

 

[PeterNatt]

Assuming the battery is fully charged.
Is the energiser turned on?
Check that there are no breaks in the wires from the battery to the energiser and the energiser to the fence?
Check the terminals on the energiser are tight.
Have you got the polarity of the energiser termnals the correct way round?
Is the energiser earthed correctly? (Pour a bucket of water over the soil and then push energisers earth stake in it).
Is the energiser working correctly?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Is your earth stake fully in the ground?

 

[ester]

Earth def the first place to start.

and well yeah, if not tester, touch it but if it's not ticking and your horse is leaning over it that's pretty conclusive

 

[teddypops]

You can buy fence testers. It hooks on the fence and it has a prong that you stick in the ground, it then lights up to show the level of power you have. Car batteries don’t last forever so it might be that you need a new one.

 

[Merry neddy man]

Check it is switched on, the switch is usually underneath the energiser it's easy to catch it and turn it off, red to + terminal on battery, black to - on battery , green to earth spike that must be well into the ground (as above pour water to soften the ground and make a good contact, ) pink clip to the tape/ cable, make sure the little black knobs on the energiser are all screwed up tight, IF the battery is charged you should hear it clicking as above take hold and you will know if it's working, batteries should be recharged before they are fully flat, if left in the garage etc. when not in use they can still go flat, keep giving them a top up charge, if it is not charged try charging it again ,red to +black to -. If the tape is touching long grass or wooden stakes it can drain/weaken its power. (hope you are not offended by my detailed list, I'm just trying to help)

 

[Lady Jane]

Get a tester, but you know its not working

 

[spotty_pony]

How far in the ground does the stake need to be? All the way down? I will have a look at the energeriser but from Memory it doesn't have any buttons on it all all!

 

[Nudibranch]

The earth spike should be in as much as you can get it, so the more the better. You can use two screwdrivers to test - put one on and then the other a couple of centimetres away. Move them closer and at some point you'll see a spark if it's working.

 

[spotty_pony]

The earth spike should be in as much as you can get it, so the more the better. You can use two screwdrivers to test - put one on and then the other a couple of centimetres away. Move them closer and at some point you'll see a spark if it's working.

and I won't get a shock doing this? ?

 

[brighteyes]

I've always had a tester but sometimes you can hear the 'tick' as you hook the gate handle to the catch - it's where my power enters the (extensive and complicated) circuit! I sometimes have to pour water down where the earth cable goes, though.

 

[teddypops]

and I won't get a shock doing this? ?

This is what I mean £10 on ebay

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

My mum used to pay my brother to test the fence.......

 

[Carrottom]

If I don't have the tester with me I use a piece of grass, about 6 inches long, hold one end and touch the other on the tape, slide your fingers nearer to the tape until you feel the ping. If your fingers get to the tape you touch it and it isn't working.
I find the connection most likely to be broken is from the energizer to the tape.

 

[phizz4]

How far in the ground does the stake need to be? All the way down? I will have a look at the energeriser but from Memory it doesn't have any buttons on it all all!

My energizer has a switch on the base.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I just touch it. Good way to wake yourself up a bit in the morning ?

 

[Nudibranch]

and I won't get a shock doing this? ?

You shouldn't! If you're worried use electrical screwdrivers although if you have to buy them you may as well just buy a tester ?

 

[Ellietotz]

I test with pulling up a strand of plant, making sure it isn't dry like hay, so just a dock leaf or something, hold it between my fingers half way down so not touching my finger tips were it is sensitive and hold it against the fence. You'll feel the pulse without getting a shock!

 

[spotty_pony]

Is your earth stake fully in the ground?

It wasn't no! I am going to have a play when I get back from my hack. The energiser has little red and green things to turn on the bottom of it. Wonder what position they are meant to be in ?

 

[ester]

pic? Usually they are just bolts to hold the live (red) and green (earth) wires.

 

[Nasicus]

If you end up testing it by touching it, make sure you kneel to touch the ground when you do so. I spent months faffing with my setup, perplexed as to why I wasn't getting more than a tiny tingle when I touched it. It took me far too long to realize that wearing rubber soled boots is a great way to insulate yourself, and by then I'd sent the energizer back a couple of times for poor performance

And yes, I do and did have a fence tester, but remembering to bring it with me down the field was/is the tricky bit...

 

[ester]

haha sorry nasicus good point!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It wasn't no! I am going to have a play when I get back from my hack. The energiser has little red and green things to turn on the bottom of it. Wonder what position they are meant to be in ?

Pour water on it as well that helps if the ground is very dry, can't help with the buttons though

 

[Carrottom]

The red and green knobs are usually where the lead s to the fence (red) and earth (green) attach to the energizer.

 

[spotty_pony]

I've sorted it! I plucked up the courage to touch it, and of course it wasn't on. I looked at the energiser and it appeared a wire had snapped off and come disconnected which explains why it wasn't working! Was thinking about getting another one when I remembered I had another one in the tack room so dug it out and it now works and ticks loudly ? the spotty one was not impressed but that should stop him leaning over it! ?

 

[ester]

hurrah!

 

[Merry neddy man]

Dont throw the old broken one away, unscrew the knob on the energiser where it has broken making a note of where it fits, then unscrew the other one and see how they have prepared the cable, prepare the broken cable to match the good one refit to the correct terminal refit the other one and hey presto it's mended and working again for no money outlay.

 

[scats]

Glad it’s sorted. Definitely worth getting a tester.
I have (well, had) two energisers, but I still find bits of one of them.... the farmer came to top the fields without warning and proceeded to smash my energiser into a thousand pieces.

 

[Lady Jane]

I splashed out on a digital tester: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252776982575
Best thing I did. You just can't see the flashing lights in the sun on the usual ones and I have wasted hours and hours of my life trying to work out what was going on