Help with electric fencing

Field04

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My electric fencing runs from the mains, however it seems to be dying as has very little juice left in it. The light indicating the power only clicks every 20 seconds and the power is not getting around the field anymore. Big problem as pony has figured this out and now spends most of the time trying to open the part of the fencing that is not working. I am in two minds, should I keep this battery running from the mains but only use it for half the field (this seems to work), and then get a battery run or solar powered battery for the other half. Or just get a new mains run battery??? And yes have checked all the fencing and there is no reason for it not to work. If I do get a solar powered one does also require a battery or does it come included and if I get a battery one how do you charge it if not solar powered? Sorry to be so dumb bu I inherited my current mains one so don't really know about any others. And also sorry this is one paragraph but since they have changed the forum for some reason I cannot do more than one paragraph!!
 
Have checked the earth, it is fine. However, I may try a longer earthing rod. I am using the one it came with and it is not very long. Maybe this could help?? I have checked the voltige with my electric fence tester and it looses power about 5 metres from the battery so it just cannot make it the other end of the field. Also the field is not a square, think more of a u shape. I wondered if this could affect the power, but it has always worked before. hmmmm..
 
Have you checked the tape carefully around the point where it looses power? I've had tape before that looks OK at first glance but when you look closely, the metal conductors running through it have broken or are wearing thin where it's been rubbing so there's a power drop from that point on. Just a thought.

On the normal (non-mains) battery question, you charge them using a car battery charger. (Think you can get them from the likes of Argos). It just plugs into the mains and charges overnight.
 
Sounds to me as though the energiser is on the way out - how old is it? Even if there was a leak not far from it, it should still put out the right amount from the energiser. If you get a battery one, get a leisure battery - they last longer before the charge runs down. You will still need a charger and mains electricity to charge it though. I think the solar powered ones have a small battery, how else would they work during the night, but they aren't designed to power a long length of fence. Why not ask a Fencing company like Rutland, they make all sorts so won't really push you towards a product that isn't suitable.
 
From treading the Original post I'm not sure if you've got a battery energiser or a mains energiser? Either way you would need an earthing spike that's about 3' or 90cm long. If the earth isn't any good then the system won't work very well. If you are on a battery then that needs testing. Just because you think you've charged it doesn't mean that it's holding the charge. You may find that it's knackered & the some of the cells have broken down. If that's the case then you will need a new battery, get a leisure batterty not a car battery. A leisure battery is designed to be charged & run right down with out causing damage. If you do this enough times with a car battery it will be irrepairably damaged. Check your fence tape/rope is joined properly, just knotting pieces together causes a weakness & very often after a few knots the power stops flowing. Once all that's been checked out & id ok then your energiser will be the culprit & you'll need a new one.
 
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