Lifetime of an energiser

[supsup]

In your experience, what is the expected lifetime of an energiser when in continual use (24/7, installed outdoors in the field, run off 12V battery)?

Mine just broke - again! This is number 6, I think, in 8 years. This unit is one year old, and was a replacement under warranty after the original one I bought failed within 10 months.
I either must have really poor luck (they have all either failed within the 2 year warranty period, or just after), or I'm doing something wrong that is damaging them early. I just can't figure out what! I hang them upright, usually with a bucket on top (if it hasn't blown away) to keep the worst rain off. I've opened a couple of the units once they were dead and no longer under warranty, and usually there was no clear reason for failure (cables properly attached, no water damage), but parts on the circuit board must have failed. In one case there were scorch marks where a spark had been jumping across a poor solder connection on the board. In other cases, the unit still powers, but doesn't pulse, which I think may be a broken capacitor or something.

I've been wondering what I might be doing wrong. The energiser is unclipped from the battery a few times a day (has no on-off switch) to switch the fence off, and there's a solar panel also connected to the battery. Other than that, everything is absolutely standard!

Any tips? If you have an energiser that has lasted you for a nice, long time with decent output (1.2J output at least), would you mind sharing the brand/make?

 

[w1bbler]

Hope I'm not tempting fate, but my Gallagher energised is almost 5 years olfd, continuous 24/7 365 day use.

Could putting a bucket over it be making it overheat? I've never done anything to protect mine & it's in the middle of a field on Dartmoor.

 

[Branna]

Ours tend to get stolen before they need replacing! Which tends to be one every 1-2 years, but never had one fail within 2 years. I will have to check the make.
But ours are always well covered as we do everything we can to deter thefts and never had an issue with overheating.

 

[eggs]

I've had a mains energiser (Rutland) fail but it turned out that beetles had made it their home. It didn't cost much to get it fixed. Other than that I had a 12v get trashed by the youngsters who managed to knock it off the pole it was on and stand on it but I couldn't really say that that one failed. For my 12v energisers I do keep a plastic box over the battery to keep the worst of the weather off it.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I have 2 x Hotline CP250's, one is over 15 yrs old, the other around 5.
Both still working (keeping fingers xx'd as I type) tho I have had to repair the power line out on newer one, from box to fence as 'someone' ate it....

These are the ones you shove into the ground with their own earth stake, also on/off switch under. Never had to cover them from weather, tho have camoflaged with an old tyre to hide from view if nr the yard.

 

[Dry Rot]

Hope I'm not tempting fate, but my Gallagher energised is almost 5 years olfd, continuous 24/7 365 day use.

Could putting a bucket over it be making it overheat? I've never done anything to protect mine & it's in the middle of a field on Dartmoor.

I do think Gallagher are the Rolls Royce of electric fencing equipment, and not just because I briefly sold the stuff! Gallagher have been around for a long time and are sold all over Australia so they have to be good.

I don't have a Gallagher energiser any more (Electric Shepherd, I think) but I dismantled the tester the other evening and gave it a good wash with Fairy Liquid and warm water as it was filthy! After making sure it was thoroughly dried, it is again working perfectly. It must be at least 25 years old and has been very roughly treated here where at least half the fencing is mains electric.

Electronic circuitry does need to be kept dry and well ventilated but apart from that it shouldn't need any special treatment. But you do get what you pay for. Component failure will be the main reason it stops working. The cheaper units will use poorer quality components. The better manufacturers will usually be able to supply a new circuit board or at least a repair service when they go wrong.

 

[TheEngineer]

I worked with energisers for years and to be honest, I have seen them easily last 10 years. Especially Gallagher and Pel, Hotline also normally pretty good and they are cheap to repair. How you use your energiser,does not realy affect its life, the only major external factor that cooks them,is lightening. I saw many energisers that were fried internally,by a lightening strike,either on the line, or close to it. I used to sometimes be able to judge when I would get a rush on repairs after a bad weather forecast in a particular area. Most of the energisers with a "removable circuit board" are repairable by a decent technician. When I used to do repairs the most common fault was the energiser would whine,but not click. Two small components and all was fine again. Fully agree with Dry Rots comments above.

 

[Cahill]

i have got 2x green rutlands with the bubble button,total crap,have been repaired under warrenty a couple of times ( there is an issue with the on/off? ) now in a box and i cant bring myself to chuck them but have been quoted £70 each to repair

 

[Red-1]

Been here 18 years, and the first energiser lasted maybe 13 years, the second only a couple, and the third is still going strong.

I think the second one was hampered when OH strimmed it though!

 

[Kylara]

Our fenceman energisers last a fair old while but do get sent off for servicing every couple of years. Got a new one this year (couldn't find spare when one due its service) and it seems just as excellent. According to my OH (electronics engineer) the only difference in brand will be component quality and it's worth spending more.

 

[Auslander]

Mine last as long as it takes for one particular horse to find them, and destroy them. My last one was ancient - held together with baler twine, duct tape and cable ties, but somehow, after each splatting, it carried on working. New horse arrived, and within two weeks, it was toast. The replacement has just gone the same way...