How Electric Fencing Works

By now, you’re more than likely all too familiar with what it feels like to get shocked by an electric fence. But what is really happening to deliver the shock?

In this video from Zareba®, North America’s largest producer of electric fencing supplies, we'll show you the flow of electric current on the fence to see how the process works.

DELIVERY OF ELECTRICITY

Starting at the fence charger, electric current is fed into your system by either an AC power outlet or battery on your DC or solar charger. This current is then built up through a series of transformers inside your fence charger which takes that electricity and converts it into a higher voltage charge.

This higher voltage charge is what is released to your fence lines from your charger’s fence terminal post and wire connection.

TWO TERMINALS ON THE CHARGER

Fence chargers are designed with two external terminals to intentionally create separation in the electric circuit. Electricity enters the fence circuit on the “hot” fence terminal, and completes the circuit when it’s collected by the ground rods and sent up to the ground terminal from your connecting ground wire.

This ground terminal on your charger is just as important in delivering an effective shock to your animal as having a strong output voltage on your fence charger. A fence’s shocking power is only as strong as its grounding system is able to receive. A smaller grounding setup will receive less electric current, and emit less shock on the line.

COMPLETING THE CIRCUIT

The main objective a charge has coming out of a fence charger on the fence line terminal is to find the shortest connecting path to that ground terminal to complete the circuit. The objective, then, of an electric fence system is to only allow one successful point of circuit completion for that current, and that successful point of completion happens when an object touches the “hot” wire and the earth at the same time.

This could be your animal, a branch shorting out the wire, or you may have been the lucky one to complete this circuit once or twice. This is also why birds don’t get shocked on fence lines … they don’t have a contact point with both earth and the wire.

WHY INSULATORS ARE USED

To keep this electric current cleanly running, fence systems utilize insulators to attach wires to posts - insulated wire to make underground connections - And weeds and grass kept off the line, all to keep the electric current from running to the ground.

So, that instantaneous shock felt by the animal touching a fence line is the result of the electric current being passed through its body to the earth. And depending on your soil conditions, (higher moisture levels being more conductive and number of ground rods), the earth can carry this circuit over hundreds of feet to be received by your grounding rods and sent up to your ground terminal.

SUCCESSFUL ANIMAL CONTAINMENT WITH ELECTRIC FENCING

The basic principle of electric currents is what electric fencing utilizes to provide the psychological barrier for animal containment. The charge has successfully completed its trip out of the fence terminal, down the wire, through your body, down to the earth, received by the grounding rods, and back up into the ground terminal.

Electric fencing is one of the safest forms of fencing for both you and your animals. Look for a 3rd party approved safety label from UL or CSA on your charger to ensure all safety evaluations have been completed. The shock from an electric fence charger is extremely low amperage for 3/10,000 of a second, once a second, so it’s an immediate, unpleasant psychological deterrent.

MORE ABOUT ZAREBA® AND ITS ELECTRIC FENCING PRODUCTS

[翠鳥]

1:53 "YOU" may have been the lucky one to complete this circuit once or twice.... LOL

[oceanmariner]

I farmed in younger days. One solution for problem animals is to have a ground wire between hot wires. Also heavy wire under tension transfers the shock better than the usual light wire used on hobby farms. A proper fence will stop polar bears.

[davedeatherage]

Thank -you for you're clear explanation of how the electric fence works👍👌

[usal]

Clear explanation with clear animation

[edinfific]

"Or you may have been the lucky one to complete the circuit once or twice." 😅

[primozkumar]

hello my friend!! can i put my grounding stick above 100 m from the fence?(fence energizer will be also 100m away in the garage conected with insulated wire on the fence) will working or not??tnx for the answer🖤

[xiamalcami]

What if the intruder use safety boots as insulation against ground, it still electrify?

[Festus]

If the charged wires are covered by an insulating material, how is the electricity transferred from the wire>animal>ground> negative terminal?

[damantrip]

does this systems works with small animals like house lizard or gecko?

[patremandagardiner]

Everyone wants to keep animals in meanwhile I just wanna keep humans out my yard🤷🏽‍♂️

[lepideszwespermastealth]

The current through wires is DC right?

[rsrk.]

Thanks for clearing my confusion you got a new sub

[AccuracySpeaks]

I got one of your fence chargers from Tractor Supply under the American FarmWorks brand. Anyhow, I have a bear coming into our apiary trashing beehives. I read all the instructions before I purchased the device and noticed you had to set this solar charger in the sun for 3 days to charge it up. I can't gamble on the 3 days, so I called your help desk. The gal said I could trickle charge the device for the initial usage to expedite the charging and to get the device into action before the bear wrecks the entire place, however, she could not tell me how to actually charge the device. My question is, do I need to take the housing off to expose the battery and hook the trickle charger directly to the terminals on the battery, or can I just hook it up to the positive and negative on the device itself? Some decent instructions with this method of charging would be much appreciated by all of your customers that need to get the device into action asap! Thank you!

[sarharashid]

i need some advice for when we sleep at night thief will come home how can use this system in my house out side protect thief in my house please tell me &help us

[williamchupin]

1:58 so you are saying that if i go outside right now and touch a utility pole cable i wont get shocked unless i touch earth

[MZMA]

I am very lucky to get myself shocked by the electric fence that both me and my sparky buddies installed

[balisticsquirel]

So all wires on every electric fence are hot?

[TheTomar]

If I wear sneakers - I still get a shock, doesn't rubber soles shoe protect you from being shocked?

[TannerTech]

I doubt there is a series of transformers in the "fence charger". More than likely, there is a high frequency switching power supply that drives one smaller transformer at a higher efficiency and a cockroft Walton multiplier on the output.

[sdqsdq]

how can a human get shock when he wearing a rubber shoe most of the time