Lightening And Electric Fences
Electric fencing has one big enemy and that enemy is lightening. The most frequent electric fencing failures occur due to lightening. It simply destroys the controller if proper precautions are not taken. Electric fence requires proper protection from the ill effects of lightening; otherwise, it will prove to be quite costly.
The main reason for lightening doing damage to the electric fence controller is due to the amount of conductors used in electric fencing. The wires are made up of conductors so lightening is attracted to them and hits them constantly. Upon contact, these wires send huge amounts of current to the controller which results in burning it out or putting it on fire. Fence energizers may also get damaged.
Lightening is a part of nature; therefore, there is nothing that can eliminate its power. However, damage can be reduced to a certain extent by taking proper precautions.
Using electric fence posts made up of insulating material; such as, plastic fence posts, polyposts etc will not attract lightening towards it. Making use of a surge suppressor can also be very useful as it will dissipate the energy. Various items like lightening chokes and lightening diverters, which are easily available at electric fence suppliers, can be very useful in either grounding it or dissipating the lightening energy. Also, make sure that your controller is placed in a very safe location.
It is impossible to guarantee protection against lightening; however, by using the above mentioned techniques, the effects can be reduced to a certain degree.