How to Install an Electric Fence Safely and Effectively

Electric fencing is one of the most effective and widely used solutions for preventing livestock, wildlife, and unauthorised people from entering restricted areas. Easy to install and highly versatile, an electric fence provides a reliable deterrent for a wide range of agricultural, commercial, and residential applications.

However, proper installation and maintenance are essential to ensure your electric fence operates safely and effectively. In this guide, we explore the key dos and don’ts of electric fencing, including correct fence placement, important safety considerations, ongoing maintenance tips, and best practices for getting the most from your electric fencing system.

Electric Fence Installation Do's

• Use ground rods, also known as Earth rods, in damp ground. Up to 95% of problems with electric fences are as a result of poor grounding. Poor grounding gives ineffectual shocks.
• Ensure you have installed your ground rods properly. ‘Ground’ out the fence with a metal bar and check the ground rods with a voltmeter. 
• Check your fence often. Look for a voltage between 5,000 and 9,000 volts. 
• Use a voltmeter to check how hot the fence is, such as a Digital Voltmeter. 
• Make sure your electric fence is touching nothing but plastic. 
• When installing electric fencing for horses, poultry, or other animal enclosures, proper training is essential. Animals need to learn to recognise and respect the electric fence before being introduced to larger grazing areas. Using a training fence in a controlled environment helps animals safely understand the boundary. Improving fence visibility with tape or flags can encourage initial interaction, and most animals will quickly learn to avoid contact with the fence, ensuring the electric fencing system remains effective.
• Use a suitable energiser for the area of land you would like to fence. Use a bigger energiser for larger jobs. Here at Tanner Trading we offer both Mains Energisers and Solar Powered Energisers.
• Use galvanised materials to prevent rust. 

Electric Fence Installation Don'ts

• Don't place your fence where people and horses often walk through.
• Avoid buying energisers that are not EU approved or certified. This ensures that the products are safe for both people and horses. All equipment should be purchased from a reputable source. 
• Do not put the fenceposts too close together. 80 to 100 feet is adequate, so that instead of knocking the posts out of the ground if something runs into it, the wire will just bend and come back up.
• Don't over-tense the wire. This will also help the wire to bend and come back up if something runs into it.
• Do not hook an electric fence to barbed wire. Animals can become tangled in barbed wire, and though electric pulses are rarely strong enough to kill animals, the effect of being trapped with repeated shocks can. 
• Don't carelessly tie the wire. If the wire is tied properly, you will have a much more efficient and long-lasting fence. Here at Tanner Trading we sell a wide range of fencing wire that will get the job done.
• Avoid leaving your fence for long periods of time, especially in the winter months. Check for debris such as fallen trees which can affect the power running through the wire. 

Remember: be as safe as you can when setting up and maintaining your electric fence. If you use reputable, certified equipment and look after your fence properly, you will have a permanent and secure structure, whatever your requirements.

References

https://www.agrisellex.co.uk/blogs/blog/six-dos-and-donts-with-electric-fencing

https://www.ibiblio.org/farming-connection/grazing/features/fencemis.htm