Electric fence installation

[Camo1]

So I've got a guy who's busy doing a new electric fence install for me, he's using a nemtek druid 15, 8 strand fence and the fence seems pretty dodgy to me. for the following reasons:

• He's chosen to bypass earthloop monitoring on the fence
• 2 wires on the gate don't seem to be connected to anything
• The fence ordering doesn't go live-earth-live-earth etc. (it should do that, right?)
• he's not using a gate contact to connect the gate but rather using a couple pieces of wire with loops on the end which rest on the gate wires
• there's no warning sign on the gate which I think is a COC requirement
• On the quote there were 2 lightning arrestors which I believe, should go close to the energizer but I don't see them. Do they go in the ground with the earth spikes? not even sure what I'm looking for - what do they look like?

He told me that it would be up to COC standard.

Any of that a blatant violation? What are the most important things to fix, do you think?

 

[geezer]

Download this PDF document which has all the legal requirements clearly described. http://www.saefia.net/documents/Legal Booklet.pdf

 

[Camo1]

Thanks, that helps but doesn't say anything about the ordering of the wires, it should be live-earth-live-earth etc. right? Also, where do the lightning arrestors go? should I see them mounted to the wall right under the energizer?

 

[morkhans]

We recently had our complex fence brought up to spec for compliance. I was told the ordering doesn't make a difference. On our 5 strand only one wire was used for earth.

The key things that needed fixing was: Earth spike distance, warning signs, lightning diverters (which have to be next to the energiser), energiser needed to be inside an enclosure.

 

[supersunbird]

Doesn't have to be live-earth-live-earth etc.

I prefer the gate contact, but cant recall if itsa requirement, if it was not on the quote and you want it, expect to pay more for it.

I used Gido to install mine. Expensive but a very proper installation.

 

[AstroTurf]

So I've got a guy who's busy doing a new electric fence install for me, he's using a nemtek druid 15, 8 strand fence and the fence seems pretty dodgy to me. for the following reasons:

• He's chosen to bypass earthloop monitoring on the fence
• 2 wires on the gate don't seem to be connected to anything
• The fence ordering doesn't go live-earth-live-earth etc. (it should do that, right?)
• he's not using a gate contact to connect the gate but rather using a couple pieces of wire with loops on the end which rest on the gate wires
• there's no warning sign on the gate which I think is a COC requirement
• On the quote there were 2 lightning arrestors which I believe, should go close to the energizer but I don't see them. Do they go in the ground with the earth spikes? not even sure what I'm looking for - what do they look like?

He told me that it would be up to COC standard.

Any of that a blatant violation? What are the most important things to fix, do you think?

By earth loop monitoring do you mean the loops that go around the earth from a live wire? I personally think those are very good to install but they are not essential.
All the wires should be connected. they are likely earth wires and he decided that there is no need. I would get him to do it anyway even though strictly it is not essential.
I have used the loops on fences and they tend to wear pretty quickly, the connectors are a better idea but are sometimes hard to install due to the shape of the fence. He may also not be installing them cause then he has to actually buy them.
There should be a warning sign every 3 to 5 meters as far as I remember.
Earth live earth is usually a parallel connection and I have been told numerous times that series is better by various installers.

 

[Electron1]

I think that you cannot do the earth loop monitoring with the new regulations that require one earth spike every 30m of fence (and 3 earth spikes spaced 1.5m apart within 10m of energiser), so effectively even if the earth wire on the fence is broken the earth would still be continuous through the spikes.

Warning signs need to be every 10m all the way around.

Lightning arrestors have to be as close to the energiser and first set of 3 earth spikes (1.5m apart) as possible.

 

[Honeybee 24377]

Hi all

I am a qualified installer and run my own business installing electric fencing and CCTV.

Answers to the questions in the original thread:


- He's chosen to bypass earthloop monitoring on the fence: Earth monitoring is not a regulation, but is a recommended option and can be done with the new earth spike regulations

- 2 wires on the gate don't seem to be connected to anything: these should be connected...

- The fence ordering doesn't go live-earth-live-earth etc. (it should do that, right?): No, it doesn't have to alternate. We try do at least the second from the top (which is a live) and second from the bottom (which should also be a live wire)

- he's not using a gate contact to connect the gate but rather using a couple pieces of wire with loops on the end which rest on the gate wires: chains and "pieces of wire with loops" to power gates are illegal. Every joint on a fence bare conductor should be ferruled or clamped, as per the regulations. Nothing should be moving.

- there's no warning sign on the gate which I think is a COC requirement: the requirement says either on the gate or within 500mm of the gate on either side

- On the quote there were 2 lightning arrestors which I believe, should go close to the energizer but I don't see them. Do they go in the ground with the earth spikes? not even sure what I'm looking for - what do they look like?: there are different designs now. Nemtek does a dual lightning diverter which means you don't need 2 anymore. The lightning diverters can be anywhere between the energiser and the fence as long as they are also earthed on the 3 primary earth spikes along with the energiser and the fence.