Contents
Electric fencing and your Stafix energiser.................................. 1
Installation.............................................................................................................. 2
Operation................................................................................................................ 2
Building a permanent electric fence................................................ 2
Temporary electric fencing...................................................................... 5
Safety considerations................................................................................... 5
Frequently asked questions/Troubleshooting......................... 7
Servicing.................................................................................................................. 7
Product specifications ................................................................................. 8
© Tru-Test Limited, 2004. All rights reserved.
Stafix and Fence Compass are trademarks of Tru-Test Corporation
Limited.
No part of this publication may be photocopied, reproduced, stored in
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the prior written permission of Tru-Test Limited. Product
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For more information about the Stafix range of quality products, see
www.stafix.com
Tru-Test Limited
25 Carbine Road P O Box 51078
Mt Wellington Pakuranga
Auckland 1006 Auckland 1730
New Zealand New Zealand
XED05012 Issue 3 10/04
.
Postal address:
Electric fencing and your Stafix energiser
Congratulations on your purchase of a Stafix
mains/line energiser. This product has been
constructed using the latest technology and
construction techniques. It has been engineered to
give superior performance and many years of service.
It is important to read these instructions carefully and
thoroughly. They contain important safety information
and will assist you in ensuring that your electric
fencing system gives maximum performance and
reliability.
Note:
- This product has been designed for use with
electric animal fences.
- Keep this manual in a handy location.
Warning!
- USA and Canada - To reduce the risk of electric
shock, the energiser has a polarised plug (one
blade is wider than the other). This plug will fit in a
polarised outlet one way. If the plug does not fit
fully in the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not
fit, contact a qualified electrician to install the
proper outlet. Do not change the plug in any way.
- Switch the energiser off before installation or
performing any work on the fence.
- Read all the safety considerations carefully. See
Safety Considerations
on page 5.
- Check your installation to ensure that it complies
with all local safety regulations.
- The energizer must be located in a shelter, and the
cable must not be handled when the temperature is
below 5 °C.
- Do not connect simultaneously to a fence and to
any other device such as a cattle trainer or a poultry
trainer. Otherwise, lightning striking your fence will
be conducted to all other devices.
Symbols that may be on your
energiser
To reduce the risk of electric shock, the
energiser should be opened or repaired only
by qualified Stafix-appointed personnel.
Read full instructions before use.
Indicates that the energiser is of a doubleinsulated construction.
How does an electric fence work?
An electric fence system comprises an energiser and
an insulated fence. The energiser puts very short
pulses of electricity onto the fence line. These pulses
have a high voltage, but are of very short duration
(less than 3/10,000ths of a second). However, a
shock from an electric fence pulse is very
uncomfortable and animals quickly learn to respect
electric fences. An electric fence is not only a
physical barrier, but is also a strong psychological
barrier.
What are the benefits of an electric
fence?
An electric fence has many benefits over conventional
fencing:
Requires less labour and material to construct
•
than conventional fencing.
•
Flexibility to change or add paddocks when
required. The use of strip grazing techniques can
allow temporary fencing to be quickly and easily
erected or removed.
•
Controls a broader range of animals.
•
Minimises damage to expensive livestock when
compared with other fencing mechanisms, for
example barbed wire.
1
Installation
Building a permanent
Read all of the safety instructions in this manual
•
carefully before installing the energiser.
•
Mount the energiser indoors, sheltered from
wind, rain, birds, snow etc.
•
Mount the energiser close to a power outlet.
•
Mount the energiser out of reach of children.
•
Use the template at the end of this manual
(inside cover) to locate fixing points.
See the diagram below to install the energiser:
1 Connect the Fence earth terminal to a separate
earth system that is at least 10 m (30') away
from other earth systems.
2 Connect the Fence output terminal to the fence.
electric fence
Components of an electric fence
An electric fence system comprises the following
elements:
An energiser.
•
An earth system.
metal rods inserted into the ground, which are
connected to the Fence earth terminal on the
energiser.
•
Stafix insulated underground cables.
connect the energiser to the earth and fence.
•
An insulated fence.
output terminal of the energiser. Fences can be
made to a variety of designs (see below).
Other useful components that can be added:
Typical installation
•
This comprises a number of
Used to
Connected to the Fence
Cut-out switches. Installed at regular
intervals, these allow you to isolate
sections of the fence for repair.
Lightning diverter kit. Used to minimise
the damage to your energiser from
lightning conducted down the fence line.
Operation
Turn on the power supply.
One of the three output performance indicator lights
will flash with each pulse.
The lights indicate the approximate voltage at the
output terminals.
Recommended
Indicates a load on the energiser.
Attention required to ensure reliable
animal control.
Fence is heavily loaded and needs
urgent attention.
2
The animal receives a shock when it completes a
circuit between the fence and the earth system. The
fence below has all live wires and requires conductive
soils. These fences are often referred to as 'all-live' or
'earth-return' fences.
Alternative installation
For poor conductivity soils (dry or sandy), a 'fencereturn' or 'earth-wire-return' system is recommended.
On these fences the Fence earth terminal is
connected directly to at least one of the fence wires.
The animal gets maximum shock from touching a live
and earth wire at the same time.
15 m (49') spacing with droppers
Fence designs
Fences can be constructed to suit the type of
livestock and materials available. Discuss with your
Stafix distributor which design best suits your needs.
Some suggested fence configurations are below.
Cattle and horses
10-15 m (33-49') spacing, posts only
15-20 m (49-65') spacing with droppers
Wild animals
7 wire, 10 m (33') spacing with droppers
End assemblies
Angle stay
Suitable for field gate, high-tension strainer.
After firmly setting the footed strainer in the ground,
dig in the stay block just below ground level, at a
distance to ensure the angle stay will be held snugly
in position. The stay can be levered into position with
a spade.
All-live system
Sheep, goats, cattle and horses
10 m (33') spacing, posts only
3
Earth-return system
Horizontal stay
Suitable for field gate, high-tension strainer.
Very simple to erect and most suitable as a high
tension strainer, excellent in areas where the soil gets
very wet or where heavy frost occurs.
Installing and testing an earth system
Select a suitable site for the earth system. Sites need
to be:
At least 10 m (33') from other earth systems
•
(e.g. telephone, mains power or the earth system
from another energiser).
•
Away from stock or other traffic that could
interfere with the installation.
•
At a site that can be easily observed for
maintenance.
•
Ideally at a site that has damp soil (e.g. a shaded
or swampy location). Note that the earth does
not need to be directly adjacent to the energiser
installation.
Drive Stafix earth rods into the ground. Use highvoltage, insulated cable and earth clamps to
continuously connect the earth rods and the
energiser's Fence earth terminal. Make sure the
insulation is stripped back to ensure good contact
between the wire and the earth rod. The table below
specifies the minimum number of 2 m (6'6") earth
rods recommended for an earthing system:
Energiser
Earth rods
M0.5 (0.5 J) 1
M1.0 (1.0 J) 2
M2.5 (2.5 J) 3
Test the earth system, using the following procedure:
1 Turn off the energiser.
2 At least 100 m (330') away from the energiser,
short circuit the fence by laying several steel rods
or lengths of pipe against the fence. For best
results, the fence voltage should be lowered to
2000 V or less. In dry or sandy conditions, it may
be necessary to drive the rods up to
300 mm (12") into the earth.
Note:
It is not acceptable to short-circuit a fence
return system to the earth wire of the fence.
3 Turn the energiser back on.
4 Using a Stafix Digital Voltmeter, ensure that the
fence voltage is below 2 kV.
5
Check your earth system.
Insert the voltmeter's
earth probe into the ground at the full extent of
the lead, and hold the hook against the last earth
rod. The tester should not read more than 0.3 kV.
Anything higher than this indicates that better
earthing is required. Either add more earth rods
or find a better ground area to drive in the earth
rods.
Note:
When earthing energisers located in dairies,
earth at least 20 m (65') away from the dairy using
double-insulated wire to avoid touching the dairy
building or equipment.
4
Temporary electric fencing
Stafix offers a range of products that allow the farmer
to construct a temporary electric fence. A temporary
fence that can be quickly erected and easily moved
allows the farmer to:
•
Make smaller paddocks (fields)
•
Keep herds of animals separated
•
Ration feed
Note:
Use more wires for smaller animals and wild
animals. Politape should be used when greater
visibility is required (e.g. horses).
An example of a temporary fence is shown below.
energiser, and that is independent of other earthing
arrangements.
Connecting lead
connect the energiser to the electric fence or the
earth electrode.
Electric animal fence
contain animals within or exclude animals from a
particular area.
Electric security fence
purposes which comprises an electric fence and a
physical barrier electrically isolated from the electric
fence.
Physical barrier
high intended to prevent inadvertent contact with the
pulsed conductors of the electric fence. Physical
barriers are typically constructed from vertical
sheeting, rigid vertical bars, rigid mesh, rods or
chainwire mesh.
Public access area
protected from inadvertent contact with pulsed
conductors by a physical barrier.
Pulsed conductors
to high voltage pulses by the energiser.
Secure area
where a person may come into contact with the
electric fence, without the protection of a physical
barrier.
– An electric conductor, used to
– An electric fence used to
– A fence used for security
– A barrier not less than 1.5 m (5')
– Any area where persons are
– Conductors which are subjected
– The side of an electric security fence
Safety considerations
Definition of special terms
Energiser
periodically deliver voltage impulses to a fence
connected to it.
Fence
security, comprising one or more conductors such as
metal wires, rods or rails.
Electric fence
electric conductors, insulated from earth, to which
electric pulses are applied by an energiser.
Fence circuit
within an energiser that are connected or are
intended to be connected, galvanically, to the output
terminals.
Earth electrode
the ground near an energiser and connected
electrically to the Fence earth terminal of the
– An appliance that is intended to
– A barrier for animals or for the purpose of
– A barrier which includes one or more
– All conductive parts or components
– Metal structure that is driven into
Requirements for electric animal
fences
Electric animal fences and their ancillary equipment
shall be installed, operated and maintained in a
manner that minimises danger to persons, animals or
their surroundings.
This energiser is not intended for use by young
children or infirm persons unless they have been
adequately supervised by a responsible person to
ensure that they can use the energiser safely.
Young children should be supervised to ensure that
they do not play with the energiser.
Electric animal fence constructions that are likely to
lead to the entanglement of animals or persons shall
be avoided.
An electric animal fence shall not be supplied from
two separate energisers or from independent fence
circuits of the same energiser.
5
For any two separate electric animal fences, each
supplied from a separate energiser independently
timed, the distance between the wires of the two
electric animal fences shall be at least 2 m (6'6"). If
this gap is to be closed, this shall be effected by
means of electrically non-conductive material or an
isolated metal barrier.
Barbed wire or razor wire shall not be electrified by an
energiser.
A non-electrified fence incorporating barbed wire or
razor wire may be used to support one or more offset
electrified wires of an electric animal fence. The
supporting devices for the electrified wires shall be
constructed so as to ensure that these wires are
positioned at a minimum distance of 150 mm (6")
from the vertical plane of the non-electrified wires.
The barbed wire and razor wire shall be earthed at
regular intervals.
Follow our recommendations regarding earthing. See
Installing and testing an earth system
on page 4.
A distance of at least 10 m (33') shall be maintained
between the energiser earth electrode and any other
earthing system connected parts such as the power
supply system protective earth or the
telecommunication system earth.
Connecting leads that are run inside buildings shall be
effectively insulated from the earthed structural parts
of the building. This may be achieved by using
insulated high voltage cable.
Connecting leads that are run underground shall be
run in conduit of insulating material or else insulated
high voltage cable shall be used. Care must be taken
to avoid damage to the connecting leads due to the
effects of animal hooves or vehicle wheels sinking
into the ground.
Connecting leads shall not be installed in the same
conduit as the mains supply wiring, communication
cables or data cables.
Connecting leads and electric animal fence wires
shall not cross above overhead power or
communication lines.
Crossings with overhead power lines shall be avoided
wherever possible. If such a crossing cannot be
avoided it shall be made underneath the power line
and as nearly as possible at right angles to it.
If connecting leads and electric animal fence wires
are installed near an overhead power line, the
clearances shall not be less than those shown in the
table below.
6
Minimum clearances from power lines for electric
animal fences
Power line voltage
≤1000 V
>1000 V to ≤33,000 V
Clearance
3 m (10')
4 m (13')
>33,000 V 8 m (27')
If connecting leads and electric animal fence wires
are installed near an overhead power line, their height
above the ground shall not exceed 3 m (10'). This
height applies to either side of the orthogonal
projection of the outermost conductors of the power
line on the ground surface, for a distance of:
2 m (6'6") for power lines operating at a nominal
•
voltage not exceeding 1000 V.
•
15 m (50') for power lines operating at a nominal
voltage exceeding 1000 V.
Electric animal fences intended for deterring birds,
household pet containment or training animals such
as cows need only be supplied from low output
energisers to obtain satisfactory and safe
performance.
In electric animal fences intended for deterring birds
from roosting on buildings, no electric fence wire shall
be connected to the energiser earth electrode. A
warning sign shall be fitted to every point where
persons may gain ready access to the conductors.
Where an electric animal fence crosses a public
pathway, a non-electrified gate shall be incorporated
in the electric animal fence at that point or a crossing
by means of stiles shall be provided. At any such
crossing, the adjacent electrified wires shall carry
warning signs.
Any part of an electric animal fence that is installed
along a public road or pathway shall be identified at
frequent intervals by warning signs securely fastened
to the fence posts or firmly clamped to the fence
wires.
•
The size of the warning sign shall be at least
100x200 mm (4x8").
•
The background colour of both sides of the
warning sign shall be yellow. The inscription on
the sign shall be black and shall be either:
or the substance of "CAUTION: Electric animal
fence".
• The inscription shall be indelible, inscribed on
both sides of the warning sign and have a height
of at least 25 mm (1").
Ensure that all mains-operated, ancillary equipment
connected to the electric animal fence circuit provides
a degree of isolation between the fence circuit and
the supply mains equivalent to that provided by the
energiser.
Protection from the weather shall be provided for the
ancillary equipment unless this equipment is certified
by the manufacturer as being suitable for use
outdoors, and is of a type with a minimum degree of
protection IPX4.
Frequently asked questions/Troubleshooting
What voltage is required to control animals?
4 kV is widely accepted as the recommended
minimum voltage to control animals. However, you
also require a well constructed fence system to
ensure that animals cannot push through electrified
wires.
The fence voltage is below 4 kV. How do I
increase the voltage?
Check the energiser.
the fence and earth system. Measure the voltage
across the energiser terminals with a Stafix Fence
Compass, DVM or Lite Tester. If the voltage is less
than 6 kV, request your Stafix service agent to check
the energiser.
Check the energiser earthing.
described in
page 4.
Check your fence system for faults.
common source of low voltage is faults on the fence
line.
If the fence, earth and energiser are in good condition
and the voltage is still below 4 kV, talk to your Stafix
distributor. They will help you identify whether recent
extensions to your fence, a poor fence layout, or soil
conditions may be causing inadequate voltage.
Disconnect the energiser from
Use the procedure
Installing and testing an earth system
The most
on
meter allows you to rapidly locate sources of current
leakage. Alternatively, use a Stafix DVM or Lite Tester.
Use cut-out switches to turn off the power to different
sections of the farm. If the voltage on the fence
increases when a section of the farm is turned off,
then investigate that section for possible faults.
There are no lights flashing on the energiser.
Check the power supply. Ensure that the power is
switched on. If the energiser still does not operate,
request your Stafix service agent to check the
energiser.
Servicing
This energiser contains no user serviceable parts. It
must be returned to a Stafix-appointed service agent
for repair. If the supply cord is damaged it must only
be replaced by a Stafix-appointed service agent, as a
special cord is required.
This energiser uses Double Insulation, where two
systems of insulation are provided instead of
grounding. No equipment grounding means is
provided in the supply cord of a double-insulated
energiser, nor should a means for equipment
grounding be added to the energiser. Servicing a
double-insulated energiser requires extreme care and
knowledge of the system and should only be done by
qualified service personnel. Replacement parts for a
double-insulated energiser must be identical to the
parts they replace. A double-insulated energiser is
marked with the words DOUBLE INSULATION or
DOUBLE INSULATED and/or the symbol below.
How do I locate faults?
The recommended tool for locating faults is the Stafix
Fence Compass. This combined voltage and current
7
Product specifications
Power Supply 115 V Models 110-120 V, 60 Hz 110-120 V, 60 Hz 110-120 V, 60 Hz
Power Supply 230 V Models 220-240 V, 50 Hz 220-240 V, 50 Hz 220-240 V, 50 Hz
Power Consumption 1.8 W 2.6 W 4.4 W
Maximum Output Voltage 7.9 kV 8.4 kV 8.4 kV
Maximum Output Energy
Stored Energy 0.8 J 1.7 J 4.1 J
Dimensions (WxHxD)
Weight
M0.5
0.5 J @ 700 Ω 1.0 J @ 400 Ω 2.5 J @ 200 Ω
200x170x90 mm
(8x6¾x3¾") WxHxD
1.25 kg
(2 lb 12 oz)
M1.0 M2.5
200x170x90 mm
(8x6¾x3¾") WxHxD
1.25 kg
(2 lb 12 oz)
200x170x90 mm
(8x6¾x3¾") WxHxD
1.25 kg
(2 lb 12 oz)
8
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