Battery care and maintenance
House the battery in a suitably designed battery
•
box, if the battery is likely to be exposed to the
weather.
When not in use, keep the battery as fully
•
charged as possible.
Recharge a discharged battery as soon as
•
possible.
Batteries should be stored fully charged and
•
recharged at regular intervals (every 8 weeks)
Inspect the battery regularly to ensure that the
•
electrolyte level does not fall below 12 mm (½")
above the surface of the battery plates.
Fill using deionised, distilled or rain water. Do not
•
overfill. Refer to the battery manufacturer's
recommendations for more information.
Battery safety
Ensure that the battery is well ventilated when
•
recharging.
Avoid temperatures greater than 50 °C (120 °F).
•
Ensure the battery is not exposed to naked flame
•
or sparks.
Building a Permanent Electric
Fence
Components of an electric fence
An electric fence system comprises the following
elements:
An energiser.
•
An earth system. This comprises a number of
•
metal rods inserted into the ground, which are
connected to the Earth terminal on the energiser.
Stafix insulated underground cables. Used to
•
connect the energiser to the earth and fence.
An insulated fence. Connected to the Fence
•
terminal of the energiser. Fences can be made to
a variety of designs (see below).
Note: 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.
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Other useful components that can be added:
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.
Alternative installation
For poor conductivity soils (dry or sandy), a 'fence-
return' or 'earth-wire-return' system is recommended.
On these fences the 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.
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