How to Easily Test an Electric Fence and Know It’s Working Properly

You’ve installed an electric fence to keep cattle and horses in a protected boundary while securing your livestock from local predators, like coyotes or foxes. But it might be time to test your electric fence if ol’ Bessie has escaped for the third time this week. While it might be tempting to throw on some rubber gloves and touch the fence to check for a current, trying one of these more reliable methods to test an electric fence is much safer.

Why It’s Important to Test and Troubleshoot Your Electric Fence

Even if you’ve just installed an electric fence and you’re confident it has power, you still need to test an electric fence to ensure the voltage isn’t too high or low. If it’s too high, it could cause dangerous shocks to animals or humans who come into contact with the fence. If it’s too low, animals could escape through the fence without any issues.

If you suspect something is wrong with your electric fence, testing and troubleshooting it is important to keep it working properly. Otherwise, you’re risking the health and safety of the animals contained by the fence.

5 Reasons Your Electric Fence May Not Be Working 

Maybe you notice some livestock escapees, or you’re dealing with the aftermath of a predatory animal that got through your electric fence. There are several reasons your electric fence may have stopped delivering shocks, including:

• Power outage: Electric fences need energy to work, so a power outage on your property can prevent your electric fence from working.

• Weather: Heavy snow or even rain can cause your electric fence to lose some voltage, making it weaker.

• Faulty grounding: Poor grounding is the most common cause of a malfunctioning electric fence. Grounding completes the circuit, allowing the electricity to flow and power the fence.

• Vegetation: Tall grass, branches, weeds, brush, or other plants that touch an electric fence can drain some of the voltage, so it’s essential to keep up with trimming along the fence.

• Damaged insulators: Insulators are important for containing the voltage in the wires, but a damaged insulator can cause a leak.

6 Simple Ways to Test an Electric Fence

There are several different ways to test an electric fence, depending on which tools you may already have in your shed. Here are six options for how to check an electric fence with safety in mind. 

Testing With an Electric Fence Voltmeter

As its name suggests, using a voltmeter is one of the most reliable tools for testing an electric fence. You can find one at home improvement stores for about $20 to $50. To use the electric fence voltmeter:

1. Start by standing near the part of the fence farthest from the fence charger. Identify the ground wires of the fence by checking the fence manual.

2. Hold the plastic part of the voltmeter’s probe, and use the metal tip to touch the ground wire. If there is no ground wire, touch the metal tip of the probe into the soil near the fence.

3. Keep the metal tip of the probe to the ground wire or the ground. At the same time, hold the metal prong on the end of the voltmeter to a charged wire.

4. The digital screen on the voltmeter will display the voltage. Compare the voltage reading to your fence manual, which will tell you what the fence’s voltage should be (Most electric fences have a voltage of 2,000 to 10,000 volts).

5. Repeat these steps along the fence, moving closer to the charger, to find weak spots.

Testing With a Non-Contact Voltmeter

You can buy a non-contact voltmeter, or non-contact voltage tester, for about $20 to $30 at most home improvement retailers. They’re easy to use and won’t require you to touch the fence wires.

Turn the non-contact voltmeter on and wait for a blinking red light on the tip. 

1. Stand within 5 feet of the electric fence. Point the blinking tip of the non-contact voltmeter toward the fence.

2. The voltmeter may begin to glow with a steady red light and beep, indicating a charge. If not, slowly move closer to the fence. If the non-contact voltmeter still doesn’t remain lit up or beep, the wire likely lacks a charge.

3. Repeat the steps all over the fence to check for faulty wires.

Using Electric Fence Indicator Lights

When a fencing professional installs your electric fence, you may want to invest in electric fence indicator lights in addition to the base cost to install your electric fence. These indicator lights are placed along the fence wires at even intervals. The light will be on when the fence is working properly.

If you’ve had your fence for a while, you may want to test using another method before installing indicator lights, which can help you test the electric fence in the future.

Testing the Electromagnetic Field With a Compass

A compass can do more than just guide you through your next hike. Grab the compass from your adventuring backpack and hold it a few inches from each electric fence wire, taking extra care not to bump into your fence accidentally. Hold the compass for about 30 seconds. The compass arrow will vibrate near wires that have a charge.

Using Your Hearing

You may be able to simply listen for the sound of a working electric fence. Go to a quiet part of the fenced-in area, and stand about 1 foot from the electric fence. Listen closely for the pulse of electricity, which will sound like a faint buzzing or humming sound. Just be aware that you may not hear anything, which doesn’t always mean the fence isn’t working.

If you hear crackling, clicking, or other strange noises coming from your electric fence, hire a fence company near you to take a look.

Testing With a Plastic-Handled Screwdriver

While keeping a voltmeter on hand once you’ve installed an electric fence is a good idea, you can use a screwdriver with a plastic handle if you’re in a pinch. The plastic is non-conductive, so it can keep your hands safe from shock.

Note: Never touch the metal of the screwdriver while performing this test, and do not touch the fence wires with your hands.

1. Touch the metal end of the screwdriver to each fence wire. You may notice an immediate electric arc move from the wire to the screwdriver, which indicates that the wire is working.

2. If the arc doesn’t happen right away, gently move the screwdriver along the wire for up to 30 seconds. If no arc happens, that wire could lack a charge.

Tips for Troubleshooting an Electric Fence

After you test an electric fence and find weak points, it’s time to start troubleshooting the problem to get your fence back up and running. The problem could be any number of things, from simply letting weeds grow too high and close to the fence to incorrectly installing grounding wires.

If you have trouble finding the issue, you’ll want to call a professional fence company or local electrician for help. Handling electric wires can be dangerous for those without training, and these pros can quickly identify and resolve any problems with your electric fence.

Check Connections

As simple as it sounds, a leak or missing charge could be due to improper connections. Ensure wires are secure to maintain the circuit and the jumper wires that carry the charge throughout the fence are properly connected.

Inspect and Replace Insulators

Insulators are non-conductive materials designed to prevent the fence from shorting where the wires and fence posts meet. Using the wrong insulators for your fence can cause shorts, which can also happen when your insulators are cracked or damaged. Over time, insulators can break down from exposure to the elements, so inspect them and budget for fence repair costs as needed.

Fix the Grounding

Grounding problems are common for electric fences. This process is what completes the electrical circuit and allows electricity to flow from the charger and all the way around the fence. Using ground rods shorter than 4 feet or rods made from metals other than copper or galvanized metal can prevent the fence from working properly. 

Look for Interference

Many materials can interfere with your electric fence. Make sure not to leave tools, wheelbarrows, or other equipment leaning against the fence, which can cause a short. Again, weeds, brush, bushes, or other plants growing along the fence can drain the voltage, so you’ll need to add trimming and clearing the area along the fence to your chore checklist.