electric fence expert needed

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I have a Parmak fence charger that I bought 5 years ago. It quit working yesterday. The fuses do not seem blown. Can someone tell me how long a charger is suppose to work. Any troubleshooting ideas? It is grounded properly and will fence up to 15 miles of fence. I dont have near that much. Please help I dont want to go out and spend $100.00 on a new charger if I dont have to. The horses repect the fence but will eventually figure out that it is not on.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), October 26, 2001

Answers

Is it on a 'GFCI' circuit that is tripped or is the breaker tripped ?

-- Tradesman (tradesman@noadr.com), October 26, 2001.

No, the circut is fine.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), October 26, 2001.

Tracy,

So far as troubleshooting goes, try running a small "test fence" in your barn and hook your charger up to that. If it is charged, then your charger is fine and the problem is in your fence itself. If your "test fence" isn't charged, then it's your charger. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), October 26, 2001.


I should have explained better. It is the charger. There is a red light on the charger that flashes ever second and has a ticking sound. LOw impendence, click, click,click. The light is not working and the clicking is not there. Already tested the fence right of the charger and there is nothing. It looks like I am going out and buying a new fencer. Seems to me that it should have lasted more then 5 years though. How long has everyone elses lasted?

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), October 26, 2001.

Tracy a regular voltage tester that electricians use, or the small light up ones they sell with fenceing kits, will tell you quickly if it is your charger. Just plug it in, put a clip on each of the prongs and if it lights up its fine, no light and its not fine. With a circuit tester you can test how much fire you are getting. If you are strong willed just touch them together with a wire, if you get shocked it works :) Ours was always blowing the fuses, ours was always getting blowen up from lightening, we eventually had to do away with it. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), October 26, 2001.


Tracy - my Parmak is 30 years old and still ticking. But every now and again it stops and I have to replace a little plug-in circuit breaker/regulator that is inside the charger. Costs about $9.

-- Dianne (willow@config.com), October 26, 2001.

Okay,DH says it is all "solid state transisters," no moving parts or replaceable parts except for the fuses.

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), October 26, 2001.

Take off the hot wire from the unit and then test for current. If none, most likely a circuit board in the unit has been blown. From what you have said, I strongly suspect this is your problem.

I have three Parkmar charges - the biggest ones they make. Several times a year I need to take one in the Co-op to get repaired. Sometimes the fuzes will be blown, other times now. Depends on which direction the over charge is coming from.

From the hot wire side, you can install a lightning choke, then basically a small strip of metal before the live wire gets to the charger. From the power source, you can put in a surge protector. I have all three and still lose units. Just the area I'm in. Lightning doesn't need to hit the fence, just hit in the general area.

If you cannot find a local repair source, Jeffers (l-800-JEFFERS) repairs them. Don't put more in it than 60% of the cost of a new charger. If there is a local repair source, ask them about a loaner unit.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), October 26, 2001.


Most likely it has been affected, doen't need to be line hit, by lightening. I finally gave up trying to keep my horse fence topped with hot wire, kept losing chargers to lightening strikes, no matter what kind of lightening stops/chokes I used. We do have really incredible lightening around here though, ridge top in the mountains!

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), October 26, 2001.

I've had my Parmak charger for many years with no problems, but it's solar. If you get stuck, call/fax/e-mail the company in Missouri for help:

816-221-2000

Fax: 816-221-9879

E-mail: info@parmakusa.com

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), October 26, 2001.



sounds like something is shorting it out. The fence at the ranch dosnt blink or click if something is shorting it. I would walk the whole fence and check. Might be a branch blown on it or it might have caught on the fence below it.

-- kathy h (ckhart@earthlink.net), October 27, 2001.

If your ground rods are dry, it will not work. Pour some buckets of water on the ground all around the ground rods. Lots of water. And see if that helps.

-- Cindy in KY (solidrockranch@msn.com), October 28, 2001.

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