Using my copper 'telephone' conduit to power my electric fence

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Using my copper 'telephone' conduit to power my electric fence

PhantomNVD

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#208740 25-Feb-2017 21:20

So when my house was custom built in 2015 we naturally had the electrician wire a new copper cable to the boundary thinking to get VDSL as we're a lifestyle block on the very edge of the residential zone.

FFD to 2017 where we use Skinny Broadband as Chorus wanted $2,600 to connect our copper cable 1/2m into the ground to theirs (and don't get me started on the 'distribution fibre' passing my door on the way to Pokeno!)

ANYway... I am now wanting to move to a PEL mains connected electric fence and have an awesome unused green conduit with Cat5e cable in it going right to the fence line I'd need to liven... is there any legal reason I can't use 'telephone' conduit I personally paid to have installed and have never connected up to run my 15,000v (2J) electric fence feed to the fence 25m away.

1) I would obviously disconnect it in the Star cabinet from anything internal

2) it would clearly be marked with the relevant danger warning sign the fence must show as it's a public walkway boundary

3) it would directly connect from the conduit exit straight onto the fence in an appropriately insulated manner

4) the energiser would be mounted 1m away from the star cabinet in my garage, and I use NOTHING else from this cabinet as we don't use either the phone lines (obviously) or the TV coax (and so wouldn't need to worry about interference)

5) the ground wire would be connected through the conduit too, using high quality insulated 20,000v cable as specified by the manual

AFAIK this would have no impact on anything or anyone and break no laws, as well as finding a way to use my enclosed garage to site the energiser and it need to break through the garage slab...

Is there any reason you can see for this now to work (or be illegal somehow?)

coffeebaron

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#1726268 25-Feb-2017 22:05

If it's your conduit that has not been "handed over" to Chorus, then you can do what you like with it. However, there maybe other requirements for your are intended plan; e.g. buried depth of conduit or even the colour etc. So it may not be a case of whether or not you can use the conduit, but rather your conduit may not meet the requirements of your planned use.

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gzt

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#1726270 25-Feb-2017 22:18

This manual provides some relevant details about distance from earth etc.

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PhantomNVD

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#1726343 26-Feb-2017 08:58

Thanks all, that manual referenced says I shouldn't parallel the fence with telecom (now Chorus) wires closer than 100m, but since it's "always been like that" it shouldn't be a problem.

No requirements stated for the fence side of the power re conduit etc., as it's designed to give out a non-lethal 'belt' by design (which is why the warning signs are required)

frankv

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#1726609 26-Feb-2017 17:10

Ummm... are you planning to use the existing Cat-5e wires to power your electric fence, or pull new wires through the conduit? I'm pretty sure cat-5e won't be good for 15KV isolation.

PhantomNVD

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#1726627 26-Feb-2017 18:41

Definitely pulling through new wires capable of 20,000v, fires are NOT fun!

1eStar

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#1726880 27-Feb-2017 09:31

I can't see any reason why you can't use your duct to take your electric fence feed to the boundary. There will not be any telephony services running through it right? Does your new system require you to run a ground wire to the fence? Traditionally electric fence units are grounded near to the unit. Drive an array of earth spikes (Waratah etc) a decent distance into the ground near your residence etc.

PhantomNVD

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#1727061 27-Feb-2017 12:40

1eStar: I can't see any reason why you can't use your duct to take your electric fence feed to the boundary. There will not be any telephony services running through it right? Does your new system require you to run a ground wire to the fence? Traditionally electric fence units are grounded near to the unit. Drive an array of earth spikes (Waratah etc) a decent distance into the ground near your residence etc.

thanks,

I am looking at either running the ground wire out with the live to ground into the area by the fence line, or potentially using the house earth (its also well earthed with a spike too?) but am unsure on this as apparently the fence needs a better earth than the house!

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Coil

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#1727063 27-Feb-2017 12:48

"(and don't get me started on the 'distribution fibre' passing my door on the way to Pokeno!)"

I wont get started but that wont happen. You cant expect it to happen or be let down by the fact it wont.

No different from having Ultra high voltage lines outside your house. Cant tap into them unless you got a sub station.
Likewise, If you own an exchange it maybe a different story.

1eStar

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#1727378 27-Feb-2017 21:39

I'd recommend say three 1.8m length Waratahs belted into the ground, some 6-8metres apart, wired together, some distance away from your house.

Ge0rge

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#1727383 27-Feb-2017 21:55

1eStar: I'd recommend say three 1.8m length Waratahs belted into the ground, some 6-8metres apart, wired together, some distance away from your house.

I second this - don't use your house earth, you'll get nowhere near the desired performance from the fence.

gzt

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#1727386 27-Feb-2017 22:14

PhantomNVD:
1eStar: I can't see any reason why you can't use your duct to take your electric fence feed to the boundary. There will not be any telephony services running through it right? Does your new system require you to run a ground wire to the fence? Traditionally electric fence units are grounded near to the unit. Drive an array of earth spikes (Waratah etc) a decent distance into the ground near your residence etc.

thanks,

I am looking at either running the ground wire out with the live to ground into the area by the fence line, or potentially using the house earth (its also well earthed with a spike too?) but am unsure on this as apparently the fence needs a better earth than the house!

Using the house earth? I don't think you read the manual.

Hunter

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#1727396 27-Feb-2017 22:55

Actually am not that far away from you.
I do realised that you asking if it is legal or not
However there is something that you have not consider.
Electric fence needs to have some major insulation, or else it will start arcing.
Even with those proper plastic coated cables, I sometimes do get arcing.
When it starts to arc, it is a pain, everything can goes nuts.

PS if you getting a electric fence unit, try getting one with a remote on/off.
They are great for trouble shooting/working on fence without needing a 2 way radio to get somebody to turn it off at the house.

raytaylor

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#1728566 1-Mar-2017 22:50

Try and keep it as far away from your homehub as possible.

If you can reroute the live cable as soon as it comes out of the ground at the house end that would be helpful.

Outside the house, use 3x metal stakes, or copper earth rods. Hammer them 1m into the ground, 1m apart from each other. Note if you use a warratah, the black coating will not work very well.

If you are on limestone, then from an electrical shop you can get earthing sand to pour into the hole to help bond the earth rod to the surrounding earth.

At the fence, connect the live wire from the duct to the fence following the best practice guide which will come inside the energiser manual. Be sure to install fence switches as they are very helpful and only cost about $5 at farmlands.

Ensure your fence does not run parallel to any other cabling such as telephone etc and that the grass is trimmed so it doesnt cause a short. If you have stock on one side, they will happily eat the grass if you dont liven the bottom wire. On the other side however you may have to occasionally put some stock over the fence with some temporary ribbon wire and temp stakes (you can buy a kit from farmlands) to make a pen so the stock can remove the grass regularly, or cut it yourself.

If you get a short from grass touching the fence wire, the fence will loose much of its usefulness, and cause all sorts of radio interference.

Ray Taylor

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