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Royal,=0D
=0D
if the system is buried, why use insulated grounding wire and not plain =
12
gauge high tensile?=0D
=0D
Altfrid=0D
=0D
=0D
=0D
Altfrid Krusenbaum=0D
Krusen Grass Farms, LLC=0D
W 3194 County Rd. D=0D
Elkhorn, WI 53121, USA=0D
krusen@elknet.net=0D
-------Original Message-------=0D
=0D
From: Royal Purdy=0D
Date: 05/13/06 08:30:39=0D
To: graze-l@witt.ac.nz=0D
Subject: [SPAM] - Re: [Graze-l] best grounding rods for electric fences?
Long - Email found in subject=0D
=0D
Folks,=0D
=0D
Ann Tiplady wrote: "One source is telling me that copper grounding rods =
will
corrode away and cease to function as the ground for the electric fence. =
They say that galvanized steel is a far superior. Does anyone here have =
any
experience with galvanized steel vs. copper for ground rods? Copper, and
galvanized copper (new to me), are available locally. The galvanized =
steel
is a couple of hours away. cheers, Ann Vermont"=0D
=0D
Ann what your source was referring to is the reaction due to dissimilar
metals; in your case apparently Copper rods - Galvanized fittings. It is =
a
good idea in any attempt to minimize grounding system failures over =
time,
that you keep metals used in your electric fence systems in good working
order and of the same type metal throughout the system. So being that =
the
heart of most High Tensile fencing components (12.5 ga. Wire) are =
galvanized
then you will want to keep with galvanized ground rods. I should think =
the
galvanized coated rods, eight feet long would work, but yes, keeping =
with
the galvanized steel rods would be best.=0D
=0D
Then my good friend Jonathan wrote: "I use lengths of rebar, left over =
from
the building of our bread oven: I pound about 4 ft into the ground using =
a
length of steel pipe with a cap on the end and a plastic grocery bag =
stuffed
in the barrel."=0D
=0D
Jonathan makes wonderful bread and cheeses, the best; but don't let him
build your fence folks. Over time Jonathan has no control over the =
corrosion
symptoms and the system will fail predictably.=0D
=0D
=0D
Not to be outdone Lucky Pittman wrote: "I had galvanized steel ground =
rods,
connected by insulated 12.5 ga. galvanized wire for the past twelve =
years,
but recently moved my fencer and grounding system to the barn - drove =
six 8
ft copper(actually, they look like a copper-clad steel rod) into the =
bottom
of an 80 ft trench running from the wash stall we put in in one of the
stalls of the barn, out into the pasture, and connected the rods(10 ft
apart) with 1/4" copper ground wire, then laid fenestrated drain tile on =
top
of this before backfilling. If it gets REALLY dry, all I've gotta do to
establish some soil moisture in my ground field is run some water in the
wash stall or the tackroom sink, which also runs into the same drain. =
Lucky"=0D
=0D
Now Lucky has started off correctly, use of the same metals and all
insulated ground wire called "feed-out" wire, but then changed and in
an
effort to find established moisture, has seemed to have chosen a =
location
that may be prone to disruption. These milk house and milk room drainage
systems need periodic maintenance over the years. Be careful that the =
wire
grounding system isn't severed and the location is not prone to =
disruptions
to the grounding system over time. I wouldn't recommend the drainage =
systems
chemical corrosion reactions over time either. If this system ever =
corrodes
the system will first loose and then seek ground elsewhere and he'll =
invite
a stray voltage problem in his milk room.=0D
=0D
Properly designed and installed, an energizer grounding system will =
provide
something in the order of one ground plus one ground rod per four joules =
of
energy supplied from the energizer. Each of these ground rods is placed =
two
times their depth apart from the next rod and wired in series; then from =
the
last ground rod in the series back to the start of the ground wire =
system to
form a redundant loop. Again all HT insulated "lead-out" ground wire
is =
used
Make tight connections with commercial rod clamps and spray paint over =
the
tested connections with bright paint so you can see and find them later. =
The
connections should be high enough above ground that an animal won't step =
on
them. Some people bury them; I don't. I recommend that they be installed =
so
that you are able to check them.=0D
=0D
Again, the number of ground rods to use is decided by the joules output =
of
your energizer; use the formula of One Ground Rod - plus One Ground Rod =
per
Four Joules of Energizer Output. So for example: An eight joules output
energizer would require three ground rods. Normally these dedicated =
ground
systems are placed under the fence line so that no mowing or other
construction should interfere with it over time. Seeking out places with
ground moisture is fine. Often times I will substitute or supplement =
some of
the dedicated "wire return" grounding system rods by spread out other
=
rod
connections throughout the fence system called a combined earth and wire
return system, again typically in an effort to seek ample moisture in =
low
spots along the fence line, etc.=0D
=0D
Don't mistakenly exceed the grounding capacity of your farms power =
supply.
Many times older utility company and line power supply sub-panels are
lacking proper grounding or it is not functioning properly due to age. =
It
will pay to ask your utility company and electrician to check the =
grounding
on the farms power supply from line so a lighting strike down the road
somewhere, doesn't end up seeking earth ground by way of your energizers =
and
fence ground system. =0D
=0D
=0D
Finally, again a good Shepard has it mostly right! Gene Schriefer wrote: =
Our house in South Jersey had acidic water and the copper pipes =
frequently
developed leaks. Could soil be acidic enough to slowly erode copper? I =
don
t know. Copper is a better conducter than steel, but it more expensive. =
If
you want to use copper ground rods use copper wire as well with brass
grounding clamps. I've installed two ground systems similar to Lucky's =
with
a 6 guage wire, both are all copper and have worked well. There is no
corrosion. If you mix metals, you can get a galvanic reaction between =
copper
and steel with the wire corroding over time eventually this will fail. =
Be
sure to install the ground rods 2x the distance apart of their depth. =
I'd
look at availability and price. Gene Schriefer Shepherd"=0D
=0D
=0D
Be safe. Sincerely,=0D
=0D
=0D
Royal A. Purdy, Elysian, Sustainable High Tensile=0D
The Elysian Fields and Pasture Project=0D
A.H. Tuttle and Company=0D
Farmington - Canandaigua, New York 14425=0D
www.ahtuttle.com=0D
rapurdy@ahtuttle.com=0D
315-986-7007=0D
=0D
=0D
Royal A. Purdy=0D
The Elysian Fields and Pasture Project=0D
A. H. Tuttle and Company=0D
1007 County Road 8=0D
Farmington, New York 14425=0D
www.ahtuttle.com=0D
rapurdy@ahtuttle.com=0D
(315) 986-7007 =0D
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