How to Buy The Right Fence Energiser

Setting up an electric fence to keep your pets or farm animals safe can be one of the best investments you can make. Unlike conventional fences, electric fences are the more affordable and oftentimes the more efficient solution of keeping your animals contained. When setting up an electric fence, one of the most important decisions you'll have to make is the energiser you get to power the fence.

When shopping for energisers, there are many choices to make in terms of distance rating, reliability, and power source. Only after understanding the importance of all these factors and what to look for, you'll be able to pick the ideal energiser for your electric fence.

Power Source

Obviously, the power source that you'll run your energiser on is the first decision. You can choose between a power mains source, 12V battery, dry battery and solar fence energiser models, and depending on your needs and wants, your choice will vary.

For some people, a mains supply is the best option, but it will require a cable to run from the energiser to the fence and the earth stake. Mains energisers are considered the most reliable option as they're kept in the same place indoors, away from the weather elements.

12V battery fence energisers are powered by a 12V battery like the ones found in cars, or leisure batteries. Leisure batteries are typically the preferred option as they're generally deep-cycle, meaning they can be recharged more times and have a longer lifespan. These batteries are ideal for powering temporary fences and fences in remote locations.

A solar fence energiser costs more but offers incredibly value long-term. However, most solar energisers can only power smaller fences, which is why people who need a more powerful solution combine them with 12V solar batteries so that you always have a back-up solution.

And dry battery energises use disposable 6V or 9V batteries and they're generally compact, portable and easy to use. As you need to replace the batteries more frequently, this isn't a cost-effective long-term solution.

Distance Rating

Every fence energiser comes with a rating to give you an idea of how much fence it can power. Typically, energiser distance ratings are based on two line multi-wire fences. Poly ropes and poly tapes aren't as good conductors as wire, so you need to revise these figures down about 20% if you're using them on your fence.

Reliability

The energiser you go for must be reliable so that you can rest assured it works for a long time. Generally, the more you pay the better energiser you'll get, and solar and mains energisers are the two most reliable options.