Finding a Short in a Buried Undergate Cable With a Fault Finder: Readings on Both Sides of the Gate, the Far Fence Switched Off, and Cable Re-Laid 12 Inches Down in Pipe
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. When an electric fence reads strong up to a gate and weak beyond it, the buried cable under the gateway is a prime suspect. A fault finder that reads both voltage and current can tell you whether power is leaking into the soil under the gate before you dig anything up. How do you tell if an undergate cable is shorting out? Take voltage and current readings on both sides of the gate, close to each cable end. Then switch off the far fence so the cable is the only load. A big drop in voltage with a jump in current at the near end, while the far side stays weak, points to damaged insulation underground. Virginia Cooperative Extension's Troubleshooting Electric Fences (SPES-692) says to test on both sides of critical points such as gates and lane crossings. It notes that fault finders only read about 100 feet in either direction, and that a...