The ground system completes the circuit during operation. The output pulse travels down the fence wire into the cow touching the wire then into the soil under the cow's feet. And then through the soil back to the ground system, which completes the circuit. A completed circuit causes a noticeably unpleasant shock that creates a psychological barrier which trains your cattle to stay away from the fence. Click here to read more about grounding information

Soil conditions vary throughout the year. During the spring, the soil conditions may be wetter than in the middle of summer. As the moisture level of the soil decreases, the soil becomes more resistant to electrical flow and more ground rods may be needed to ensure proper fence operation.

No, you do NOT need to bring the wire from the end of the fence back to the terminal. A properly installed ground system completes the circuit when the animal touches the fence, without the fence wire connecting to the fence energizer at both ends.

You can protect your Power Wizard fence energizer by installing a lightning arrestor, a lightning choke and a surge protector (on AC plug-in models). Always install at least one more ground rod for the arrestor than the amount of ground rods used for the energizer ground system. The extra ground rod makes the arrestor ground more attractive to the lightning. For effective use, ensure that the arrestor ground rods are a minimum of 50 feet from the energizer ground system. See the Power Wizard manual for more details.

The best way to monitor your fence performance is to use a DVM (Digital Volt Meter) designed for exclusive use with electric fencing. This allows you to monitor the voltage levels on the fence which will alert you to changes in the fence condition. Without a DVM, you may only notice the fence condition has deteriorated when your cattle are able to penetrate the fence.

If the unit has lights and is clicking, refer to the troubleshooting guide on pages 24 and 25 of the product model.

If your unit has no lights and/or clicking, call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-821-9542 for assistance.

To test the model, disconnect the unit from the fence. With an insulated screwdriver, lay the screwdriver across one terminal then across the other terminal. If you see a spark, then the unit is putting out voltage.

Another way to test the voltage is with a DVM (Digital Volt Meter) designed for electric fences. In order to see a spark, you must create a small air gap to allow the spark to "jump or arch" from the tip of the screwdriver to the opposite terminal. The size of the spark will vary depending on the size of the unit, the screwdriver material and the relative humidity in the air.

We never suggest touching any kind of electric fence. However, should you come in contact with the fence, the reason you may not experience a shock is that your shoes may act as an insulator, protecting you from electric shock. We suggest you purchase a DVM (Digital Volt Meter) designed for electric fences so that you can safely check the voltage.

The reason your ground system needs to be 25 feet away from metal buildings is that your fence may pick up stray voltage. This is evident if your fence receives pulsing shocks from water tanks or if you can hear the pulse of the fence controller in your phone, television or radio. If you experience any of these issues, you will need to move your ground system further away from any metal buildings.

We recommend using three galvanized ground rods driven into the soil for maximum performance, but depending on your soil conditions you may need to add additional ground rods. If you live in a climate where there is sandy, dry soil conditions refer to page 21 in the manual to set up a ground return system.

No, household volt meters are designed for household usage. The output voltage of our energizers exceeds the input voltage of most multi-meters, which typically have 600 or 1,000 DC volt limits. We recommend using a DVM (Digital Volt Meter) designed for electric fences.

To locate shorts or broken fence wires, walk the fence with a DVM (Digital Volt Meter) to test each section of fence. If you find a drop in voltage, check that particular section of fence for sliced or broken wires. If you do not have a DVM (Digital Volt Meter,) an alternative is to walk the fence with an AM transistor radio tuned off the station and on high volume. The radio will click louder as you approach an insulator.