NEW! Zareba® Revolutionary Sectional Copper Ground Kit

Proper grounding is vital to the effectiveness of your electric fence system.

Our NEW! Zareba® Copper Sectional Ground Rod Kit comes with four-2 ft. copper coated ground rod sections that screw into one another, a hardened steel tip that breaks through rock while it is being driven into the ground, an anvil and a ground clamp.

You know that an electric fence is a great way to protect your property, and to keep your livestock safe and secure.  But, did you also know that any electric fence is only as good as its grounding system?  In fact, in most cases, when a fence is not working, the problem can be traced back to improper grounding.  Professional fence builders know that there are challenges when buying and installing conventional grounding rods.  That is because typical grounding rods are usually 6 to 8 feet long - making them difficult to transport and difficult to install.

How it Works: The grounding circuit is a critical component of your electric fence and is essential for it to function properly.  The charger, or energizer, is designed to alter the electric charge into a power that is safe for animals and people.

If the animal and the ground terminal of the charger are not sufficiently grounded, the path of electric current cannot be completed and the animal will not feel the shock.  Since earth provides half of the electric field circuit, it is crucial to have a properly installed ground circuit.

Technology:  When an animal touches the electrically charged fence wire, the animal feels the electric current as the charge passes through its body.  The charge then continues the circuit through the earth to the ground rod and then up the ground wire to the ground terminal of the charger.

Simple Setup:

• Step 1: Insert the male end of the ground rod into the pointed tip.
• Step 2: Place the black anvil into the female end of the ground rod.
• Step 3: With a rubber mallet, hammer bottom piece of the ground rod into earth.
• Step 4: Place 2nd part of ground rod on top of the rod that is in the earth (should stand 8 ft. tall).
• Step 5: With a wrench, attach the clamp to the ground rod
• Step 6: Attach wire to the ground rod clamp.
• Step 7: Tighten wire to the clamp with wrench.

Zareba® is the largest manufacturer of electric fence systems offering durable, reliable electric fence products for all of your animal fencing needs.

NEW! Zareba® Copper Sectional Ground Rod Kit - Specifications

• Includes four individual 2-foot copper sections that screw into one another
• Includes a hardened steel tip that breaks through rocks while it is being driven into the ground
• Includes an anvil and a ground rod clamp
• Easy to transport
• Easy to install
• Provides grounding for your fence system
• Helps your fence to perform effectively by providing grounding to the fence system

Expert Tips

Follow the instructions in the owners manual, they will guide you through the process.  One terminal of the charger will connect to the fence while the other terminal will connect to earth ground wire. Click on image at right to enlarge.

Sandy, dry and rocky soils may require a ground-wire return system or "Two Wire System".

Make sure you have connected the grounding rod properly:  It must go to the ground terminal on the charger.  Do not make the mistake of connecting it to the fence wire or fence terminal!

Longer fences or areas where the soil is dry rocky or sandy may require more grounding rods.  Multiple rods should be 10 feet apart and 50 feet from any other grounding system.  Each rod will then need to be connected using insulated wire.

Grounding rods may be copper or galvanized.  The benefit of copper is that it transports the electrical charge more efficiently than the galvanized rod; however, it is more expensive than a galvanized rod.

Answers to the FAQs

Q:   How does a ground system work?

A:  An animal touching the fence wire and the earth simultaneously provides a path for electricity to follow.

The electricity passes through the animal into the soil and back to the ground rods, which are connected to the ground terminal of the fence charger. Only then is the circuit complete and the animal receives an electrical shock.

Q:   What type of hook-up wire should I use?

A:  We recommend an 8-foot ground rod/clamp/20,000 volt insulated hook-up wire in most cases.

Q:   Besides the charger, posts and fence wire, what else do I need
       for properly grounding my fence?

A:  You’ll need several other items to properly ground your electric fence.  Here's what we recommend:

• (Three) 6-foot or 8-foot copper or galvanized 5/8" ground rods (A-7, A-21 or A-22)

• (One) insulated hookup wire, 12 ½ or 14 gauge

• (Three) Heavy Duty galvanized ground rod clamps

• Line clamps to connect insulated hookup wire to the fence line. The type of clamp used will vary with the type of fence line you are using.

Q:   How do you check your grounding system?

A:  Check your ground system by placing a metal rod (12-18 inches) into the ground at a distance of about 3 feet from the ground rod(s).

Attach one voltmeter lead to the metal rod and connect the other lead to the ground rod.  If the voltmeter shows more than 500 volts (0.5 kilovolts), it will be necessary to replace the existing ground rod by a longer one, or to add more ground rods.  The distance between any two ground rods should be at least 10 feet.