Electric Fence running under 3 x 11,000v Power Lines

Surely he isn't winthin his rights to electrify the boundary with your land???? As he has electrified your side too*!!!
There should be a boundary and then the electrified fence a few feet on his side of it.
After all he wouldn't like you shooting bullets into his land even if the gun is on your side?
Or do you want an electrified boundary?

I don't really see a danger...but I still wouldn't go and check it out in a thunder storm .

* Unless he has some KrisDel^TM Single Sided Electrified Fencing (designed by a Mr Mobius)

Del

My whole property (all 4 sides) are closed with 6 wire 10 000V electric fence on top of 2m steel spiked fence, all for my own cost, and neighbours are too happy about it. First, they didn't pay for it and second, crime is so high in SA that you just wish your neighbours will help paying to close off some sides.

He put up a 4 foot fabric fence for electric? He's got something to hide. Or, the gawdawfullest mean bull in the world.

Most people just use a single wire about 2.5 feet high and on the inside of a regular fence. The idea is to have livestock learn to stay back (I've seen old draft horses spend weeks leaning into a post till it comes down).

If he fastened anything to the power company poles, they will not be pleased. They may also be suspicious of the fence directly in their right-of-way. It wouldn't hurt to just casually "ask" if that fence is a safety hazard.

SA is a great country to live in.

Where else would you be protected from induction shocks in fences for 1/3 of a day for free?

The discomfort of not having electricity for 1/3 of the day is a small price to pay for absolute safety.

I am almost believing myself.

The idea is nice, but usually these fences run off a battery.......so be careful even if power is off!!!

Hello indy,

Is it really an electric fence as it appears, or is your neighbor trying to take advantage of the induced current from the overhead lines to power his shed/house/particle accelerator :-)? But seriously, this has been tried before and usually these folks are eventually caught and fined. A setup like that would look like an electric fence; complete with those little insulators and wire or mesh fencing. The more ingenious types have even run one edge of a square, multi-turn coil of heavy insulated wire under and parallel to the high-tension lines running through their back-forty to couple energy to their homes. Sometimes they'll bury the coil so that the line riders won't see it during their inspection rounds. Other culprits - like possibly your neighbor - might couple via an innocuous-looking "electric fence" that intentionally looks like the Real McCoy.

Or, your neighbor's fence may be just that: an Electric Fence of the Livestock Kind. 11 kV really isn't all that high as power lines go, but if the lines are packing some serious current, his rig might work, if that's what it is (the coupling is via magnetic field, whose strength is related to the magnitude of the current, not the voltage. That's why those who bury their coils can still expect them to perform).

Take a very close look at your neighbor's fence from end-to-end and see if there's anything like insulated wires connected to both ends; wires that normally wouldn't be there. Wires (possibly buried) that run off to your neighbor's house, shed, or subterranean particle accelerator :P ...

Just a thought...

-e

Hello Thread,

The following graph shows the average strengths of the magnetic fields under power lines of various voltages.

Note: the legend for 11 kV is shown as a dashed green line, but on the plot it is shown as solid. The 11 kV graph is the higher of the two green lines:

Whilst this plot shows the average electric fields for same. (See note above re 11 kV legend):

From the lower plot we can estimate that the induced voltage on a electrically-isolated fence (i.e., one having a very high impedance to ground; an impedance in excess of 10⁹ ohms) would be an AC potential of around 1.3 kV. The path-to-ground impedance through a typical electric fencer utilizing an output transformer is much lower than required to sustain an induced voltage of this magnitude. It is much morely likely that the electric-fencer itself would pose the greater danger in this case.

Hope this is helpful.

-e

Good pictures indy. I'm guessing that your neighbour owns the paddock ( ie he has livestock and hence erected the fence). Can you confirm what Country you are in (your name seems to allude to Indiana, but the pictures look very Brit) - that way somebody might be able to give more specific advice on law wrt electric fences. Also, have you had any discussion with your neighbour about this ? Maybe they would be willing to erect a fence there side of the gully, and you could keep the old poles to form a safety exclusion fence. It's always better to negotiate boundary issues in the UK - the law is a bit of a ass on the matter, and falling out with neighbours is the last place you want to go. If I'm reading it right, europium has clarified that inductance is not a problem. However, you don't want your kids/grandchildren playing around the trees/looking at the animals and getting shocked.

From the photograph it appears to me that the metal fence is not electrified but it is connected to the earth point of the 11KV poles to ensure proper earthing of the fence so that no one get electrocuted from the fence which is erected directly under the 11 KV line. 11 KV lines cannot be connected to the fence directly as the fence is earthed and not insulated. More over it is mandatory rules that if the fence is charged it has to be notified by a danger board . You can verify weather any such danger board is placed on the fence.

On one of those "funny home video" type shows recently, there was a video (from behind him) of some Guy who had not been told that Pissing on such a fence was not a good idea......He ended up lying on the ground still pissing himself, but not with laughter!!!

Oh yeah. Lawn mowers can have a similar effect. Take my younger brother for example:

On summer afternoon between my 7th and 8th grade years, my brother Jim was outside mowing the lawn. He thought everyone had left to go shopping and didn't know that I had stayed behind to finish-up some project. I was home, working in my "lab" - a sun porch on the second floor which I had made into a workshop. He didn't know I was home, much less of the commanding view I had of the back yard at that moment.

While I worked I could hear the running mower as Jim criss-crossed the yard. Then the mower came to a stop with the motor running. A few seconds later I heard Jim holler. Then the motor sputtered and died.

I jumped up, ran to the screen and hollered "What happened?!" When I reached the window I could see Jim standing there next to the mower, facing away with his pants down around his ankles whilst holding his privates in obvious agony. When he heard my voice he jumped, did a one-eighty, and came down with a look of agonized shock on his face. "Whaa??? What are you doing here?!!!"

I was ROFLMAO and I was prolly the one who pissed himself. Ha!

Two weeks later Jim pissed on one of those "weed burner" electric fences. I need not describe.

Six months later Jim "tested" my brand-new 90-volt battery with his tongue to see if it had any charge left. Apparently he thought it was just a large 9.0-volt battery because it had the same kind of snap terminals you find on that kind. Never heard of batteries that went above 12 V and never saw it coming. Amazing the difference a tiny little decimal point makes. He hadn't yet studied them in school.

<sigh>

Here's a picture of his eldest son, btw:

The lawn mower incident brings back a painful memory. As a teenager, I was running the mower one afternoon, and went to shut it off. Back then (50 years ago), mower engines had a springy strip of bare metal attached to one of the head bolts, and ending just above the spark plug terminal. Pressing it against the terminal shorted it out and shut the engine down. Except THIS time, the spring broke at the head end, putting a nice conductive strip of steel an inch wide and several inches long between my shoe sole and the plug lead, with my other foot on the ground. Apparently, I had a high enough impedance that the engine KEPT ON RUNNING after an initial slowdown on first touch, just before the final break took place. Luckily, I must have been a bit off-balance, because I fell away from the mower and broke the contact after what was probably only a few seconds, but felt longer. MUCH longer . . .

Can't you tap onto the fence and power your house with it?

The electric fences I was familiar with had a pulsating current, and under certain conditions you could hear the power supply softly sing "zing. . .zing. . . zing". Not a reliable steady current. Also, some one is paying for the electricity in the fence. If it is your neighbor paying the electric company, he will not be well pleased.

Hi - I am worried about safety issues....I have 2 Granddaughters who come to stay with us on several occasions, and they like to play in our large Garden. One is 13 yrs old and the other is 4. The older one will take care and listen to advise from us.

This fence is on one side and runs for over 400 ft. Our land has been planted with numerous trees over last 17 years, and most of them are now quite tall & mature. Several larges groups of Silver Birch and other deciduous trees and the Grandkids like to play in the "woods" .

The Trees on the fence side are cut down every 2 years i.e., those near the Power Lines. I am concerned the "Electric Fence" could give some one ....more of an electric shock than would be expected from a electric fence that WAS NOT installed and running directly underneath 3 x 11,000 v Power Lines (?).

The Fence, I assume, serves it purpose i.e., control of his horses, but I am a little concerned about the effect of Induction from the Power Lines increasing the "shock off the fence" affecting any one who touches it. His fence also, runs along the back of some one else's property and they have 2 young children.

I am confused, as information online regarding installation of Electric Fences states that you should not put them under Power Lines. Instructions say, if a fence does go under a Power line - cross it at 90 degree angle (Don't know WHY ?) ...............

It also, states not to put connections or tie webbing to the Power Line Poles and he has tied 7 connections directly to the Poles ?. (Don't know what affect this will have on safety ?.

I would really appreciate some reassurance on safety....as I am worried and concerned that the "Shock" may harm a small child.

Sorry about last post - forgot to sign In............

see my reply #1..

he isn't within his rights to electrify your side of a boundary....! He should have a non electrified boundary, and then the electrified fence sat a metre or so his side of that.

That way he can only electrify his own grandkids!

Del

Short it out occasionally with tree branches.....maybe he will move it?

Quickest fix is to call your local Utility Company. They have jurisdiction over the area. Most people aren't aware that although you maintain the boundaries to your property, you may not always have the right to build whatever you desire. There are setbacks and easements that may deny you the right to do whatever.

In Sacramento County the local utility (SMUD) has easement rights that extend from the power lines down to the ground and I believe an additional 5' horizontally. So any structure that is built under the lines (in their easement) can be required to be demolished without any compensation for loss.

Another option is to contact your local Planning Department, and Building Department (they are NOT the same) and see what regulations govern the installation of electric fences.