Common Faults in Temporary Electric Fencing (Polywire & Netting)

Описание: In this video, we walk through the most common causes of faults in temporary electric fencing systems, including polywire reels, step-in posts, and electric netting used for poultry, sheep, and rotational grazing.

Temporary fencing is flexible and efficient, but it comes with its own set of predictable issues. Understanding where faults occur and how to prevent them will keep your voltage high and your system reliable.

Polywire & Reel Faults

1. Polywire Falling Out of Step-In Posts
The most common fault on polywire fences happens when the conductor falls out of the ring and touches the steel leg of a step-in post. Because that steel leg goes directly into the soil, it creates a short to ground.

We discuss:

How post rotation causes wire to slip out

Why rotating posts slightly improves retention

Heavy-duty post options that reduce movement

Preventing multi-wire insulator clips from popping off during direction changes

2. Poor Electrical Connections to the Hot Wire
How you connect your portable fence to your permanent fence matters more than most people realize.

Simply laying polywire on top of a hot wire creates resistance. Resistance reduces current flow and generates heat, which can weaken and melt the plastic strands in your polywire over time.

We cover:

Dual-purpose handles

Conductive hooks

Alligator clips for strong connections

Why resistance acts like a kink in a garden hose

How poor connections can damage polywire

3. Reel Hub Insulation Failures
Inside most reels are plastic insulating components that prevent current from leaking into the steel frame.

Over time, those components can degrade. If the frame contacts ground or barb wire while energized from the reel side, you may create a difficult-to-diagnose short.

We discuss:

Best practice for energizing from the hook side

Signs of insulation breakdown

Replaceable parts on quality reels

Electric Netting Faults

Netting behaves differently than single-strand polywire because of the number of conductors and the constant vegetation load.

1. Connection Quality Matters Even More
Because vegetation is almost always touching some part of the net, strong low-resistance connections are essential.

We show:

Where to clip for maximum conductivity

How to connect multiple nets properly

When to use alligator clips

Why bor twine or non-conductive tie materials are better than tucking netting into a permanent fence wire

2. Steel Spike Contact with Conductors
On some posts, especially double-spike versions, a spike can accidentally snag a conductor and create a direct short to soil.

Always check for hidden contact at the base.

3. Vegetation Load (The Most Common Netting Issue)
Every blade of grass touching a conductor is a small leak. Across hundreds of feet of netting, those small leaks add up quickly.

Netting requires:

Larger energizers

Active vegetation management

Awareness of regrowth

We demonstrate how to disconnect the bottom two energized conductors to reduce vegetation load while still maintaining effective predator control for poultry and livestock.

We also explain when you may want to keep those lower conductors intact, particularly for small predator exclusion.

The Big Picture

Temporary fencing is an electrical system. Energizer size, connection quality, vegetation load, and equipment condition all work together.

Most faults are not random. They are predictable and preventable.

How to Test and Size Your Energizer and Grounding System
   • How to Install a Proper Grounding System f...  

How to Build a Proper Brace for High-Tensile Fence
   • How to Build a Strong H-Brace for Multi-St...  

Most Common Faults in Permanent Electric Fencing
   • Common Faults in Permanent High-Tensile El...  

If you’re using polywire, reels, or electric netting in your grazing or livestock system, this video will help you maintain strong voltage and avoid frustrating shorts in the field.

For more, check out our:

Rotational Grazing Playlist
   • Rotational Grazing  

Electric Fencing Playlist
   • Electric Fencing  

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