Electric Fence

Electric Fences

Electric fences are often of interest to people who live in rural areas as a part of a home security plan. Electric fences are usually used to contain livestock, but they can also be used to keep wild animals off your property. They can also be used to keep pests (or pets) out of garden areas.

Electric fences used in residential settings should have low-output chargers. Electric fences are typically powered by normal A/C outlets, but it is also possible to buy solar energizers for your fence. Solar energizers convert and store solar energy to power the fence.

It is also possible to buy electric pet containment fencing. Electric pet containment fencing doesn't actually involve putting up a fence at all. All you do is lay underground wire. These kinds of systems consist of a transmitter and collar (that the pet wears), and a thin gauge wire which you can use to "build" any sort of "fence" up to 25 acres. When your pet wanders close to the boundary, a warning sound goes off, and if they try to cross the underground wire boundary, they will receive a shock (it is not harmful to your pet; the shock is only slightly stronger than a typical static electricity shock you get from shuffling across your carpet). Electric pet containment fencing is a good way to teach your pets not to wander into other people's yards.

If you are interested in installing a wireless pet fence, you can get pretty good deals online, for example the Smartdog Basic Plus In-Ground Pet Fence is less than $200 from Smarthome.com.

If you are a horse-owner, you may also be interested in this article: How Electric Fences Work. It deals specifically with electric fences and horses.