# Problem with solar fence charger



## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Ok......a little back story first: I live in Washington State (get that out of the way first), with all its grey, wet days that it's famous for.

Years ago, I bought a solar fence charger not too long after they first came on the market. They were advertised as being able to hold a charge even after thirty days of totally cloudy weather.

I found that to not be true - it did not hold a charge during our winter months, even with those occasional not-so-cloudy days.

Fast forward twenty years or so and I was needing to put up some electric fencing in a spot that would be tough to use a charger that is powered by the house's electric. So, I needed something that I could use "remotely" and I started looking again at solar chargers. Since so many years had passed, I figured that maybe the kinks had been ironed out and decided to try it again.

I bought one at my local feed store (which is a Tractor Supply but called something different here). I think I paid around $120.00 for it. 

We set it up according to instructions and in a spot where it gets great southern exposure. And we had a wonderful fall, with lots and lots of sun, and I wasn't too concerned about the charger - in fact, I barely gave it a thought.

So, for several months......no problems. My goats are all electric fence savvy and do just fine behind a two strand hot wire - as long as it works.

In the last couple of weeks, they've been getting out; I have watched them walk right through and under the wire as if it's not even there.

I have gone down there several times, looking for problem spots where the wire might have been grounded out, and after correcting a few possible things, there is still NO zap. None. 

So, yesterday I bought a charger specifically meant to re-charge these solar batteries in the house. The two long-time employees at the feed store didn't have a clue about any of it (in fact, one of them was trying to sell me a whole new battery). And I have lost my paperwork for the charger itself.

I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience with re-charging these batteries. As in, how often am I going to have to do this? I'm also wondering if it might not be a good idea to buy a second battery so that I can alternate them, having one ready and charged at all times.

And, just an FYI - the reason I don't put other fencing (such as field fencing) along that fence line is because the ground is very uneven there, and in fact, gets quite steep in places. I still haven't ruled it out but was just hoping, since my goats do respect electric fencing, that it wouldn't be necessary.

Anyway, I'm just hoping that someone can reassure me that I'm not going to be having to do this every other day because that would be a great big pain in the patooty. :hair


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> I'm also wondering if it might not be a good idea to buy a second battery so that I can alternate them, having one ready and charged at all times.


If it's a 12 volt system, I'd buy a large DEEP CYCLE marine battery.
The "solar type battery" isn't any different other than it probably *fits* inside the system

If it's 6 volts, your options will be more limited.
Odds are good that with either one, the battery is the main problem right now

What charger did you buy?


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Bearfootfarm said:


> What charger did you buy?


This is the fence charger:

ZarebaÂ® 3 Mile Solar Low Impedance Fence Charger - 3604308 | Tractor Supply Company

And this is similar to the battery charger I bought:

ZarebaÂ® 6 Volt Solar Trickle Charger - 3604811 | Tractor Supply Company

.......except the one I bought says it is a 12 volt and not to leave it plugged into the battery for longer than eight hours.


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## Murramarang (Dec 18, 2011)

i had a similar issue...and found i needed more grounding rods (does not seem logical...but it was my issue!)


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Murramd)arang said:


> i had a similar issue...and found i needed more grounding rods (does not seem logical...but it was my issue!)


So, what do you do? Put several rods into the ground a certain distance apart and connect each one separately to the charger?

My son used a t-post for a ground (he put it very deep into the ground)- I'm not sure that is the best choice but if you go buy something labeled as a "grounding rod" at the feed store, they are amazingly expensive. 

Again, though, the charger was working set up as it is. I have gone over the fence with a fine tooth comb and cannot find anywhere where the wire is touching anything.

So, by process of elimination, the only thing I can come up with is that it's not holding a charge because of the month of grey skies we've had (except for the last couple of days).

I'm going to keep the battery on the charger until about 6:00 tonight (that will be about eight hours). Tomorrow morning, I will put it back in the fence charger and see what happens. Hopefully that will do the trick - I just hope it's not something I'm going to have to do every couple of days.

If that's not it, I'm not sure what else to look for. And if that's not it, then I'm out the $20.00 I spent for the battery charger plus the initial cost of the fence charger. 

Something else I might try is to bring it up here by the house and disconnect my electric charger (where I know the system is working with the ground setup, etc.) and hooking the solar charger up to it and see if it works; if it does work up here, then that would tell me there IS a problem with the setup down where I've had it.

Or I could shoot the goats..........


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> So, what do you do? Put several rods into the ground a certain distance apart and connect each one separately to the charger?


Most systems call for three, 6-8 ft long rods, placed 10 ft apart, all connected to each other in a row and then to the fence charger

I'm not sure why your *battery* charger would say 12 volts when the fence charger says it's 6 volts.

Do you have a *fence tester* to check the voltage coming off the fence charger, and then on the fence itself?

ONE solid short could be taking all the power, but still not be obvious without a CLOSE inspection of the entire fence


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## 2horses (Jul 19, 2004)

Those batteries do go bad and have to replaced - they get to the point where they just won't hold a charge. I'd try brand new batteries first and see if my fence worked with them - if not, then your fence is the problem and you may indeed need more ground rods. But if it worked before with the grounding you have, then I'd just suspect bad batteries. If you do need additional grounding, I have three in a row, three feet apart, connected by a singe wire. I think we used 3' pieces of rebar, they're cheap. They are about a foot underground.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

2horses said:


> Those batteries do go bad and have to replaced - they get to the point where they just won't hold a charge. I'd try brand new batteries first and see if my fence worked with them - if not, then your fence is the problem and you may indeed need more ground rods. But if it worked before with the grounding you have, then I'd just suspect bad batteries. If you do need additional grounding, I have three in a row, three feet apart, connected by a singe wire. I think we used 3' pieces of rebar, they're cheap. They are about a foot underground.


Would the battery have gone bad in just the three months or so that I've had the fence charger? 

Jeez......I hope I'm not going to have to buy a new battery every few months!

I was going to give the battery the full eight hours to charge but I think I'm going to put the battery back in the charger a little sooner - around 4:00 and just before dark. It will have been on the charger for six hours and should give me an idea if it's going to work or not.

I'll continue to look for problems on the wire, but like I've said, I HAVE looked....and looked....and looked. The entire area that I use this charger on is actually quite small, so I should be able to find it if there's a problem.

Next time I go to town, I will buy some rebar. That is what I use on the electric fence charger up by the house and it works good. I've never had to do the three rods before, but I'll do that, too.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

How far is it from the fenced area to the nearest electrical outlet?


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

Bearfootfarm said:


> How far is it from the fenced area to the nearest electrical outlet?


Quite a ways.

I have a charger plugged in at my attached to the house greenhouse for the hot wire that I use with my woven wire fence setup (to keep the goats _off_ the woven wire) up here by the house, and if I have to, I can extend it down to that area that I'm having the issues with.

It will be a bit of a pain in the butt (not impossible) and that is why I bought the solar charger in the first place.

I would still like to make the solar charger work for me - you know, since I paid for it and all. If I can't, I'll have to look at my other options.


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## countryfied2011 (Jul 5, 2011)

> I will buy some rebar


 thats all DH hooks up for ours, just one.

I have the 10 mile Zareba, and it says on the specs it only runs for two weeks without any sun and that is if it is fully charged. I have had mine at least 5 or 6 yrs, only replaced battery once. I also make sure the ground post stays wet. Bought ours at TSC also. We dont go a month without any sun though.


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

countryfied2011 said:


> We dont go a month without any sun though.


Lucky you. 

Well, I went ahead and let the goats back out there. I'll watch them tomorrow and see if they go through the fence.

Since the fence charger is making a much louder clicking sound than before, I am hopeful.

Edited to add: I haven't been concerned about the ground post staying wet because we have had a LOT of rain in the last month.


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## 2horses (Jul 19, 2004)

Zilli said:


> Would the battery have gone bad in just the three months or so that I've had the fence charger?


Sorry, for some reason I thought your system was three years old, not three months. No I don't think they would go bad that quickly, unless they were really old to begin with - like it sat for a few years before you bought it.



> Since the fence charger is making a much louder clicking sound than before, I am hopeful.


That's a good sign, maybe they did just need the extra oomph from the charger.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

Zilli, I have a solar fence charger too, but mine is homemade. I am using a 5 watt panel hooked to a lawn mower battery and a DC fence charger. I had the solar panel and the used battery. My fence charger has a light to let me know it is working(just like the one you showed in the link has). If my light quits--I then cut the fence charger off and unhook the wire going to my fence, turn the charger back on---if the light starts working---then you will know your fence is shorted. If the light does not work with the fence wire unhooked then you got a dead battery or something wrong with the fence charger.

You do know you can buy a tester to test the output of the fence charger I am sure.

Just for info my fence charger will run off the solar panel during the sunlight day without a battery, not sure if yours would or not. 

I am sure there is ways to trouble shoot yours----I would test the solar panel(if possible) with a volt meter with the battery unhooked. If the charged battery last for some time after you put it back in the fence charger then goes dead again---I would feel that the fence charger's solar charging system is not charging your battery. 

I like my system because everything is seperate----I can easily check the solar panel output or the battery or the fence charger.

My cheap fence charger out put tester is a blade of green grass or a stripped collard leaf stem(during the winter).I get down on the ground on one bare knee then stick the long blade of grass to the fence and start sliding it so it so my hand it getting closer to the wire-----If I get a good tingle with my hand on the blade of grass a few inches away---I know everything is working right. If I barely get a tingle through the grass with my hand a inch away from the wire---I look for a problem. This way of testing just work alot faster than having to go get the fence tester then having to go put it back up when finished---LOL.

Good Luck!


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## Zilli (Apr 1, 2012)

You know what? I had completely forgotten about the light. D'oh! :hammer:

The reason being that the backside of the charger is only visible from inside the fence line (so that the panel gets full benefit of the sun).

What a dummy!

So, first thing in the morning, I will go down there and see if the light is blinking. At least that should give me a better idea of whether or not it's working - still doesn't solve the problem if it's not.

You gave me some other ideas, too. Thanks. :thumb:


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

You can get larger 6 volt batteries, and if you hook a couple together correctly, it will give you more capacity but still be 6 volts.

RV 6-Volt Deep-Cycle Batteries


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