# Putting a timer on an electric fence



## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

I'm posting on this Equine forum because I know these days many homesteaders with horses use electric fences. I don't have horses, but I recently put up an electric fence to keep bears out (I'm in western Canada). The fence works well for this purpose, but I don't want to go switch it on every evening at 8:00PM and switch it back off at 8:00AM - I want to use a timer.

I bought one from my local hardware store ($9.00), and it worked _great_ until the weather started going somewhat below freezing at night. My electrical outlet for the charger is in a roofed but open-sided situation, and it can get cold where the charger & outlet are located. The timer I bought became inaccurate when the colder temps arrived. The timer will have to work well during the "shoulder seasons", but the electric fence won't have to be utilized during actual winter, since the bears will be hibernating.

Can anyone recommend a *brand* of timer that is durable under these circumstances? - with usage that will amount to about a month and a half in the fall, and a similar stretch stretch of time in spring. In Canada, we can buy many of the brands you have in the U.S.... and when we cant, we can order over the internet and have an item shipped.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

I'm just curious: why not leave it on all the time? Are you off grid?


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## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> I'm just curious: why not leave it on all the time? Are you off grid?


Good question... I realize the "why not" isn't obvious from how I wrote the question.

The wire crosses various gates that we or friends and neighbors walk or drive through. Yes, you can detach the wire (hook) at the gate, since there is an insulated handle, but it definitely intimidates some people (even many rural people) if they're not using electric fences on their own property, hence are unused to detaching the wire. We've therefore sent all our friends an email announcement telling them there is _no_ charge running through the fence wire between 8:00AM and 8:00PM 'so don't worry'.:spinsmiley:


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

There has to be some sort of outside timer that people use for Christmas lights so I would think if you were to check with Canadian Tire or your local hardware store you should be able to find something that would work.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

Good point wr. We keep a timer on our Christmas lights and our temps go down way below freezing (we aren't far from the British Columbia border). Our timers are weatherproof as well. DH buys them at Home Depot.


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## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Good point wr. We keep a timer on our Christmas lights and our temps go down way below freezing (we aren't far from the British Columbia border). Our timers are weatherproof as well. DH buys them at Home Depot.


There's a Home Depot over in Cranbrook, about 21/2 hours' drive from here. On the other hand, if I could get a brand name for the timer, and - if this isn't asking too much - a model number... Then I could call them and order one over the phone.

One other thing. Do you think you could ask your husband if he thinks the timer would handle the electricity "draw" of a fence charger? (Probably it could, is my guess. The charger doesn't require anything more than a 15-amp circuit breaker in the breaker box, and that's the smallest breaker generally used.)


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I cant get out before the weekend but if nobody has any answers before then, I'll see if I can find something that might work.


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## Kazahleenah (Nov 3, 2004)

Joel_BC said:


> There's a Home Depot over in Cranbrook, about 21/2 hours' drive from here. On the other hand, if I could get a brand name for the timer, and - if this isn't asking too much - a model number... Then I could call them and order one over the phone.
> 
> One other thing. Do you think you could ask your husband if he thinks the timer would handle the electricity "draw" of a fence charger? (Probably it could, is my guess. The charger doesn't require anything more than a 15-amp circuit breaker in the breaker box, and that's the smallest breaker generally used.)


Search Results forÂ electric timersÂ at The Home Depot

They have a couple weatherproof ones on this Home Depot page. (Beats driving 2 1/2 hours!)


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## greg_n_ga (May 4, 2012)

15 amp breakers are the norm. A fence charger don't draw hardly any amps, hence, that is what you are charged for by power companies. Ours is on a meter by itsself. The amount of our bill is always the mininum, being the cost of doing business !!


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## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

Kazahleenah said:


> Search Results for-electric timers-at The Home Depot
> They have a couple weatherproof ones on this Home Depot page. (Beats driving 2 1/2 hours!)


I really appreciate the link. Thanks, Kazahleenah.

It's still confusing. If you're in the store, usually you find there's specific info given on the attached printed card, inside the item's blister pack... and you can read that.

Big-box stores always make me long for the old-fashioned family-run hardware store, where the proprietor and sales people "knew something"(!) about the products. If I take a stab with one of the Home Depot online catalog offerings, I guess I have to keep my fingers crossed that it's a good choice. 

Whenever I can, if I'm buyng some sort of product I don't know much about, I come to a forum like this to get "the word of mouth" about what's good and what isn't.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

unfortunately, our timers are packed away till we put the lights up in a couple of weeks. But DH says he's never been picky with the timers and never had a problem with them.


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## Joel_BC (Nov 10, 2009)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Good point wr. We keep a timer on our Christmas lights and our temps go down way below freezing (we aren't far from the British Columbia border). Our timers are weatherproof as well. DH buys them at Home Depot.


Just getting back to this after the holiday season, but I was wondering about brand names. We won't have to use the fence charger until next spring, but I'd kinda like to find out about a good brand & model of timer. I might be able to obtain one like it here in Canada. Because I'll need to start using the charger in spring, we'll once again have freezing and slightly sub-freezing night temps with the timer needing to function properly in them.


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