While it is not difficult to set up and maintain your electric fence, winters months can pose you problems if you do not plan for them in advance. If you know the right maintenance steps and emergency fixes, a blizzard won’t cause any harm to your electric fence system. The chief reason why electric fences depower in the colder months is the interference of ice and snow with the circuits. 

It is essential to understand that water is known for being an amazing electricity conductor but the same cannot be said for ice. Due to this, all sorts of problems get created for the ground rods. However, you can remove most of the winter problems associated with electric fence by just taking a few additional steps when installing ground rods. What are those steps? Let’s find out.

Location

The first thing you need to do is install ground rods in those areas that won’t receive a lot of snow. For example, you can place them on the leeward side of the barn or under a tree. Just doing this simple thing will prevent frost from making its way as far as the depth of the rod.

Install At Least 3 Rods

People have their own theories regarding how many ground rods should ideally be installed for an electric fence. We will advise you to use at least three ground rods. If you go for fewer rods, your fence will struggle to collect energy. And if you have poor conductivity soil, then it would become even more difficult for the fence to collect energy.

Type of Ground Rods

If you use galvanized steel ground rods, you will notice that they will not experience problems such as corrosion or rust. And if copper is used in ground rods, they become better at conducting electricity. So, we will advise you to properly consider what type of ground rods you want to use.

Moist Soil

It is essential for the soil surrounding the ground rods to be properly moistened. So, make sure before winter months approach, your soil is sufficiently moistened. This is essential because winter air is known for drying the soil, which we all know, is a poor conductor of electricity.

Space Between The Rods

You should always install the ground rods maintaining a space of at least 10 feet among them. When you do this, you get a larger ground field, which makes it easier for you to collect all the available power. Another thing you need to do is use rods at least 6 to 8 feet long. Such rods will extend far below any frost penetration.

If you take care of the above-mentioned things, a lot of your winter problems will get sorted. We will advise you to take help from experienced electric fence users. They will help you set up your electric fence in such a way that no blizzard would affect its effectiveness. You can also prepare for the winter months by getting our garden electric fence kits that contain virtually every essential electric fence tool and accessory.