You are here:     Electric fence school › Shock and electric fence safety

Electric fence school

• Alternative uses
• Shock principles
• Fence planning
• Fence layout
• Wire configurations
• Wire types
• Post types
• Insulator types
• Uninsulated fences
• Electric fence accessories
• Grounding tips
• Shock requirements
• Low vs. hi-impedance
• About AC chargers
• About DC/solar chargers
• Radio freq. interference
• Electric fence safety
• Storage and cold weather
• Troubleshooting tips

---

Hallman.ca is best viewed in Mozilla Firefox at a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or larger.

PDFs require a PDF viewer. Hallman recommends Foxit PDF Reader.

Electric fence school

Shock and fence charger safety

A California professor made a very comprehensive survey of electric shock fatalities and near-fatalities over many years. Two important facts came to light.

• Alternating current (AC) is about seven times more lethal than direct current (DC).
• White females between the ages of four and seven are most susceptible.

DC shock is safer. This is true even with very high voltages and currents because of the all-important third factor—time. The single pulse of high voltage, high current DC shock is 'on' for about 3/100 millionths of a second only! This is many times less energy than that which might prove to be dangerous to even a sick animal or human.

 CSA approval for electronic fence chargers

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) thoroughly tests every power-line operated (AC-powered) electric fence charger sold legally in Canada, no matter where its was manufactured, for fire and shock hazard. All units approved so far have been DC shock (output) types, although they will approve an AC shock type if the shock is sufficiently weak to be considered safe.

In many states, fence controller manufacturers may sell their products without obtaining electrical approval from Underwriters' Laboratories (UL)—the American counterpart of CSA. In other words, submission by an American manufacturer to UL is strictly voluntary in many states.

Also, there are differences between UL's and CSA's criteria for electrically approving a fence charger. A fence charger carrying the UL mark would not necessarily meet the requirements of CSA.

Don't risk fire and shock hazards—use CSA-approved fence chargers!

 Hallman manufactures direct current output fence chargers only

With over 70 years of experience behind them, the engineers at Hallman have found that in order for an AC shock to be entirely effective in holding animals, it will be dangerous! When AC-shock-type fence chargers become this powerful, they are usually known as 'weed choppers.'

Anyone considering one of these 'weed choppers' is asking for trouble from such organizations as insurers or the local hydro inspector. In the possible instance of loss of human or animal life, much more serious consequences can result.

All electric fence chargers that Hallman manufactures, even the AC-powered models, have a direct current (DC), low-impedence output.