Finding a Break

Finding and Fixing a Wire Pause

Over the lifetime of an electric domestic dog fence, it is not uncommon for a wire break to occur. If a wire should break, your transmitter box will allow you know past endlessly beeping and flashing. You may too observe that your receiver collars are no longer reacting when you approach the wire.

Performing a Short Loop Test

Your canis familiaris fence transmitter volition let y'all know there is a break in the line by setting off an alert. If your transmitter is alarming, and you think you may take a wire break, the first thing to cheque is the functionality of your dog debate transmitter. The concept of a curt loop test is to create a tiny piddling loop of canis familiaris fence wire on your transmitter, to see if your transmitter is still alarming when this curt loop of wire is connected.

Here is how to do a curt loop test:

  • Unplug all wires going into your domestic dog argue transmitter.
  • Cut a minor slice of wire (12 inches) and strip both ends of it.
  • Connect each end to your two terminals going into your dog fence transmitter, creating a tiny petty loop.
  • Plug in your dog fence transmitter.

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A graphic showing how to do a short loop test
How to do a brusk loop test
A graphic showing how to unplug all wires
How to unplug all wires

Is your transmitter even so beeping? This means that at that place is a problem with your dog fence transmitter. Please contact u.s.a. at 800-305-6116 to see if your transmitter is covered under warranty. Did your transmitter stop beeping with the short loop hooked upward to it? This means that in that location is likely a problem in your dog argue wire. If the audible alarm stops when you are testing using a short loop, you lot tin can exam your neckband using the short loop, if y'all like.

Place your domestic dog contend collar next to the short loop, making sure that the range is prepare low enough on the transmitter. Hold your receiver collars a few inches abroad from the loop, and make certain you accept fresh batteries inserted in the neckband. Your dog fence neckband should beep when you place it next to the wire.

Testing Wire Continuity with a Multi-Meter

A multi-meter can also exist used to verify the principal loop functionality. A multi-meter can exist purchased from any hardware or home improvement store.

Begin past setting the multi-meter to the continuity setting, which is the position that resembles a speaker. Next, affect the tips of the metal legs to the ends of your twisted wire. Next, listen for your multi-meter to beep. If it does, that ways you accept continuity in your dog argue wire. This ways that your loop is functional and that y'all don't have a wire break. If y'all don't have a wire interruption, the problem could exist in your collar or transmitter.

Ways to Find a Wire Intermission

Wire Break Locator Kit

You lot tin can locate a wire pause, past using a Wire Break Locator Kit. Information technology includes a mini transmitter and an AM radio.

Based on our extensive testing, it has been determined that this device just works well for argue systems with less than 500 anxiety of domestic dog fence wire. In addition to this, the breaks must be clean, as opposed to partial or decaying breaks.

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A drawing showing a man locating wire breaks
Use a wire break locator

What to do:

  • Unplug your dog fence transmitter.
  • Connect your wire interruption locator to your twisted wire.
  • Ground the sending unit of measurement by attaching the enclosed wire to the center screw of an electrical outlet.
  • Plug in the sending unit of measurement, so that both lights on the transmitter are lit.
  • Plough on the AM radio, turning the station to 530 KHZ. You might demand to adjust the dial to a channel that doesn't have a radio station.
  • Begin to follow the twisted wire with the radio towards the main dog fence loop. Y'all will brainstorm to hear a combination of two sounds as yous follow the twisted wire. Should there be a break in the twisted wire, the audio will slowly switch from two sounds to one audio.
  • If everything from the twisted wire checks out fine, begin to follow the main domestic dog debate loop. You will begin to hear one steady sound. Follow the dog fence wire until this tone gets softer or begins to modify. Begin to dig around this area and locate both ends of where your wire has broken.
  • Should yous run into interference issues, disconnect your twisted wire from the main loop and connect both ends of the main loop to your sending unit. You will take to run an extension cord to your main loop in order to power it up.

Visual Inspection

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A drawing showing a man making a visual inspection
Searching for disturbances

The following things commonly crusade wire breaks: edgers, weed whackers, lawn aerators and rodents. Physically doing a walk effectually your perimeter looking for indications of any of these situations happening is the first way to look for a wire interruption.

The second place to check would exist where your splices or wire connectors are located. Sometimes this is the area where the wires tin can become pulled autonomously inadvertently.

  • Showtime at the transmitter. Audit the wire from the get out point through the door, wall or window. Carefully audit where the twisted wire leaves your dwelling house. This is a common area where the wire tin exist broken. Examine the ground where the twisted wire is placed, looking for possible areas of disturbance.
  • Walk effectually the perimeter looking for any disturbances in the ground. Pay specific attention to the driveway, pathway, sidewalk and areas where there is heavy human foot traffic. These areas are the most common places where wire breaks tin can be found. Look advisedly at edge lines at driveways and sidewalks.

RF Choke Method

You lot can likewise use the RF choke method to find a wire interruption. First, you will demand to purchase an RF choke at your local electronics supply or hardware store. Adjacent, disconnect your wires from your transmitter and supercede them with the choke-one stop of the choke in each lead on the control box. Next, plow the signal forcefulness all of the way upward. At that place should not be any wire break error when the choke is in place. Now, take your two end wires and adhere i to either side of the asphyxiate past wrapping the wire effectually the choke. Exist certain that the choke is touching the uninsulated end of each wire. Use the AM radio to detect the pause by walking the perimeter and listening for silence. There should be aural pulsing where the wire is intact, and silence where the suspension is located.

To Partially Supplant Dog Fence Wire:

If your domestic dog fence wire is erstwhile, consider replacing it before investing besides much fourth dimension locating and repairing a break in your wire. Dog fence wire is relatively inexpensive, and installing it is easier to do the second time around. Yous may make up one's mind to skip the pathways and driveways. Instead, y'all can splice into them on both ends, although it is a proficient idea to examination areas as you lot replace each section of wire.

  • To begin, locate the ends of twisted wire that are coming into contact with the primary loop of your electrical dog debate.
  • Disconnect your twisted wire from your main loop. Strip nigh ½ inch of wire from the twisted wire so that you can run into the copper. Twist both ends of the wire together, temporarily.
  • Become over to your domestic dog fence transmitter and test for continuity with a meter. If your twisted wire is skilful, motion on to your adjacent step. If it isn't, replace your twisted wire, or locate where your break is in your twisted wire. If your twisted wire was broken and y'all repaired or replaced information technology, temporarily connect the twisted wire ack to the main loop. Go to your domestic dog fence transmitter box and test for continuity. If your main dog debate perimeter tests well, permanently repair or replace only the twisted wire. There isn't a need to await further. If you still don't have a consummate loop, go on to the next step.
  • If y'all accept figured out that the pause is not in the twisted wire, begin to partially replace areas of your wire that are questionable. After yous have replaced sure sections of your wire, go dorsum to your transmitter to see if the trouble has been corrected. You can also run a piece of standard wire from each finish of your twisted wire to the middle of your fence and connect them to your loop. This makes it easier for the pause to be isolated, assuasive the search surface area to exist lessened for potential breaks.

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Two drawings showing cables
Repairing a wire intermission

Repairing a Suspension

Once y'all accept found the wire break, strip off a ½ inch of insulation on each side and and then use a waterproof splice capsule or waterproof wire nut to put the 2 ends together once again. Should the wire be likewise short to rejoin the two ends, you can simply splice in another section of wire to create the connection.