Installation: Finding and Fixing a Wire Break

Every now and then you will get a break in the wire for your dog fence. You will know this because the system will stop working and the transmitter box will sound an alarm or display an error light. Here are two methods for finding the break, starting with the easiest method.

Finding a Break by Visual Inspection
The most common cause of breaks is someone running an edger, aerator or other digging device across the wire. These breaks can usually be found by walking along where the wire runs and looking for spots where there has been recent digging.

Also check the connections between the wire and the transmitter as well as all the wire joints as these are common break locations.

Finding a Break using an RF Choke
First, buy a “100 µH RF Choke.” You can get one at Radioshack (catalog number 273-102). It should cost you less than two dollars. You will also need an AM radio tuned to 600.

Now, go to the dog fence transmitter box and disconnect the two wire leads where they connect to the transmitter. In place of each wire lead, connect one end of the RF Choke. Now turn up the transmitter signal strength to full. The transmitter box should now be showing that there is no break in the signal. Next take the two wire leads and wind the insulated section around the each of the legs of the RF choke with the uninsulated end touching the leg of the RF choke. (Note if the legs of the RF choke are too short, lengthen them with some wire.

Get the radio and walk along the path of the wire. You should hear a throbbing noise where the wire is intact and an absence where the break is located.

Fixing the Break
Once you have found the break, strip a half inch of insulation off each side of the broken wire and then use a weatherproof wire nut to connect the two sides. If the break is large, you may need to splice in some extra wire so that the two sides can meet.