electric fence charger ground wire

[ugabulldog]

Does the ground wire from charger to rod need to be insulated? I have read that it does but that doesn't make sense to me. I was planning on using a 12.5 guage wire......
Also,...Is it necessary to run double insulated underground positive cable form charger to fence and under gate in plastic pipe??

[where I want to]

On the first mine is so I don't know what might hapoen if not. I have a long run from the charger to the ground.
on the second- I've done it both ways. I used plastic conduit under high passage gates and just the insulated wire under the less used gates.
The only ones that failed are the ones without conduit, al though a couple of those have been trouble free too.

[COWS]

Ground wire does not have to be insulated.

I run the special insulated wire in plastic pipe for extra protection.

COWS

[rambler]

My ground wire, been through 3 fencers over the decades, has used the same uninsulated wire all those years.

The charged wire with the very high voltage will find pinholes and spark them, ESP in moisture. You need insulated wire rated for use with a fencer wire, and even so any little nick will cause problems. I would try real hard to put it inside a plastic pipe if I could. It doesn't have to be but.....

Paul

[ugabulldog]

Thanks to all who responded, I got a 100' roll of poly tubing for cable,...$17 is cheap for peace of mind.

[mrs whodunit]

I have never had an insulated ground wire

[o&itw]

I don't know if one can gt it any more, but the best wire to run underground (in a conduit or tube) is the old metal conductor spark plug wire. It used to be fairly inexpensive and one could get a 50' roll. It will hold up to really "hot" chargers. My dad has some bypassing gates on the farm that has been there 35-40 years. I tried to get some for myself a few years ago, and was unable to find any as they had gone to the resistive "carbon fiber" type wire which is required now to prevent radio and TV interference.