Comments on: Finding and Fixing a Wire Break

By: bill r

bill r — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:41:43 +0000

for those of you struggling with the agony of “partial breaks”, as I recently was, remember to be very methodical and isolate each component of the system. I eventually found I had 2-3 problems- bad splices, weak spots in the wire, AND a partially fried lightning protector. I had enough signal flowing that the transmitter did not perceive a “break”, yet the collar could not function. A test loop in the basement revealed the transmitter and collar to be working normally . Splicing into the outside loop and checking resistance (ohms) with the voltmeter showed higher than normal (you can find online what it should be at a given guage wire, distance, temp, etc). AM signal died at several spots. I started by replacing known splices, (which were not in the factory waterproof nuts and sure enough they were corroding), and then by walking the wire both ways, found and bypassed another couple weak spots with the “older guy method” described above. A much steadier AM signal now, though slightly weakening at the furthest point from the transmitter, and still no correction at the collar. Even though resistance dropped by almost half, it was still too high when measured just in front of the transmitter…. hmmm…… before resorting to digging up the braid section, I diagrammed the circuit on paper and had the a-ha moment- I took the lightning protection out of the circuit and re-tested, the AM signal was twice as loud as before and perfectly constant all around the perimeter! Even though there was only a couple ohms drop in resistance after removing the lightning protection, and it still read slightly higher than normal (but who knows how accurate a cheap volt-meter is anyway) it made a huge difference in the signal strength and the system now works perfectly. Hope this helps someone, it really bugged the crap out of me for a friday evening and saturday morning!

By: Larry

Larry — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:45:58 +0000

We’ve had an Innotek Boundary Fence for years and have been very happy with it. However, it just stopped working. My question is…I have heard that Smart Meters may interfere with the operation of these fences. Can this be true as we have had one of these meters installed within the last couple of months? Thank you.

ADMIN – Hi Larry,

We have also heard rumors of Smart Meters interfering but don’t have any confirmed cases. All the cases we have investigated have been a plain old wire break, or the control box being broken. I suspect it is just coincidence, but cannot rule out the possibility.

What are the symptoms you system is exhibiting? The easiest way to test the hypothesis would be to take your fence and a small dummy loop and plug it into a neighbor’s electrical system (without a smart meter) and seeing if the system starts working there.

By: Tim

Tim — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:31:36 +0000

Does the RF choke test for Innotek work with a Pet Safe system?

ADMIN – Hi Tim,

The RF-choke does not work with the PetSafe systems. For those systems you need to use something like the PetSafe Wire Break Locator.

By: paul

paul — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:06:26 +0000

I have an Innotek system thats worked well for 6 or 7 years, but lately have problems. I check my collars periodically by walking to the fence and making sure the green light changes to red and the audible warning sounds. Tried that a few days ago – no work. I then tried a small 6 foot loop – attached to transmitter and collars worked as normal so most likely transmitter and collars are ok. Next I hooked up the RF choke with 1 side of the loop wire attached – everything sounds ok although the signal did seem not as loud in a few places. I might have been a little further away from the wire as it is buried 1 – 2″ in most places.Any ideas for a next step? Another question – do those 3M connectors #314 – little plastic box work? I noticed when I took one apart that the wire did not seem to have a way to “connect”. Supposedly no need to strip wire as they have have a couple of steel blades that make contact. Looks kind of iffy for small gauge wire.

ADMIN – Hi Paul,

That the test loop works fine, but the real loop does not tells us that you have a wire break. You are on the right track with the RF choke – in the places where the radio goes silent, poke around and you should find your break.

The 3M button style connectors work fine, you just place the wires in the hole and push down hard on the button on top to splice the wires together. I know they say you don’t need to strip the wire, but I find you get a much more consistent connection if you strip the wire and it only takes a few extra seconds.

By: Gary Fleming

Gary Fleming — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 03:36:48 +0000

Hello – I am having the exact same problem that Myron described in his posting from November 5, 2011. Is there any way that I could find out if Myron found a solution to his problem and what that solution was? Thanks very much for any help.

ADMIN – Hi Gary,

If the Invisible Fence system shows a complete loop, but the boundary width is very narrow, and turning up the boundary width dial does not resolve the problem – then the transmitter is broken and needs repair.

By: Rex

Rex — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:01:43 +0000

Thanks so much for your website. It’s very useful. I have the Invisible Fence ICT 801. I used the RF choke and AM radio to find the break. It was in the middle of a linear portion 2 or 300 feet long. There was no earth disturbance and the insulation had been pulled and thinned. The wires were about 1/8 inch apart. It is cold and my theory is the low temperature caused the wire to contract and break in that single long section. The wire is #16 and was installed by the dealer a couple years ago. Shouldn’t there be some temperature compensating mechanism for these wires? Bridges, cable TV wires and other outdoor installations have them. Thanks again.

ADMIN – Hi Rex,

Thanks for the tip. Usually when laying out the wire, we try and build in a little slack so that if there is a cold snap or if there is some earth settlement, then it will not break the wire. As you mention if the wire is laid too tight it is prone to stretching and snapping.

By: Erin

Erin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:19:32 +0000

Hi, we recently moved with our 3 English Mastiffs. They were all on a Petstop Invisible Fence at our last house and when we moved, we took the control box and collars with us, but not the wire. Now we are ready to set something up at our new house and are unsure how to proceed…should we go someplace like Home Depot and purchase just the wire to lay around our house, then contact the Petstop people for more batteries for the collars or does it make more sense to purchase a new system (I love the idea of rechargeable collars!) and start from scratch? I’m not even sure if generic invisible fence wire from Home Depot would work with the control box and collars we own… All in all, we have around 6 acres but would probably only be looking to “fence” 1/2-1 acre of it. Any suggestions or ideas??? Thanks!

ADMIN – Hi Erin,

You can use pretty much any single insulated copper wire that is rated for direct burial with your existing system. (You want to avoid using regular housing PVC because it tends to deteriorate when exposed to soil and the elements) You can get direct burial wire at some Home Depot / Lowes (but it is a little hit and miss so phone ahead). You can also get it through electrical supply stores, and or through this website.

Some Invisible Fence dealers will also sell you the wire. Also get a quote for them to do the installation – if you already have the system and collars, depending on the local franchisee the installation is often not very expensive.

The battery subscriptions usually cost around $60 per dog per year ($180 for three dogs). A new rechargeable dog fence system costs around $500. Eventually, the new system will pay off, but it is at least a three year payback. I would lean toward keeping your existing system.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:36:50 +0000

Hey, I have a problem I cannot figure out. When I turn the unit on at low power switch on up to number 3, (Sportdog brand Sportdog 100A) it says that the loop is fine light comes on and no alarm everything is OK…. but I turn the power up or turn it to high power it instantly sounds the loop alarm and turns out the loop light. What would make it indicate a break of connection if i turn it up? It also happens on the loop test with a short wire. I have tried testing the wire in the ground using the collar even with the alarm going off, the collar is working, but it seem inconsistent with the distance. Any ideas?

ADMIN – Hi Ruth,

That is an odd set of symptoms. Usually, when you turn the dial low, you can trigger a wire break alarm, and turning it up high resolves the problem. You seem to have the opposite issue. That makes me think the transmitter box is defective. That you have the same issue with even a short test loop and that you are getting an inconsistent signal also seems to indicate a faulty transmitter. I would contact SportDog and get it swapped out for a new one.

I presume you are turning the boundary width dial on the right hand side of the dog fence transmitter. I am also presume that the loop is a regular loop without any funky three-way joints.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:52:17 +0000

Hi,
I have a dogwatch fence system and I am wanting to expand the boundary wire for them to have more room.What kind of wire do I need to get and can I get it from your store. I know it operates on a fm signal dont know what gauge.Thanks

ADMIN – Hi Greg,
You’ll need to cut a short piece of the wire and have an electrical supply take a look. You’ll want to match the gauge. We sell 20. 18, 16, and 14 gauge wire. Each installer has their own preference, so there’s no real way for me to guess what it may be.

By: Ginger Unger

Ginger Unger — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:30:39 +0000

First of all, wish we had read this post years ago. Been searching for breaks the hard way for years. No breaks this time, we had a hugh storm that knocked out power and phone lines. Power is up again, but unit on wall still alarming and fence not working. Cannot locate any breaks and there were not any right before power outage. Anyway to trouble shoot this problem without calling them out or buying a new unit? Thanks in advance.

ADMIN – Hi Ginger,
The first test you want to perform is a short loop. Unplug the boundary wires from your transmitter and plug in a 15 foot test loop. If the transmitter goes to green, you most likely have damaged wire. If the beeping persist, your transmitter may have taken an electrical surge.