About Electric Fence Chargers: General Description
In general, the low impedance electric fence chargers that we offer are safe because the pulsed nature of the charge means a shocked person or animal has no difficulty letting go of the charged conductor. Even so, there is always the remote possibility that an animal or person might get entangled in a fence, which is one reason why chargers above about 3 joules should be used with a modicum of caution. Another reason is that one does not wish to administer a shock strong enough to panic a horse in a small enclosure–especially an enclosure to which the horse is not accustomed. Therefore, it makes sense to err on the side of caution and to use relatively weak chargers (such as the AC-powered Dare DE-300, the battery-powered Zareba Yellow Jacket and Dare DSX, or the solar powered Fi-Shock SS-440) with small temporary horse enclosures; to use somewhat more powerful chargers (1 to 2 joules) with small permanent enclosures whose boundaries the horses will typically know; and to use relatively strong chargers (3 to 12 joules) for large permanent horse fences–with the strength of the charger depending on the perimeter of the enclosure, the length and type of conductor used, the anticipated weed burden, and the seasonal presence of conditions such as dry or frozen ground.
Please note that all these chargers, including the .25 joule Yellow Jacket, develop sufficiently high voltage to shock a horse, so long as there are no weeds leaning on the fence or other adverse circumstances. In contrast to voltage (indicating the charger’s ability to give a shock), the strength of a charger (its joule rating) measures the heat generated by the charge as it passes through an animal or other object. Hence, the joule rating reflects both the jolt received by the animal and the ability of the charger to cope with long fences, weed burdens, dry ground, frozen ground, and poor connections.
For more details on chargers see individual charger listings and also electric fence chargers in the electric fence parts section. For more on how to deal with adverse conditions see the how to install section.
Warranties: All of the Dare, Fi-Shock, Parmak, and Zareba chargers offered on this website come with at least a one-year manufacturer’s warranty that covers defects in materials and workmanship and also damage by lightning. Parmak warrants that any Parmak charger returned to the factory within one year (or two years in the case of the Range Master and Solar Pak 12 models) after purchase from this website will be repaired or replaced free of charge. Parmak’s gel batteries come with a one-year warranty, and the special steel housings on Parmak’s chargers are warranted for life against rust.
