

The pros use either a 14 or 16-gauge wire with a 45 mL thickness coating. There are two types of chemical compounds, vinyl coated wire and polyethylene plastic coated wire. While wire gauge is an important factor, pet fence wire coating thickness and chemical compound is even more important. The lower quality wire initially saves you a small amount of money, but in most cases you will pay for this initial savings in long term maintenance and time consuming repairs over the life of your fence as thinner wire is more prone to corrosion and breakage.
Dog fence wire professional#
This keeps the shipping costs and initial purchase price of the dog fences much lower than they would be if they included the heavier professional grade of dog fence wire. Most manufacturers of pet fence systems package their systems with low quality 20 gauge wire. The difference in durability between a 20 gauge and a 14 gauge is substantial. Most professional installers like Invisible Fence® and DogWatch® also feel that this is necessary for long term durability. Some people prefer a thicker wire such as 14 or 16 Gauge for outdoor electric dog fence applications because they feel that it will be more durable and prevent wire breaks. Mixing wires of different gauges can cause problems with your transmission including inconsistent signals and even a false wire break alarm. This ensures that your signal will be consistent throughout the fence wire.

If you are replacing a section of wire in your existing dog fence it’s a good idea to match the gauge of the new wire to that of the existing wire. For example, you may be able to stretch a 20-acre system to enclose 22 acres with the use of thicker wire.

In this case, a thicker wire may help to increase the range you can achieve with the system. The gauge you use for your electric dog fence wire will have very little impact on the way the wire transmits the signal unless you are using a system at or near its maximum rated capacity. You can find various gauges and lengths of Invisible Fence wire® compatible wire here. Regardless of gauge, you should choose only a stranded or solid insulated wire rated for burial preferably polyethylene or plastic coated works best. Whether you’ re replacing a section of your existing fence or wiring your yard from scratch, you can easily find a relatively inexpensive and compatible wire for your project. Most professionally installed systems use the more substantial 14 or 16 gauge wire. 20-gauge wire is what you will find in most pre-packaged do-it-yourself fencing kits.
Dog fence wire how to#
How To Choose The Right Electric Dog Fence Wire Common Dog Fence Wire GaugesĮlectric dog fences are most commonly designed with 20-gauge (thinnest), 18-gauge, 16-gauge, or 14-gauge (thickest) wire.
