Can I electrify my lamina roof using my electric fence?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility and implications of electrifying a lamina roof using the current from an electric fence. Participants explore the technical aspects of electrification, grounding requirements, and potential safety and legal concerns related to the setup.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether electrifying the roof would work effectively, noting that without a ground connection, an animal or person on the roof would not complete the circuit and thus would not receive a shock.
  • Another suggests that using alternating insulated metal strips on the roof with opposite phases might create a shocking effect between the feet of animals, but raises a question about whether electric fences use AC or DC.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes the legal implications of electrifying a roof, highlighting the risks of causing harm to individuals who might inadvertently come into contact with the electrified surface.
  • Concerns are raised about the safety of individuals potentially getting trapped on the roof and the consequences of causing injury, regardless of the circumstances.
  • One participant acknowledges the risks associated with electrifying a confined space, particularly where humans could be present.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a general consensus on the potential dangers and legal issues associated with electrifying a roof, particularly concerning human safety. However, there is disagreement on the technical feasibility of the electrification itself and the effectiveness of various methods proposed.

Contextual Notes

Participants discuss the need for grounding and the implications of electrifying surfaces where individuals may be present. There is uncertainty regarding the electrical characteristics of the fence and the specific methods that could be employed to achieve electrification safely.

jfreak53
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Ok I have an electric fence behind my house. And next to it is a small building that has a lamina roof. I would like to electrify this roof using the current from my fence. Does anyone know of a way to make this work right. From what I know there has to be a ground output for the electrification to work right, that's why the fence works, when you touch it your grounded. But if someone or an animal is on top of the roof it won't go off since there is no ground, right? Or am I thinking about this too much?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.
 
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jfreak53 said:
Ok I have an electric fence behind my house. And next to it is a small building that has a lamina roof. I would like to electrify this roof using the current from my fence. Does anyone know of a way to make this work right. From what I know there has to be a ground output for the electrification to work right, that's why the fence works, when you touch it your grounded. But if someone or an animal is on top of the roof it won't go off since there is no ground, right? Or am I thinking about this too much?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

You are correct. If you electrify the whole roof, there is no complete circiut when the animal is standing on the roof. Just like birds can sit on a high-voltage power wire and not notice anything.

If you could electify alternating insulated metal strips on the roof with opposite phase (do fences use AC or DC?), then you might get reliable shocking between the hooves/feet of the animals.
 
That sounds like difficult legal stuff.

Anyway, from a technical angle, it wouldn't help to electrify a roof except that someone might get zapped climbing onto it. Once he was on it, he would be like a bird on a power line. There is no voltage across him, so he doesn't feel anything.

You could Earth the roof and have bare wires running across it that are insulated from the roof.

So, someone could touch the wires while grounded and get zapped.

However it is not like a fence where he has a way of getting away. Someone could get trapped on a roof and continue to get shocks.

What if he had a heart attack or fell off the roof?
In my country, you can't set man-traps and if you did cause serious injury, you could be dragged into court because of it, even if the person was a burglar or worse.
 
Ah, I missed the part where he said "someone or an animal". My bad. Yeah, electrifying a confined space or a rooftop where a human could be would not be good.
 

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