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Electric Fence Insulators: Introduction
To set up an electric fence you need insulators that will keep the charged wire out of contact with anything that can conduct the charge elsewhere. You do not need insulators with fiberglass posts, because such posts are nonconductors; but wood is a conductor whenever it is even slightly damp; metal posts are very good conductors; and even users of fiberglass posts benefit from employing a little holder insulator (product 07-06E) to put the wire at the height they want it and to assist in shifting the wire up or down. Insulators come in a vast array of shapes and sizes. You can get a feel for this by examining the collection of insulators offered on our large electric fence website at www.electric-horse-fence.com/electric_fence_insulators. The products offered below have been chosen carefully for their versatility, or their affinity for a specific type of post, or their ability to take metal wire or polywire around corners. Please note that to get around corners (and also to terminate wire or polywire at a gate opening or at the end of the fence) it is advisable to use one of the corner knob or tubular insulators described at the bottom of this page.
Insulators for Wood Posts and Boards
The standard 2-inch and 5-inch extender insulators above and below will take polyrope, polywire, and wire but are not suited to carrying wire under high tension (circa 150 to 250 pounds of tension). For high-tensile applications use insulators 07-54, 07-105B, or 07-106B. The versatile insulators 07-105B and 07-106B come with an unconditional 10-year warranty against UV damage or manufacturing defects. They will carry metal wire, polywire, and polyrope/braid up to 3/8 inches thick. They are specifically designed for wood/vinyl posts or heavy (1.25 to 1.33 pounds per foot) T-posts. However, they also have a hole at the back that makes them attachable to almost anything.
Insulator for 3/8-inch Fiberglass Posts
This clip-on insulator can carry both metal wire and polywire. Do not clip it to the post in extremely cold (below freezing) temperatures, as it can break; instead take it inside where the temperature is warm and clip it on there.
Insulators for T-posts, U-posts, Round Posts, and Chain Link Fence
The extremely versatile insulator 07-104, a 5-inch insulator suitable for metal wire and polywire, can attach to T-posts, U-posts, the large mesh of chain link fencing, and most other metal fencing. That’s because the insulator’s legs can be widened or narrowed as necessary, and a cotter pin that comes with each insulator and fastens at the back can be used to obtain a secure fit. Another useful insulator, product 07-104A, extends out 3.5 inches and can attach to almost anything—including round posts and other posts up to 2 inches in diameter, chain-link fencing, the metal tubes on farm gate doors, wooden boards, fence rails, and many other objects. Use it to carry metal wire or polywire or larger polyrope/braid up to 3/8 inches in diameter. 6-inch extender insulator 07-107 will carry metal wire or polywire and will attach to chain link fencing or any round or square post up to an inch thick. None of these extender insulators or any other extender insulator is suitable for use on high-tensile fences.
Corner Insulators
Many line insulators for metal wire and polywire are not well-suited to carrying the electric fence conductor around a corner or terminating a run of the conductor at a gate or fence end. For these purposes it is best to use one of the corner knob or tubular insulators shown above and listed below. Both of the corner knob insulators have two channels, one for a wire or cord used to attach the insulator to a post (any kind of post), and the other for carrying the conductor.
To terminate electric fence wire or polywire, use one of these corner insulators in combination with a wire or polywire clamp (see product 08-12B). One can also run a high-tensile or other metal wire through a tubular insulator (product 07-89) and run the insulator-encased wire behind the post. These tubular insulators are reinforced inside with a metal insert designed to take high-tensile strain.