How to find a break in an invisible dog fence

Recently I went into my garage to find the invisible dog fence transmitter beeping. After calling the company I was informed that this alarm meant there was a break in the fence, and that I should have them come out as soon as possible - because my dog would surely figure this out in a few days. And hey, for only $100 an hour, they would be happy to help! Long story short, they tried for an hour then told me the yard was too overgrown (half the yard is wooded) and they would have to come back in the fall when everything died back (2 months away). This made me swear that I would do it myself - but after digging up over 100 feet of wire and driving myself crazy for a few days, I had not found the break. Then I found this strategy on the internet (link) that cost me under $20 and worked like a charm. Hopefully this makes it clear for everyone else and saves you some money and frustration. Good luck!

Step 1: Verify the break

First thing to do is make sure that you do indeed have a break. There are a few ways to do this. On my unit, two wires run from the transmitter to the perimeter fence. Disconnect these wires from the transmitter and put the ends of a paper clip or small piece of wire into the jacks where the wires had been connected. If the alarm is silenced, the transmitter is working properly and you have a break. Another way to verify that there is a break is to use an ohmmeter and check the resistance on the disconnected wires. If there is no resistance the wires are continuous and there is not a break, meaning you may have a problem with the transmitter itself.

Comments

[K_DePew]

Might I suggest: When I tried hooking both ends of my underground wire to the RF choke, I kept missing the break in the line. The break separation was so narrow that I would pick up the signal from the other side of the line. Ultimately, I had success by hooking up only one side of the underground line. I first found the break (actually two breaks) by connecting only one side. I then connected the other side to verify where the breaks were.

[DICK WEED]

Hey voytek011 did you figure out you problem? I'm have a similar one where the transmitter emits such a strong signal that I can't tell where a problem with the wire is. When I try a short loop it seem to work correctly. Is this a twisted pair problem?

[matt harman]

there are small levers above the transmitter wires. they must be pushed up to release the wires.

[mlighthouse]

This worked beautifully! I wish I'd found this last summer, when my husband and son spent hours locating the break(s). We only had to purchase the RF choke from Radio Shack for $1.49. We already owned an old AM/FM radio, so no extra expenses. Another poster mentions a device made for this, but it costs $150! I'll stick with the $1.50 and AM radio! Our biggest problem is not with splices but more with a neighbor with OCD that likes to run his edger and rototiller close to our property line. This last time he was adding on to his garage and tried to bury our wire with his shovel; he broke the wire twice! I hope the fence still works if we bury it in conduit this time!

[millerdigital]

Worked like a charm. And regarding the collar idea, I also tried that first, but the signal was too faint for my collar to pick up. Also, my daughter's Hello Kitty am/fm alarm clock did not work very well either :) So I picked up a Grundig Mini400 handheld radio, around $30 bucks at Radio Shack, it worked perfectly for this application, just point the antenna down toward the boundary and followed it all the way around my yard directly to where the break was, amazing! I could return it, and then that would mean this idea only cost me as much as the rf jumper, so THANK YOU SO MUCH Igrah760. I probably keep this radio though for future. Good to know about a dedicated locator that is out there, but this also worked so I don't think any reason to get down on this technique, it took me about 5 minutes to add the jumper, super duper easy, it obviously works!

[JoeysMom]

I see this is an old thread,..I'm hoping someone is still reading it. My PetSafe Stubborn dog fence is no longer activating the collars. The loop light is still on,.I did a loop test with 10 ft of wire and that works fine. When I 'test" the system by trying to turn the knob counter clockwise until the lights go out, they never go out, new batteries in both collars and again it works with 10 ft of test wire. Will this RF choke trick still work?

[voytek011]

I have tried the RF choke method and have the following problem.
After installing the RF-choke method I get a tremendously strong pulse on my AM radio. The pulse is present even over the twisted wires or when standing next to the transmitter - that can't be right? Any idea what is wrong with that?
When I walk along the wire the signal remains strong and only when I stray far from the wire path it starts to fade. I tried to turn down the field width/size etc but to no effect.
Any suggestions? I'm running out of ideas.

[Grant Fair]

As I understand it, the "fence" consists of a piece of wire with two ends. The ends attach to the transmitter.

If this is the case, your statement "to verify that there is a break ... use an ohmmeter and check the resistance on the disconnected wires. If there is no resistance the wires are continuous" is mistaken.

If a wire continuous, it does have resistance, which the meter will show. If there is a break in the wire, the ohmmeter will show no resistance.

Grant

[kgl0629]

I have an issue with my transmitter for the PetSmart 125 REV 02. We had a major thunderstorm last night that shorted out the fusible resistor labled R29. Does anyone know where I can order one from, Petsmart customer service is closed today (Sat) so I will have to wait till Monday to see if they can help. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[bbaker334]

Did you ever locate the correct resistor? I read the color code on mine (one side was still visible after it blew). Red =2, Yellow=4, Brown=X10 multiplier, Gold=+-5% tolerance. So if I did that right it's a 240 Ohm 5% resistor. Now I'm trying to determine the wattage so I can order the correct one.

If you trace R29 it connects directly to the middle Boundary line terminal. The label on the back of the transmitter reads Output-AC 12V 830mA. If Power=Volts times Current, then 12V X .83A equals 9.96Watts. Is it safe to assume the resistor is 10W based on the output listed or is there another way to determine the wattage of a resistor?

[danoftroy]

This was a very helpful tool that does work, but please read the entire post to tell you how I finally fixed my problem.
First, my setup. I have a Petsafe Stubborn Dog unit which has worked outstanding for about 2,500 feet of wire covering maybe 4 or 5 acres. It has worked great but then one day there were problems, which I could not pinpoint. The collar had no signal, although the box was not indicating a line break.
I purchased the RF Choke from Radio Shack, which they had in the store for $2, and I also purchased a Radio Shack AM-FM radio for $15.
It took a while to recognize the "chirping" sound, which was between 0-600 AM frequency, the best signal coming in around 550 AM.
This was also next to a minor league baseball game being played by the Gwinnett Braves and the Toledo Mudhens, which Gwinnett rallied for a run in the 7th inning to break a 2-2 tie and win 3-2, despite a 3-5 hitting performance by Toledo centerfield Quinten Berry.
But I digress.
So with the AM radio "chirping," it really sounded like a cricket chirping really fast. I followed the underground wire for some time, but again this is a long run, and eventually the signal became so weak the radio would not pick up the signal. I finally determined that the radio picked up the signal for half the wire and there was no signal for the other half.
I now questioned many things. Was my box bad? Was the collar bad? Was there not a true break in the line but a nick or fault?
I then called PetSafe customer service. The young lady walked me through a 10-foot wire "loop" test with my box and it proved the box and collar were both in excellent condition.
I then regrouped, and began replacing every splice that I knew of, and there are probably 10 or more in all due to previous breaks and original splices.
I then turned the box back on to test, after I had replaced maybe 6 splices, and boom, it was working better than new. I had a signal that would cook bacon.
So the moral to my story is something I hope you will remember - replace your splices first, before you spend any money on an RF choke, a radio, more wire, a service call, or a Taylormade Burner Superfast 2.0 driver. The driver has nothing to do with this, but you can't play golf while you are trying to fix a dog fence. That's my point.
I also will continue to use the RF choke and radio in the future, as it does detect a break and weak signal strength, so I do recommend it. Just remember to check your splice connectors first.

[dogowner01]

Hi! Awesome info but before I starting racing down the rabbit hole, here is what I am dealing with: New Battery in collar; should be working as it "beeped" upon securing. Light flashing on my Invisible Fence LP3000 indicating power on. No alarm has ever sounded to indicate a break in the wire yet collar does not beep anywhere along fence perimeter (enclosing about 1.5 acres). Took covers off and dusted off cobwebs. (Not too bad for a 10 yr item). Tried turning up juice on "fine" and Coarse" switches but still no audible or physical signs of working with the collar. Dog savvy to problem (darn!) So, if no alarm has sounded, is it still possible that I have a break in the fence? I, too, was turned off by the $100 for the first 15 min and $75 per hour service fee. Thanks for any advice!!

[docden]

Well you could save all that time and digging by simply purchasing a product that is designed specifically for this purpose. The DFNA Locator from Dog Fence of North America is by far the quickest and easiest way to locator problems in your underground fencing. I don't know about anyone else but my time is worth something and if I have to do all this to fix a simple wire fault. You can find the corr4ect way to splice dog fence wires at: http://www.invincibleservices.com/repairing-wire.html

If the proper splices are used correctly then you won't have splice problems in the future.

[hamrsmyth]

Laughed as I read the side comments about the baseball game and the driver, very good instruction and entertaining. Still chucking. I'll give it a go, thank you for the instruction and the laughs... dog fence is GREAT unless it's not working right.

[44rebmik]

Use this instructable. I found the break in my IF in 15 min. Just follow the steps.It works! I too called If for service and was not looking forward to 70$ service call, 25$ per 15 min. And X$ for parts.I don't know if the gentleman posting as Docden below is affiliated with the locator he's pushing or not but despite what he says, this method DOES work. The way I see it is to each his own, you can pay him or do like I did and spend $ 15.00, 1/2 hour of work.....priceless.

[gregor55]

After digging a little I determined which half of the yard the break was on. I had about an acre to cover. Then I found this.THANK YOU! Already had a radio just needed the choke. I had to tune the radio a bit off because of interference from other stations but once I was able to distinguish the sound it just a matter of time.Held the radio 6 to 8 inches off the ground.I was able to narrow it down to an 8 to 10 ft. section so I just replaced the section.

[apoorbaugh]

Just used the RF Choke method to find a break in my Petsafe invisible fence. It worked like a charm. At first it wasn't working, but then I turned up the power on the transmitter to max and immediately my AM radio picked up the scent of the wire and I found the break. Thanks to everyone for the advice. It saved me a bunch of cash and a big headache.

[thedokes]

What do the COURSE and FINE adjustemtns -pictured above - actually do?
I am trying to shorten the range (now about 10-12 ft) from my wire . I'm using the ICT700

[keninnc]

THANK YOU!!!! WOO HOO!!! The method outlined worked to perfection. I am on a little over an acre and have about 1000 feet of perimeter wire to check for breaks. The first break was found about 250 feet from base. The radio technique worked to perfection. I used some landscape flags and that first break was about 6 inches from the flag. Breaks 2/3 and 3/3 were more difficult to find. I had to adjust the am dial on the radio as the frequency seemed to drift further from the transmitter. But, I was able to find those two breaks as well and repair. Heading out to "massive hardware store chain' to get my waterproof wirenuts. I was a little disappointed that I didn't have a handheld am/fm radio around. (Now I do). So, that has cost me the most, thus far. Total cost $17.59, again the radio was $15.00 of that cost. Plus the cost of the wirenuts. My time with finding instrux, running around to store and digging, about 2.5 hours......Dog doesn't look too happy, though. Thank you so much!

[Carolina curmudgeon]

If you're looking for a wireless fence break finder, here's a link to the same one offered by DFNA for $130...but this identical unit comes from the source in Hong Kong for $36.99!!
Yes you will have to add about $25 shipping ( 4 days for mine to arrive), but that's still about 50% of the price DFNA is asking!
I have purchased thru this resource (Alibaba) and received xcellent service and quick delivery.

http://www.aliexpress.com/snapshot/102979920.html

[wh400]

You just saved me $150 (OK, $135 because I didn't have an AM radio at home). I was certain I knew where I had cut my wire but could not find it to save my life. Knowing I would have another $150 bill to have them come out and find it (I have a Pet Stop brand fence). I decided - I am going to try this. In Radio Shack - about 2 minutes to find the right part (because you provided the part number), found a $14.99 AM/FM radio with an antenna and back home. About 2 minutes to put in the choke, went out and started to follow the wire, 5 minutes later I found the area (probably within a foot or two of the actual spot) and there it was, no where near where I thought the break was. Spliced the wire together, sealed it all up and put it back in the ground. I have the choke, extra wire and the AM radio in a plastic bag for the next time I cut the wire...and yes, there will be a next time I am sure of it!!!!

Total time, including the Radio Shack run? Less than an hour!

Thanks again for the easy to follow instructions.

[Bob M]

I was wondering would anyone know how to determine whether I am getting interference from my neighbors dog fence or there is a problem with my transmitter. There does not appear to be a break anywhere from the ohm test,I just installed a new transmitter.I have the Innotek SD2100, my neighbor has the 300 Dog Watch system, The cust service rep at radio systems said if there is another wire in the ground it will cause my system not to transmitt. Has anyone ever heard of this. the two fences are about 10 feet apart.Does anyone have any ideasthat I might try?
Thanks

[PSNee]

Thanks for the great info. I didn't by a RS choke, I just took a bolt and wrapped some wire (from a phone cord ) around it a bunch of times. I used that it I worked great. Found the break in 10mins, and didn't spend a dime.

[herbt]

Update #2   Attaching wires to connector in terminal no longer a problem.  Will retry getting a signal with the better connection tomorrow.

[docden]

Herbt--  you can avoid all these problems and have the fence break located and fixed in a bout 15 minutes if you just buy a real locator that doesn't require trying to "fool" your transmitter or using an AM radio.  Invisible Fence will charge you probably a hundred bucks each time to come fix it so take that money and buy the real locator and you'll never have to pay for a wire break service call again.

[herbt]

docden- I'm ordering the $129 wire break device you recommended.  Our little poochie today discovered the front yard barrier is no longer -- the incentive to find the break had dropped to 0 since the boundaries were adhered to until today. We're in FL now but our system up north also has a break so it will be worth it to have a reliable device.  One concern- the demo video at DFNA uses equip that does not resemble the $129 package?  Anyway thanks for the detailed info you provided-- it was very helpful.

[504main]

Here is link to the PetSafe Wire Break Locator for $ 53 :
http://dogfencediy.com/store/accessories/petsafe-boundary-wire-locator.html

[ollieduke]

 Herbt,whats the number of the wire break device and where did you buy it. My fence is about 5 acres and is about 12 years old. Was just thinking last week,how in the devil would I ever find a break. Lucky I found this site while looking for cheaper batteries. I will first try the choke and radio on a test break to see if it works and if not order the factory one. Thanks in advance, and very glad to find such an informative web site about radio fences.

[herbt]

ollieduke- invisibleservices.com  (Dennis Hogan 509-991-0385).  Check out his web site-- very informative.  Cost of device $129.95.  I've only spent a short amount of time using the device but have not yet found the break.  Dennis offered to listen to the signals over the phone if that would help.  Since our little 7 yr old puppy still thinks its working in the back yard finding the break is not the top priority (for me--wife is after me to fix it!).  I would ask Dennis if it will work on 5 acres-- that may exceed its range.  Let me know if the choke works for you.  Herbt.

[ollieduke]

 Herbt,thanks for the comeback. Tried the RS coil and think it might work. Since I wasnt using a Digital radio,had to guess on Frequency.  It had a station on it and when I went over a good part of the fence,the station got lauder. Since 3/4 of my radio wire is on the bottom wire of a 4 wire horse fence,it was really loud when checking the wire on the fence. I guess the wire magnified the signal. Normally I could just walk the fence and check it,but over the years,brush and small trees have grown up along a lot of the fence. Thanks for address,as if I have trouble using this,can order the better one. John

[docden]

Herbt
The correct website is   www.invincibleservices.com not invisible

[docden]

This locator  is self contained and therefore can be used on any length of system.  You can take the locator out and attach it to your perimeter wire midway and locate in both directions.  All this is covered in the instructions.

[docden]

herbt,
The locator in the video is exactly the same.  You may only be seeing the antenna in the video but believe me they are exactly the same.  If you watch at the end of the video you will see a demonstration of how to put it in the case and it is the exact same locator.  Hope this clears it up.

[docden]

Also wanted to state for anyone interested that using the proper splices is very important in repairing the wire.  Do not simply buy waterproof splices at the hardware store.  Take a look at the splices and video on the www.invincibleservices.com website and make sure you use the same type or you could just be asking for more problems down the road.

[afattore-brozek]

Thank you Thank you Thank you- This was awesome! It took me all of 10 minutes to find the break. Thanks for saving me hundreds of dollars!

[hockeymama]

Hi! Cannot find the break. I know this probably is a dumb question but can't I just leave the RF choke in place as a workaround. The dog can't find the break either! :)

[rklehm]

I purchased the RF choke from Radio shack and installed it as you showed here. I was able to pick up a signal using the dog collar, but only when I was within a few feet of the power box. As i moved the collar more than 2 feet from the box the signal stopped. I was not able to get the radio to work at all. I even reversed the connections for the RF choke, but that didn't help.

Any other suggestions? Thanks

[aintnohusker]

your best bet for splicing the wires would be a direct burial splice tap. they are available at all electrical wholesate houses and most home improvement stores. while the connectors above will work, they can also allow current to find it's way into the ground. If it is alot of current, your breaker will trip. if it is under 80% of your breaker rating, it will just recognize a heavy load i.e. a toaster or coffee pot. this will result in you paying a higher electric bill. nobody wants that.

[shortw]

This kind of wire is like a alarm-system-wire, when the wire breaks a alarm will sound and the system  shuts off.
This kind of wire and system will carry a low voltage ( 3-5 volts ) with a 10 khz frequency.
If this kind of wire breaks with this system it will not increase the load but it will sound an alarm at the transmitter telling you that the loop is broken and that the system is not functioning.

I would use a propane powered soldering iron and solder the broken ends together and then put 2 layers of heat-shrink over it.

Or you could do it like electricians used to do in california 20 years ago.
Make your splice then use plumbers dough around the splice and then use electrical tape and tape wire and plumbers dough. This will give you a water tide splice for many years to come with just a few pennies worth of material invested.

[RCryer]

This morning I read through these comments (as I realized we had a "break" in the fence, yesterday) ... and must admit that I was a skeptic. By afternoon (not yet willing to pay $130 for the "finder"), I had bought the $1.39 RF-choke from Radio Shack (yes, I am a cheap-skate) ... and went with the waving-AM-radio (set to 600 on dial) approach. Now my fence is fixed ... (found and fixed the break, in a place I never would've looked ... & total time for hook-up, find, and fix was about 1 hour) ... so I guess, I'm a BELIEVER. I can only speak for our experience: PetSafe Radio Fence "std transmitter", and approx 1000ft perimeter (on about 1.5 acre, square yard). I am amazed. The fence must've been broke for apporx 1 month, and we just got lucky the the dog was not more bold, in trying to "push the limits" ... we have an area of the yard that is more moist, and typically gets more "dug-up", so I thought the problem would be there. Actually, it was near a small plant that we dug up (about 1mos ago), and wouldn't have been a suspect area ... but the RF-choke, and AM radio found it. Thx to all those who posted this method - our experience is that it works every bit as well as more expensive methods.