# electric wire stretching



## glenolam (Oct 13, 2010)

What do you all do when your wire stretches (or is mine the only one that has)?  

I've pulled the wires (charger off, of course) but the wires still seem to sag.  I have a combination of t posts and trees with the "Red Snapr" insulators - should I wrap the wire around the insulator instead of running it through?


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## mully (Oct 13, 2010)

You need to install a in line strainer in line with each wire. To see an image go here ;   http://www.staytuff.com/tools/product/2

TS also sells these... about $3 to $5 each


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## glenolam (Oct 13, 2010)

This is what happens when I "DIY"!  thanks - I'll take a look for those.


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## Royd Wood (Oct 14, 2010)

Here are the tightners we use also available at TSC 
http://www.systemfence.com/index.php/product_details/view_product/part_num/WTS/warehouse/00


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## patandchickens (Oct 14, 2010)

For modest-sized paddocks (like not more than 200' square, ish) honestly I have to admit I do not use proper tensioners (although I am certainly in favor of them!). 

Instead I take the cheap/quick/dirty/lazyish approach of having each inside corner insulator held to the post by baler twine (the hi-test thick synthetic stuff that comes on the 650-lb big sq bales I get). YOu wrap the wire *twice* around the donut-style corner insulator, then thread the baler twine thru the donut hole, tie an overhand knot, and then knot the twine again around the back of the fencepost. The key is to make it LONG, so that when the fence is under tension the corner insulator is out at least 8" from the post. (Try it and you will see what I mean). 

To retension the strand, all you have to do is go to one or more corners, untie the baler twine and retie it tighter. (That is the reason for having it so far from the post -- to give you room to snug it up later!)

I also find that the built-in slight elasticity of the baler twine helps absorb seasonal change in wire length, and while I have had metal wires break on "properly" set up fences on occasion (like when it gets down to -30's C), I have yet to have it break with the baler twine corners.

Again, not knocking the storeboughten tensioners, and really on the whole they are probably a better arrangement -- but the above demonstrates you can get along pretty well without them if you prefer, too.

Pat


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## glenolam (Oct 14, 2010)

thanks for the suggestions - their pen is about an acre so I have to get the tensioners rather than finagle something myself, although the thought has crossed my mind to take the entire 2 strands down and re-do it all!


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## patandchickens (Oct 14, 2010)

an acre isn't that much -- finagled-baling-twine corners actually do work fine on that size (I have them on paddocks up to, oh, probably 4 acres-ish, although that is pushing it, with some fence runs up to 300+ feet between corners)

Pat


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## glenolam (Oct 15, 2010)

I stopped at TSC and bought some of those plastic fence tighteners - since their area is sorta small I figured those would work as good as the $3/ea metals ones and these were $4.29 for 4 or 5.

My plan is to take down the two lines and re-do them, adding in the plastic tighteners and repairing some of the older insulators.  I'm also going to add a third line in the middle just because I have the wire and because I can.  I have one doe who _routinely_ jumps over the fence regardless of the zap, so I'm *hoping* another line will zap her in the nose before she gets a chance to rear up and over.  I'm also going to extend the top line a little further into the pen so she hits that before she clears the top of the fence....

Sigh....fencing.....


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## mully (Oct 15, 2010)

I have had no luck with the plastic ones as I use #12 wire and they would do very little...keep your reciept


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