How to Repair an Invisible Fence Wire? (DIY Step-By-Step)

Last Updated on February, 2025

Why pay $150 for a technician to repair your dog fence wire when you can do it for almost nothing? Here’s how to do it yourself.

First, you have to locate the underground wire break. If you haven’t located it, you have to use a wire break locator or a DIY method to find it. 

Quick Summary

You can repair an invisible fence wire yourself for almost nothing.

Locate the underground wire break. If you haven’t located it, you have to use a wire break locator or a DIY method to find it.

Turn off your transmitter and disconnect electricity from the invisible fence before you start repairing the wire.

How to Find Out if the Invisible Fence Wire is Broken?

a human holding broken invisible fence wire

If your invisible fence transmitter is beeping, that indicates a break in the underground wire. Perform the loop test below to ensure it is a wire break.

Unplug the two boundary wires from the transmitter and plug in the two ends of a test wire to form a loop. 

If the beeping goes off, your yard has a wire break.

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Getting Ready to Repair the Wire Break

copper core wire
A wire stripper
A human holding A plier
A human holding a insulation tape
A human holding a wire cap

Make sure you turn off your transmitter and disconnect electricity from the invisible fence before you start repairing the wire. Gather these items for the repairs. Wear safety gear if you can. 

  • 14 gauge solid 100% copper core wire (3 feet in length or as required)
  • A wire stripper (or a sharp knife/blade) 
  • A plier 
  • PVC insulation tape, NOT DUCT TAPE
  • Gel joiners/capsules or wire cap (optional) 

How to Repair an Invisible Fence Wire? (DIY Step-By-Step Guide) 

DON’T reattach the two broken pieces of wire; any tension on the wire will pull the attachment.

Always use a new wire to properly repair the wire break.

Step 01 – Strip the Wire 

Hold one side of the broken fence wire and use the wire stripper to strip the existing wire to uncover the copper core carefully. Strip about half an inch. Do the same to the new wire as well. 

Step 02 – Twist the Two Ends 

Twist the two ends of the wire (new & old) using pliers 

Step 03 – Tying a Knot 

Hold the twisted wires together and tie a knot as close to the twist as possible. This will provide additional protection for the repaired joint against future tensions. 

Step 04 – Insulating the Repaired Joint 

Wrap high-quality PVC insulation tape a few times around the joint. 

If you prefer using wire nuts instead of tape, insert the twisted joint into the wire nut and twist until it’s tight enough.

Step 05 – Do the Same on the Opposite Side

Follow the above steps on the other end of the wire to complete the repair process.

Testing and Burying the Wire

Once you’ve finished the aforementioned steps, turn on the transmitter’s power to ensure everything is working correctly.

If the indicator lights are “on” and there’s no beeping, your pet containment system is working as usual.

Bury the areas of wire that you’ve fixed. You can place the wire nuts upwards when burying.

Ensure the wire is buried in the exact location where it was initially.

green light in the invisible fence

Repair Multiple Broken Wire Sections

Multiple sections of broken invisible fence wire may indicate that your fence wire has reached the end of its useful life. In this case, you might want to replace the entire boundary wire to avoid possible future wire breaks and maintenance. 

If you wish to keep repairing the existing broken wires, repeat the steps above to repair multiple sections of the wire. Inspect for all wire breaks to properly repair your electric dog fence.

How to Prevent Another Wire Break in Your Dog Fence?

a dog wearing invisible fence collar and sitting on the ground

The procedure of locating and repairing your invisible dog fence wire is exhausting. That’s why it’s critical to keep these things in mind,

If you need to hire professionals to do yard work or outdoor projects, inform them about the boundary wire. 

Always mark the boundary for them with your flags or other highlighting equipment before beginning work. 

You can also get the best invisible dog fence wire.

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Bottomline 

Be cautious when digging around your yard’s perimeter wire for new construction, tree planting or removal, snow plowing equipment, or garden aeration. These are the most commonly reported reasons why the electric dog fence wire breaks.

If your invisible fence often screws up, it is always best to replace it with a durable one. Here are the most reliable and consistent invisible dog fences that we recommend.

FAQs

Most professionally installed electric dog fences use 14–16 gauge wire, which is covered with a thicker jacket and uses three to four times the copper of other sizes. Choosing a thicker gauge is always viable for the best performance of your invisible dog fence. 

It’s strongly advised to bury the boundary wire to ensure your pet’s safety. The fence system will still work if the wire is left exposed on the ground. However, by burying it, you will better protect your wire from your driveway, lawn mowing, animal chewing, tension, and weather conditions. 

You can use gel joiners and wire nuts to insulate the twisted joint to repair the dog fence. However, some manufacturers advise against installing them since the silicone gel inside the nuts may reduce the frequency of the signal traveling over the buried wire.

To splice the dog fence wire, expose the core of the two broken wire ends and butterfly twist them. Then insulate them with PVC tape, a wire nut, or a capsule. Don’t tie the exposed copper wires; instead, twist them. You don’t need to purchase a proper splice kit to splice the wire breaks.

You should wrap spliced areas of dog fence wire in PVC tape to ensure proper waterproofing, silicone wire nuts, or gel capsules. The wrapping will create a seal to protect the copper wire inside.

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Author
Stefano Giachetti
Stefano Giachetti is always excited to share his knowledge and love of animals with you through our blog, IPetGuides. And he has always loved animals and has been blessed to have many pets throughout his life. Currently has a Pomeranian Dog Breed.

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