A conduit can be used as a protective measure for many different underground utilities, but can you put invisible fence into conduit?
As long as it’s not buried too deep, you can bury your underground fence in a conduit.
In soil, the conduit needs to be about 6 inches under the ground and when buried under concrete, the conduit only needs to be around 3 inches underground.
Using conduit can be a good choice when it comes to protecting your underground lines, or guiding your underground dog fence under a driveway or sidewalk.
Can You Put Invisible Fence into Conduit?
The biggest concern when placing an underground conduit is whether or not the conduit will dampen or even cancel out the signal coming from the underground wires.
Luckily, the consensus is that an underground fence that is buried at an appropriate depth underground in a conduit will still emit signals well.
If you are burying your fence in soil, the maximum depth you can bury it is 6 inches deep.
If you are planning to use a conduit for a fence that is passing under asphalt or concrete, then the acceptable depth is 3 inches or less.
Keep in mind that concrete and asphalt are more likely to dampen the signal than soil.
These depths are also the generally recommended depths for burying underground fence in general.
Further information on how deep to bury an invisible pet fence can be found in this article, How is Invisible Fence Buried?
Why Use Conduit?
Conduit can be beneficial in many underground fence cases and can act as a protective casing for fencing that is often accidentally cut during yard work.
Conduit can also help to run your fence wire under a driveway or sidewalk when you do not want to have to cut the sidewalk above.
A drilling method can be used to pass your conduit beneath one of these structures.
Read More: How Do You Cancel Out Parts of Underground Fence for Dog? Your dog needs a safe place to cross your electric fence. Here’s how to create deadspace!
When Should I Not Use Conduit?
The biggest thing to note when using the conduit as a casing for an underground fence is that the conduit does protect the wire.
If something were to happen to the wire and it became damaged in any way, the conduit makes it much more difficult to get to the wire.
If you foresee any types of issues that would allow for quicker breakdown for your underground fence, should steer clear of conduit wherever possible for easy repairs.
There is, of course, the option to use conduit in some areas, and not others, to make potential repairs easier.
You also have to be careful if you are choosing to use an existing conduit to run your fence through.
There is always a risk that the wires inside could interfere with each other, causing damage to your underground fence, or other utilities running through the wire.
Another important consideration is the ease of laying the underground fence in the first place.
In many cases, it may be easier to set up the wire without using a conduit, especially when running it along sidewalks or driveways with existing cracks.
See our related article, How Do I Run an Invisible Fence Under My Driveway? For the EASIEST methods and a step-by-step guide!
What Kind of Conduit Can I Use for My Underground Dog Fence?
Another concern when it comes to using conduits to protect your underground fence is the material of conduit you should choose.
There are many different materials that conduit is made in with the most popular being metal and non-metallic.
The safest option when choosing your conduit is the non-metallic option.
A few underground fence companies have come out to say that a metallic conduit will not interfere with their signal, but not all companies have confirmed this.
Most of the major companies agree that it’s a better idea to place your underground fence line in a non-metal conduit if you choose to use one.
Here is a resource that will help you find some of the best electric fence for dogs out there.
Read More: Can Underground Wire Be Used Above Ground? It might be faster to install an underground fence above ground, but should you? Here’s everything to consider!
Can You Run Underground Fence Wire Through PVC?
Yes! Choosing to use PVC as your underground conduit is one of the most recommended options when it comes to choosing a conduit.
PVC is generally considered to be an affordable, flexible, and strong underground conduit.
It may not be the prettiest option, but since it will be underground, the only person who will see it is you when you install it!
PVC also does not disrupt the signals in your system significantly while there is likely to be more signal interruption when a metal conduit like steel, is used.
Here’s an excellent resource about the differences between PVC and electrical conduit PVC.
Can I Use Existing Conduits?
Many homes have pre-existing conduits, so it is natural to wonder if an electric fence can be run through these conduits.
There are a lot of considerations that have to be made when deciding if this is the right choice for you.
Depth
First off, is the conduit buried at an appropriate depth?
If the conduit lays any deeper than 6 inches under the soil or 3 inches under concrete or asphalt, then this conduit cannot be used for your underground dog fence.
Interference
Next, you have to consider if there will be any interference that can damage your electric fence wire.
In general, there is no interference that will damage your underground fence wires.
However, there is the possibility that your underground fence wire could damage some of the other wires housed in the conduit.
Legality
You have to consider to whom the conduit belongs.
If the conduit belongs to the city or county you reside in, and your wire damages or affects the signal of the other wires, then you can be held responsible for the damages.
Ease
The last thing to consider is the ease of running your fencing through this pre-existing conduit.
Depending on how large the conduit is, where it is, and how long it has been there, it can be very difficult to run your fence wire through.
Read More: What Happens if You Don’t Earth an Electric Fence? Is it necessary to ground your electric fence or invisible fence for dogs? Let’s find out!
What Should I Do for My Grass and Soil
The digging process for installing an underground fence into a conduit is almost exactly the same as the digging process for burying an invisible fence without a conduit.
The major difference between burying the bare wire and wire that is encased in the conduit is that the trenches you create for your conduit need to be larger than the trenches for your wire.
What Should I Do for My Concrete Areas?
One of the biggest reasons to use conduit when laying an underground electric fence is not wanting to damage your driveway or sidewalk.
There is a drilling method that can allow you to run your conduit under your sidewalk or driveway.
Once drilled, you can feed your underground fence wire through the conduit and keep laying your fence.
It is also important to keep in mind that there are other options when it comes to laying your fences in these areas.
For instance, you can lay your line through a crack in the driveway and seal it, or lay it in a gap in the sidewalk.
Burying your conduit under the driveway can cause the driveway to crack in the future, as the soil underneath has lost some of its structural integrity.
Plus, the repeated motion of vehicles over the driveway can result in some damage.
This video also provides some insight into alternative options for your concrete areas that do not utilize conduit.
Conclusion
So, can you put invisible fence into conduit? Yes!
There are some considerations that have to be made, but in general, this is a good option to protect your fence.
It also allows you to run fencing in more places than you could without conduit.
