Running an electric current through a garage door? (2023 Update)

[chuckles_the_scary_clown]

No lectures about the rights and wrongs thank you, if I want a sermon on morality I'll go to alt.god.

If anyone can offer some genuine advice about how to do it, my email address is valid.

TIA.

[DIY]

Is this to supply current from your house to use inside your garage? Is the garage door of the metal tilt up and over type (probably without a frame as such), or is it a wooden door set in a wooden frame? Does the cable have to go through the door itself?

[Palindrome]

What effect are you after? Dead flies? Surprised dog?

The basic principles are that voltage determines range and penetration and energy in joules determines effect.

So, 100kV will get the dog as it lifts its leg still inches from the door- but 1 joule will leave it only with something to remember. 500V will need an actual touch - but 500 joules on a damp day will leave you with a dead horse leaning against the door..

How to do it is dead (hopefully not literally, if the target is larger than a fly) easy. High voltage generator, with voltage equal to the range/penetration required, with very limited current capability linked to energy storage device of appropriate joule capacity for the required effect. Link storage device to door. The other side to an earth rod.

After that, everything else is bells and whistles. Do you want the target to remain, or run away? Do you want to tingle, scream or produce smoke?

[DIY]

Having read Sue's post can you confirm that you intend to run an electric current through a metal garage door as a security measure? If so, the door will need to be of a type of metal that is a good electrical conductor, such as steel, not aluminium for example. You need to ask on one of the legal forums regarding how you stand should someone other than yourself be electrocuted.

[shazzbat]

I saw a man welding aluminium recently. It seemed to me to be conducting both electricity and heat admirably.

Steve

[Brian G]

Aluminium is a 'good' conductor of the old 'tricity - and if I recall correctly, many main supply cables were made of it back in the '70's and '80's.

[Alang]

Indeed

During the copper crisis in the 60s I installed a number of EHT cables with aluminium conductors. Had to get permission from the ministry but no problems at the time.

Same with the aluminium enclosures I used in the 80s and 90s. Conducted heat and electricity with no problems.

I recall many years ago a neighbour wiring up a spare car engine in his garage to the electricity supply. He chatted abot it in the pub and later got a visit from PC Plod and a threat of arrest if anyone was harmed

[Brian]

If you are looking for a theft deterrent, try a small electric fence unit. HT side to door (handle), earth to earth spike in ground. But if the door can be accessed by the public, you could be in deep doo-dah if anyone was hurt.

[News Groups]

"Brian" wrote;

Anyone with a cardiac pacemaker is in for more than a shock.

[shazzbat]

My next door neighbour had one fitted a couple of years ago. I was gutted to find I can't hear him ticking.

Steve

[Brian]

I wonder how farmers get round that one?

[tinnews]

It's the reason that it's a legal requirement that any electric fence within a certain distance of any sort of public thoroughfare must be marked with large signs indicating that it is an electric fence. The signs must be repeated every 50 metres or so.

[Dave Gordon]

Aluminium is an excellent conductor, and has the added benefit of not rusting, for that perfect skin/metal contact...

[Dave Gordon]

We don't even know what country the OP lives in. It may be legal to defend your property there, unlike this crazy police state.

[Dave Gordon]

And in any case electric animal fences are only about 50 volts. My uncles pigs used to scratch their backs on it, bastards liked the tingles.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Aluminium forms a surface layer of aluminium oxide when exposed to air, which is both very hard and a very good insulator.

Some years ago, I was breadboarding a project on the bench which used a couple of power MOSFETs to switch 240V mains. Not wishing to permanently mount the MOSFETS at this stage, I just used a bulldog clip to temporarily clamp a MOSFET to a lump of aluminium, making a mental note not to touch it as I hadn't bothered with the insulating washer and heat conductive grease between the live tab and the aluminium. After testing that for correct operation, I clamped the second MOSFET to the same lump of aluminium. The circuit all worked fine. It was only when disassembling it to build the final version that it dawned on me that the mounting tabs had 240V AC difference between them, and it was just the surface aluminium oxide layer which was preventing a short circuit.

[tinnews]

Huh!? Our electric fence measures at least 5kv and I can assure you it gives you quite a kick if you touch it. It did in fact knock me briefly unconscious once when I drove into it on our ride on mower and the wire happened to touch my head.

Pigs are notorious for touching electric fences frequently. It's said that if you turn an electric fence off:-

Pigs will be through within the day.

Cows, goats etc. will be through within a week.

Horses will never notice (certainly true in our experience!)

[tinnews]

This is a UK newsgroup so, by default at least, one might assume the poster is in the UK.

[Dave Gordon]

Maybe the 50V thing is old. It was around 30 years ago.

[Harry Stottle]

So if a young child ran down someone's drive after a ball, and got electrocuted from touching a 'live' garage door, you would think this acceptable? There are normally good reasons why these type of regulations are introduced, and it is usually to stop some idiot killing, or seriously injuring, an innocent person.