Stray Voltage
What is stray voltage?
Farm "stray" or "tingle" voltages are small electrical potentials between metal stabling equipment and floor surfaces. Animals that make contact between these surfaces may receive a tingle or mild shock that could disturb their normal behaviour and ultimately reduce the efficiency of a farming operation.
What causes stray voltage?
Stray voltage can originate from:
- a utility's electrical distribution system
- a farm's electric system
For safety reasons, Veridian's neutral system is connected to a farm's grounding system. Some voltage will always exist between the neutral system (ground conductors) and the earth. Grounding is provided to protect people and animals from shocks, but it can also cause stray voltage. Possible sources of stray voltage on farms include: poor or faulty wiring; unbalanced farm system loading; improper grounding; defective equipment; and voltages from telephone lines or gas pipelines.
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Reported symptoms for livestock include:
- Lowered milk production
- Reduced water intake
- Reduced feed intake
- Problematic behavior
There are also non-electrical causes for the above symptoms such as poor nutrition, high temperatures, infectious diseases, milking machine defects, improper livestock handling, and poor environmental conditions such as dirty stalls and muddy pastures.
Where stray voltage is suspected, the only way to determine its cause is to have a farm tested by trained experts.
How are utility contributions to stray voltage addressed?
Where a utility is found to be responsible for contributing to farm stray voltage, the utility is required to take steps to lower its contribution to acceptable levels. The solution will depend on the utility's equipment servicing the farm, the extent of the problem and other technical factors.
Common ways of addressing utility contributions to farm stray voltage include installing filtering equipment at the service to the property, and installing additional grounding equipment to the utility's neutral conductors.
What you should do if you suspect your farm has stray voltage
Start with reviewing Veridian's Farm Stray Voltage Customer Response Procedure and the dispute resolution process set out in Veridian's Conditions of Service.
These documents are available:
- At our main office (located at 55 Taunton Rd. E., Ajax)
- By calling our Customer Services Department at 1-888-445-2881
(Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
After reviewing this information, if you would like Veridian to investigate whether or not we are contributing to stray voltage on your livestock farm, please call our Customer Services Department at 1 888-445-2881.
For more information on stray voltage and its effect on livestock, visit the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs website at www.omafra.gov.on.ca.
Click here to download Veridian's 'Heard About Stray Voltage' information piece. |
