Stray Voltage in the Milking Parlour
- Thread starter Mursal
- Start date
rusty
Member
- Location
- Buxton Derbyshire
We have looked for it but not really found anything conclusive. Bonded the front stall work to the main parlour frame to make sure. When it was installed steel mesh in the concrete was welded to the posts supporting the rump rail.
I've felt stray voltage before. Grabbing stallwork and steel curb at same time. Just a very gentle tingling. This was from a fencer in the dairy.
Most installers and Maintainance companies should be able to test for it. I suppose you possibly could using a multimeter but not sure how accurately.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Yep, have found a couple of stray shocks on pipework, cows don't appreciate it much, and the SCC goes ballistic.. in my experience anyway.
Ended up crawling around touching the end of my tongue to all the bars like a rabid dog and found out which (not recommended practice) bar had the tingle
it was a failing earth on the milk lift pump and then an energiser at another place.Next time I'd use a multimeter and an electric fence reel as an earth wire I think.
FonterraFarmer
Member
- Location
- Waikato, New Zealand
Search and download "Stray Voltage" from Dairy NZ, think from memory anything over 0.2 volt will cause problems.
multi power
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
And don't have a electric fence near parlour
- Location
- Near Colchester
Years ago had a stall house for pigs (illegal now) where a stray voltage caused mayhem to the breeding program of the sows in there - my point being if you suspect it get it tracked down.
petermrs1
Member
- Location
- Nova Scotia Canada
A couple of things. i have seen places where it's intermittent. Maybe on Wednesday and Friday but the rest of the week its fine. And the worst kind is the strength only the cows are effected and people remain unawares.
I also think better construction practices as well as better transmission lines have reduced the problem. Over here anyways.
I also think better construction practices as well as better transmission lines have reduced the problem. Over here anyways.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Yep, have found a couple of stray shocks on pipework, cows don't appreciate it much, and the SCC goes ballistic.. in my experience anyway.
Ended up crawling around touching the end of my tongue to all the bars like a rabid dog and found out which (not recommended practice) bar had the tingle
Next time I'd use a multimeter and an electric fence reel as an earth wire I think.
Just occasionally, only a video clip will suffice......
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Got a man size shock yesterday that would have made a better clip, 10.6kv.Just occasionally, only a video clip will suffice......
Many years ago on a dairy in Colorado we had terrible mastitis problems (15% of cows ) which we cleared up by sorting a stray voltage problem ---it made them really jittery in the parlour too
- Location
- East Sussex
Had it years ago. As said above it causes edgy cows and scc to climb. Ours was tracked down to the empty workers cottage that had had mice in the roof and the voltage was running through an old steel spring water pipe 150yds to the parlour. Seeboard or uk power networks found it for us in the end. Funny sort of static could be felt as you ran your hand down the stallwork sometimes.
Had our old parlour tested and it had the highest reading he'd seen,never did find what it was
I'm convinced having rubber matting in my new parlour helps.
It clears when hot tank is turned off. So for time being will turn off when milking. Wait To see if any effect. Didn' notice any jumpy cows.
- Location
- Northumberland
So if everything is properly earthed I would have thought an earth leakage breaker should trip the power off.if it detects voltage on the earth ?
Not an expert though
Not an expert though