PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector – Detailed Review

PetSafe, which is responsible for this PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector, has been in the business of producing electronic equipment for dogs since 1991. And in that time, it has managed to assert itself as a force to be reckoned with in the pet industry. Too intense?

Anyway, this here wire break indicator is pretty impressive as you’ll get to see soon enough. It is a kit that contains more than just the detector as you’ll get to see soon enough.

You could go check out some of our reviews on the actual fences here and here.

Who Is The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector For?

The wire break detector is for the dog parent. You use it in detecting those points that have become dead because there has been a break in the wire.

Well, in a kind of roundabout way, it is for your dog.

Features Of The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector

The following are the features of the PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector:

• The transmitter with its power adapter.
• Locator receiver
• Boundary wire
• Grounding stakes
• Wire nuts and gel-filled wire splice capsules
• Training manual

Now, what are these:

The Transmitter With Its Power Adapter

Like with an electronic fence, the wire break detector comes with a transmitter. So, when you want to detect a break in the boundary wire, this transmitter will temporarily replace the fence transmitter.

So, you’ll disconnect the boundary wire from the fence transmitter (unplug the adapter too) and connect it to this transmitter at the ports marked ‘loop’.

Next, you’ll connect two other strings of wire to the ports marked ‘boundary’. Those two wires should not be placed close to each other and should be anchored to the ground. And that’s basically that as regards the transmitter.

This one comes with its power adapter which suggests that the transmitter has to be plugged in for the duration of your wire detection. There is a power light on the transmitter that will blink continuously if it is on.

Locator Receiver

The locator is a small device connected to a wand because, of course, you cannot bend so close to the ground to detect what needs to be detected.

That said, the locator uses two detection modes; tone and light. So, remember we mentioned that the two wires inserted into the boundary ports have to be separated?

Well, the reason is so that you can easily differentiate between sounds. There is a consistent sound and an intermittent sound, both of which will go off on the locator if it can locate wires.

Now, why two sounds? Well, there are two strings of wires buried for your pet containment. So, with the two tones, you can easily detect if both wires are cut. And putting those two ‘boundary wires’ close two each other will make the sounds overlap.

For the light, you get a green one for the continuous tone and a red one for the intermittent tone.

There are a number of dials and buttons on the locator. One is the power button and another is the tuning dial. Then there is an AM/FM button and you want to switch the locator to AM when you use it.

Finally, this locator uses two AAA batteries that are not included in the kit.

Boundary Wire

Because the PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector is basically a wire repair kit, it comes with 50 feet of extra wire. So, not only are you detecting the breaks, you have extra wire to repair the breaks.

Grounding Stakes

The kit comes with two grounding stakes that are absolutely necessary for the wire break detection.

Remember those two wires that have to be connected to the port labelled ‘boundary’? The other ends will be attached to the ground using these stakes. There is a technique to winding the wires around the stakes as you’ll see in a latter video.

Wire Nuts And Gel Filled Wire Splice Capsules

This kit comes with four (4) of each and both are necessary for the actual repair. Refer to the video below to get the hang of how to use them.

Training Manual

Finally, there is a training manual. It is pretty easy to understand and we consider it really necessary considering the repairs that this kit is meant for.

Is The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector User Friendly?

The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector is user friendly. If you’ve ever used a wire break detector before, you’ll find it easy to use this.

However, if you haven’t it might not be the easiest thing to use. So, you want to pay attention to the training manual that the kit comes with. Or you could just watch the video below and find out how things work.

A PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector Demonstration Video

Pros Of The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector

We like that the locator has two detection markers: tone and light. This way, it is more flexible and can be used by pet parents who have a hearing impairment (seeing as most detectors use only the sound).

We also like that this isn’t just a detection kit but contains some tools and stuff for repairing the detected breaks.

Cons Of The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector

The locator uses replaceable batteries but doesn’t come with any. This might not be so much of a downside, though, seeing as the batteries are the really common AAA batteries.

Also, the locator cannot detect partial breaks. So, it will only go off if there is actually a separation.

Check out these other articles:

• SportDOG In-Ground Rechargeable Fence System — Detailed Review
• SportDOG Underground Dog Fence SDF 100 — Detailed Review
• Extreme Dog Fence Dual Solution — Detailed Review
• SportDOG Containment And Remote Training System — Detailed Review
• PetSafe Stubborn Dog Vs SportDOG In-Ground Fence — Which Is Better For You?
• How To Help A Dog Give Birth Faster

Alternatives To The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector

The following are options you could try out if you want something other than the PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector:

• More sophisticated option: Noyafa NF-816 Underground Cable Wire Locator.
• High End Option: Noyafa NF-820 Upgraded Underground Wire Locator.
• Option With Ear Piece: Kolsol Underground Wire Locator Cable.

Now, to explain them:

More Sophisticated Option

Noyafa NF-816 Underground Cable Wire Locator

The Noyafa Underground Cable Wire Locator can be used to detect more than just pet wires. It can detect metal pipes, telephone wires and the like.

High End Option

Noyafa NF-820 Upgraded Underground Wire Locator

This one costs significantly more than our featured product. However, that is justified in the fact that this is another sophisticated wire detector that can detect more than just pet containment system wires.

Option With Ear Piece

Kolsol Underground Wire Locator Cable

This one is also more complicated than our featured product in that it can detect more than pet fence wires.

Also, a pair of earpieces is included in this kit to make it that much easier to hear the tones (just like with the other alternatives on this list. We should also mention that the kit comes in a neat little pouch.

Comparison Table

	PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector   Click here to get this for your dog!	Noyafa Underground Cable Wire Locator   Click here to get this for your dog!	Noyafa NF-820 Upgraded Underground Wire Locator   Click here to get this for your dog!	Kolsol Underground Wire Locator Cable   Click here to get this for your dog!
Features Repair Kit	Yes	No	No	No
Ear Piece	No	Yes	Yes	Yes

What People Think About The PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector

The jury seems to be split on whether or not the PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector is an impressive kit; especially the instruments involved in the actual detection.

While some people swear by the functionality of the kit, some others are not really impressed. And of those people that are not really impressed, some say the kit doesn’t really work while others say just the locator doesn’t work fine.

However, we should mention that the split isn’t really even with a few more people tending towards the kit being functional.

Our Opinion

In our opinion, this could be a really useful tool, if you get the one that works. It is not a kit for constant use so, you might actually be able to get good use out of it.

That said, the reason we really like this is because of the repair stuff included in the kit.

PetSafe Dog Fence Wire Break Detector – FAQs

Why Do I Get A Break Signal When There Is No Break?

You will get a break signal even though there is no wire break if you leave your PetSafe wire break detector at the default setting of zero.

To get your PetSafe wire break detector functioning properly and detecting what it should, you’ll have to set the boundary width to about 3 or 4.

Will The PetSafe Wire Break Detector Work With Other Underground Fence Systems?

The PetSafe Wire Break Detector will work with any PetSafe underground fence system, SportDOG underground fence systems and Premier underground fence systems too.

However, it can’t be confirmed whether or not this wire break detector will work on other brands of underground fence systems.

Will The PetSafe Wire Break Detector Work On 20-Gauge Wire?

The PetSafe Wire Break Detector will certainly work on 20-gauge wire. In fact, 20-gauge is just perfect as this tool was designed to detect breaks in wires that are from 14 to 20 gauge.

Anything lower than 14 and you’ll have to look for another wire break detector option.

Can The PetSafe Wire Break Detector Detect A Partial Break?

The PetSafe Wire Break Detector is not designed to detect partial breaks in your boundary wire, unfortunately.

What Is A Partial Break?

If your wire has a partial break, it means that the insulation of the wires has been broken or damaged while the metal is still intact.

If you have a partial break in your boundary wire, you won’t get a notification on your transmitter. However, your dog who is wearing the receiver will have to be really close to the boundary wire to set it off.

Does The PetSafe Wire Break Detector Come With A Collar Receiver?

The PetSafe Wire Break Detector doesn’t come with a collar receiver. It is only used for detecting wire breaks in an existing underground fence system.