Gate Handle Accessories: Insulators and Connectors for Your Gateway

Gate Handle Accessories: The Parts Behind the Handle

Gate handle accessories make sure your gateway holds for the long term and passes the current on reliably. The heart of it is the gate handle insulator, which you hook the handle into and through which the current flows from the fence to the handle. Add to that connector plates, tape connectors and insulators for metal posts. With the right accessories you can build a new gateway or replace a part that has worn out after a few seasons.

Gate Handle Insulators for Every Post

For wooden posts there are screw in gate handle insulators, including versions with two hooks, so you can hang the handle at just the right spot. For metal posts and T posts you need models with their own bracket that sits directly on the profile. A strain insulator also takes on the job of tensioning the conductor at the end of the fence line. Combination insulators handle several tasks on one post and so save fitting work when you build a new section.

Connector Plates and Connectors

A stainless steel connector plate joins tape or polywire to the insulator over a large area, so the current flows on without a bottleneck. For electric fence tape there is a Litzclip gate handle connector that clamps the tape to the handle without kinking it. If you look after several gateways, it is a good idea to keep a few spare insulators to hand. If an insulator breaks, the handle drops into the grass and the fence loses voltage at that point.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell that a gate handle insulator needs replacing?
Fine cracks, faded and brittle plastic or burn marks on the hook are clear signs. A damaged insulator leaks current into the post and so weakens the whole fence.

How do I fix a gate handle insulator to a T post?
There are insulators made to fit the T post profile that attach directly to it. An ordinary screw in insulator for wood will not hold on a metal profile.

Does the gate handle insulator have to be connected to the fence?
Yes, on the side where the handle hooks in, you connect the insulator to the fence conductor. Only then does the closed gateway carry current, and the handle passes it on to the conductor in the gate.