Troubleshooting Summer Electrical Failures on the Farm

When the sun’s high and the days are long, farm work doesn’t let up. Summer is peak production season, and downtime isn’t something most Alberta farmers can afford. But every year, someone’s rig shuts down mid-job. A bin fan quits. A pump loses power. And more often than not, it’s the electrical system causing the hold-up.

From lightning strikes to worn-out panels, summer brings its own set of electrical headaches. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you troubleshoot the most common problems before they cost you more time and money.

Why Do Power Outages Happen More in Summer?

Most farmers expect the occasional outage, but during summer, everything is more vulnerable. Lightning storms are the number one culprit. A close strike can surge through your lines and knock out panels, motors, or sensitive equipment without warning. Even if the lightning doesn’t hit directly, voltage spikes can ripple through your system and trip breakers or fry components.

The solution starts with prevention. Surge protection and proper grounding can save you thousands in equipment repairs. Ensure your system is properly bonded and that surge protectors are installed where necessary. If you’re unsure what’s protected and what isn’t, it’s time to have your setup reviewed by someone who understands farm electrical maintenance.

Why Does Equipment Shut Down When You Need It Most?

It always seems to happen when the sprayer’s loaded or the bins are near full. Equipment shuts down mid-use, right when you need it most. Overheating motors, tripped breakers, or wiring that’s seen better days often go unnoticed until they finally give out.

Summer heat makes everything work harder. Fans, pumps, augers, and aeration systems run longer and draw more current. If your panel is already maxed out or your wiring isn’t up to today’s demand, things will fail under pressure.

Routine farm electrical maintenance is key. Checking connections, replacing worn wiring, and staying on top of load requirements keep things running when you need them most. Having automation in place to alert you when systems go down can save an entire day’s worth of production.

What Can You Do When Help Is Hours Away?

Living in rural areas has its advantages, but fast access to technical help isn’t one of them. When something critical stops working, waiting half a day or more for a tech to arrive can set you back more than you can afford during harvest or seeding.

That’s why preventative planning matters. Having basic diagnostic tools on hand, knowing how to reset equipment safely, and understanding how your panels are laid out can help you get back up and running temporarily while you wait for repairs. More importantly, building a relationship with a company that understands agriculture and offers real-time remote support or automation solutions is a game-changer.

Farm electrical maintenance isn’t just about repairs. It’s about building a system that helps you respond quickly when something goes down.

Are High Repair Costs Preventable?

The short answer is yes. Most of the major repairs we see in summer could have been avoided with regular inspection and upkeep. Issues such as corrosion in control panels, loose terminals, overheated VFDs, and undersized wiring all contribute to larger failures down the line.

Conducting an annual walk-through with a trained electrician, especially before peak season, can help identify most of these problems early. Smart monitoring systems that alert you to voltage drops or heat buildup provide an additional layer of protection. These tools allow you to address a minor issue before it escalates into a system-wide outage.

Staying on top of farm electrical maintenance helps avoid costly downtime and keeps your operation moving when time is tight.

How Can Automation Help with Farm Electrical Maintenance?

Automation isn’t just about convenience. It’s about awareness. A smart system can send you alerts when voltage drops, when a motor isn’t drawing power, or when a fan suddenly shuts off. These insights enable you to respond more quickly and prevent damage before it spreads.

You don’t have to automate your entire farm overnight. Start small. Automate a key system, such as irrigation or grain handling, and then build upon that foundation. The goal is to give you control when you’re busy and support when you’re stretched thin.

Farm electrical maintenance gets easier when you have systems that work with you, not just for you.

Why Current Group Is the Right Choice for Alberta Farms

Current Group doesn’t just wire buildings. We understand what it means when your feed system stops at 7 PM or your grain dryer fails right before a storm rolls in. Our team has worked alongside Alberta farmers for years. We build systems that last, and we design with the realities of rural operations in mind.

Whether you need help troubleshooting, want to build a better maintenance routine, or are ready to bring automation into your daily operation, we’re here to help.

Contact Current Group today and safeguard your farm against costly electrical failures before they occur.

As winter approaches, cattle ranchers face the critical challenge of ensuring their herds maintain optimal health and growth despite the harsh conditions. One often overlooked factor is the temperature of drinking water, which plays a significant role in the overall well-being and productivity of range cattle during cold months. In this article, we will explore how water temperature impacts water consumption and growth performance and how Current Group’s Open2O cattle trough heater can make a difference by preventing freezing and ensuring water availability.

The Impact of Access to Water on Cattle Health

Research consistently shows that water availability is critical to cattle’s water intake, especially during winter. Frozen water can drastically reduce consumption, as cattle cannot access the necessary water. This leads to dehydration and increased energy expenditure, as cattle use more energy to maintain their body temperature in the cold. 

This increase in water intake is crucial because it correlates with higher dry matter intake (DMI), which is essential for maintaining body weight and overall health during the cold season.

According to Jon DeClerck, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition, “Water is the most essential nutrient for cattle production,” says “It’s used for regulating body temperature, growth, reproduction, lactation, digestion and many other bodily functions. Water also drives intake for mineral, forage and supplements. And while we typically worry more about water intake in summer, it’s equally as important in cold weather.”

“For fall calving herds, water requirements go up drastically during lactation. Cows hit peak lactation right when water is at risk of freezing up. With spring calving herds, water access is key to avoid stress and long-term performance impacts to both the cow and unborn calf.”

Consequences of Inadequate Water Intake in Winter

When cattle do not have consistent access to water due to freezing conditions, the consequences can be severe. Insufficient water intake leads to dehydration, reduced feed intake (which affects nutrition), and poor growth performance. Instead, energy that should be used for growth is used to maintain body temperature, leading to weight loss and a decline in body condition. Additionally, water shortages can disrupt rumen fermentation, nutrient absorption, and overall cattle health, further compromising productivity.

Ideal Water Temperature and its Effect on Your Herd

Ensuring that water is available to cattle throughout winter is crucial to their hydration and growth. However, a balance needs to be met in terms of your water temperature.

Kate Hornyak, OSU Extension Program Coordinator, Delaware County, says, Keeping the ideal temperature of drinking water for cattle is a balance – it should neither be hot nor frozen.” – “It’s interesting to note that steers with access to cool drinking water have shown to gain an additional 0.3 to 0.4 pounds per day compared to those consuming warmer water. This underscores the importance of regularly checking the temperature of water, especially in waterers equipped with heaters, to avoid what’s known as a “runaway” – a situation where the water gets too warm.”

Cattle Trough Heater Open2O: Preventing Frozen Water

To address the challenges of water freezing during the cold season, Current Group offers the Open2O advanced electric device, an innovative solution designed to monitor water temperature and regulate the power to the heating element. Unlike traditional heating systems that continuously warm water, Open2O ensures that water remains just above freezing, reducing energy consumption and ensuring that cattle always have access to water.

Features of Open2O Water Controller

  • Power Savings: The Cattle Trough Heater Open2O has multiple temperature inputs, which allows it to monitor water temperature every 30 seconds and turn on the heating elements only as needed. This optimized control has been proven to cut substantial power usage, with an estimated minimum of 53% power savings.
  • Real-Time Water Consumption Report: The Cattle Trough Heater Open2O system provides real-time reports on water consumption, which allows cattle operators to monitor water intake per animal. This data helps identify potential issues early on, as it compares water usage across different troughs, signalling if a problem arises with any specific bowl. Accurate water consumption data supports better animal health analysis, ensuring every animal is adequately hydrated.
  • Alarm Options for Consumption and Temperature: The Cattle Trough Heater Open2O has alarm options that alert operators to unusual consumption patterns—whether too high or too low—indicating potential issues like a broken water line. The system also notifies operators if the water temperature drops too close to freezing.
  • Labour and Stress Reduction: With Open2O’s remote monitoring capabilities, feedlot operators no longer need to send staff out in cold temperatures to check water bowls. Instead, they can view the software and confirm that all water sources remain open, reducing labour costs and management stress year-round.

 

With these features, Open2O provides a comprehensive solution to prevent water bowls from freezing, monitor water consumption, and support cattle health through the cold months.

Critical Benefits of Cattle Trough Heater Open2O

  • Prevents Water from Freezing: Open2O ensures that water remains accessible, avoiding water freezing in bowls.
  • Energy Efficiency: By regulating the power to the heating element, Open2O conserves energy, reducing costs while maintaining water availability.
  • Durability and Reliability: Built to withstand harsh winter conditions, Open2O ensures uninterrupted access to water throughout the cold months.
  • Improved Growth Performance: By preventing frozen water, Open2O supports cattle hydration, feed utilization, and overall growth performance.


Providing unfrozen drinking water during winter is more than just a comfort for cattle—it’s essential to maintaining their health and growth. With the Open2O device from Current Group, ranchers can ensure that their cattle have continuous access to water, even in the coldest months. Invest in cattle trough heater Open2O today to secure your herd’s health and boost your bottom line this winter.