Advice on data and electricity

[micky500970]

Hello,

We are getting additional cabling installed and some concerns have been raised by the installation manager.

1)When you remove the electric double wall socket cover, which is inside conduiting, the data cables are visible sitting alongside the electric cables. I am told that these cables should at least sit behind the electric box or better still in another compartment above or below. I am yold that this would cause interference.

Is this correct?
Does it matter if the data cables are sitting with electric cables?

Is this cause for complaint to the other cabling company?

Any information on cabling regulations and standards would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Mick

 

[technome]

The Nation Electric Code prohibits this right off; I do not think any local code would allow this. Power feeds and low voltage/data wiring is not allowed in the same conduit or electric box, as it is a safety hazard.

Though >cat4 is very resistant to EMF, I know techs who have had definite problems from electric and data cable running parallel in close proximity.
This illegal wiring..the original wiring company might possible redo it if the contract for the original wiring states it will comply with all building codes.. If you report this to the building inspector, your company is ultimately responsible for the wiring.

 

[micky500970]

thanks for your reply. I will be approaching the company that installed the cabling - I just wanted to arm myself with facts as I know companies always try and wriggle out of things.

I have only recently started at this school and find this to be normal practice. only today i found a large red mains cable running from the ceiling down to the floor. data cables are actually running accross this. This might explain some of our network issues.

Do you know of any websites that clearly show standards for installing cat5.

Thanks

 

[technome]

couple of sites...

http://www.lanshack.com/cat5e-tutorial.asp

http://www.peakaudio.com/CobraNet/Network_cabling.htm

Avoid running wires near electric device, within reason. Never near devices which produce high EMF

Avoid running near exposed fluorescent lights, the 2x4 or 4x2 are not exposed, as the metal enclosure is a shield.

Be very care not to kink or knot the wire while pulling.

Never pull the wire with force, a few pound of pull is OK, but pulling hard on a wire is a no go.

Twist at the point of termination need to be maintained. Wires which are untwisted, beyond the specs will pick up signal attenuation (antenna).

Preferable use Teflon cable, as the specs are better, the sheathing is stronger and stiffer.

In ceiling areas which are used as air supplies or returns must use Teflon cable

Bundled cables should be tied loosely, do not make wire ties tight.

In suspended ceiling run cable above the ceiling support bars, not across the ceiling tiles.

Always leave a few feet extra on cable runs in the room ceilings, leave extra near the network switch/panel room

Lastly, after the cables are installed, have every cable cat certified with a certification tester such as made by Fluke. One poor cable can take an entire network down, or cause poor network throughput.

Look into the cat 6 category, if your replacing all the wiring.

Good luck, in N.Y.C contractors get away with a lot.

 

[BitFuzzy]

Just remember,

Cat5 is nothing more than copper wire covered by a thin layer of plastic and it conducts electricity rather nicely.

God forbid someone gets electricuted.

[I have only recently started at this school and find this to be normal practice.]

Not really, This is usually seen when the runs were installed by a electrician.

 

[Sphoneman]

If an electricl contractor installed the voice & data at the same time they know about division within the same junction. Look & see if there is actually a piece of metal in the junction box dividing the low voltage & high voltage. If there is, it is within code.

Steve
tele-dataservices.com