How come your cable is so expensive??? 8

[LkEErie]

So I get the "while you're here, my friend down the street needs a cabling quote." It's not bad, stubs in the ceiling, about 4000' in 23 runs, a WAP, and an existing patch panel with 27 available ports.

Oh, wait a minute, what's that plastic grid in the ceiling and why can I see to the deck above? Half the job was cabled with PVC, but I can't do that. Well the customer called the fire department and they said he could use PVC. O.K. I still can't do that. Long story short, he chose the vendor that used PVC.

The chances of a building inspector wandering into the building aren't great, but I'd rather lose the job than compromise my integrity and violate the code.

LkEErie who may drop the dime on the building owner.

 

[mikeydidit]

I may give that a try also drunkphoneman. I could run about what I want here and not have to worry about it. This is the same with 90% of everyone here. Who is going to get up in the ceiling behind us and read the jacket? The fire marshal will check for unsealed penetrations, but I have never seen any of them look and the cables and say" Hey thats got to go".

Thats why I thanked LkEErie for not doing what he could get away with. This displays to me that he too takes extra efforts and pride in his work. Not a trunk slammer as I have heard them called on another board.

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), Inaugural Address, January 20, 1953

For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594

 

[jet042]

The fire marshal will check for unsealed penetrations, but I have never seen any of them look and the cables and say" Hey thats got to go".

I've had one do that, but the building manager had already p*-ed him off before I got there. Not my cable, but it was my problem.

 

[jeffmoss26]

I did some security camera cabling last summer and the customer bought the cable from the alarm supplier. I told them to purchase white PVC cable as this was in a warehouse with 20 foot ceilings and open beams. They told me the salesman said 'yeah, white cable looks like plenum and will fool the inspectors above a drop ceiling.'
So for the other cameras where it was a plenum, I had them get the cable somewhere else...

jeff moss

 

[hawks]

They should have asked what does the Blue look like? Yea Jeff I agree with you, stay as far away from that saleman as possible.

 

[robertjo24]

OK...prepare for a small rant.

The plenum rated cable will have a lower flame spread and lower smoke potential than regular cable. The standard UTP cable is often jacketed with PVC, or Poly-Vinyl Chloride. This is the same type of material the PVC pipes are made of, just a little different formulation.
The plenum rated cable will often be a Teflon or fire retardant PVC jacketed cable. The material isn’t as important as it’s ability to meet or exceed the flame spread and smoke rating. This is regulated by the National Fire Protection Agency regulation NFPA 90A.

The regulations are there for a reason. Some inspectors will look for it, some won’t. Regardless, we should do the right thing. A small electrical fire, if it gets to a bundle of cables, can create an enormous amount of smoke. And as any seasoned firefighter can tell you, the number one killer in fire related deaths is smoke inhalation. A small enclosed space can quickly fill with smoke. If that smoke is poisonous, the occupants can easily be overcome and their ability to self rescue will diminish or disappear in a matter of seconds. Codes and regulations are often come about from lessons learned from real instances.

Codes and regulations will never save lives and protect the public unless WE follow them. If we run into a situation where a customer wants us to cut corners on regulations to cut costs, we should all take a cue from LkEErie and do the right thing. We may loose the job today, but we keep or integrity. The world is way to full of people willing to exchange that all too precious commodity for a few bucks. Once sold, it can never be re-bought.