Cabling and firecode
-
If you are running cat5e/cat6 above a drop ceiling and need to cut a hole in the drywall to drop the cable down to the mudring below do you need to have a sleeve or piece of conduit to meet firecode? Or can you drop your cable and fill the hole with fire rate caulk? I know codes are different depending on your area but was just curious what the proper method would be generally speaking.
-
It depends on your location. You can check with your local code enforcer, if they are competent. Around here as long as the cable is plenum rated it doesn't need to be in a conduit, although I would generally put it in one so I can easily add more cables if need be.
-
Technically you're supposed to be an eletrician in NJ to run low voltage cabling. Seems dumb to me. No one here (in my state) does it.The guy who is contracted by the state here just does voip and is most definitely not an electrician. No one seems to care.
-
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
-
@wirestyle22 said in Cabling and firecode:
Technically you're supposed to be an eletrician in NJ to run low voltage cabling. Seems dumb to me. No one here (in my state) does it.The guy who is contracted by the state here just does voip and is most definitely not an electrician. No one seems to care.
That's the new fight in NY... especially with LED lights that can run off of a cheap PoE switch. We have our networking students doing some of that in a few locations now.
-
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
That is probably the case but as long as the cable is plenum rated then you're probably fine. But I would check with your local code enforcer just to be sure.
-
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
That is probably the case but as long as the cable is plenum rated then you're probably fine. But I would check with your local code enforcer just to be sure.
What does plenum rating have to do with going down the wall? Most places don't allow you to run non plenum rated in plenum spaces, but if his drop seeing isn't a plenum (air return space) and is instead ducted, then he shouldn't need plenum rated cable.
-
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
That is probably the case but as long as the cable is plenum rated then you're probably fine. But I would check with your local code enforcer just to be sure.
What does plenum rating have to do with going down the wall? Most places don't allow you to run non plenum rated in plenum spaces, but if his drop seeing isn't a plenum (air return space) and is instead ducted, then he shouldn't need plenum rated cable.
That's true riser may be fine in this instance. Generally anything above a drop ceiling is often plenum space in an office building. So he would need the plenum rating for that area.
-
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
That is probably the case but as long as the cable is plenum rated then you're probably fine. But I would check with your local code enforcer just to be sure.
What does plenum rating have to do with going down the wall? Most places don't allow you to run non plenum rated in plenum spaces, but if his drop seeing isn't a plenum (air return space) and is instead ducted, then he shouldn't need plenum rated cable.
That's true riser may be fine in this instance. Generally anything above a drop ceiling is often plenum space in an office building. So he would need the plenum rating for that area.
My experience has been closer to 50/50. For example, my current building is all ducted.
-
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
That is probably the case but as long as the cable is plenum rated then you're probably fine. But I would check with your local code enforcer just to be sure.
What does plenum rating have to do with going down the wall? Most places don't allow you to run non plenum rated in plenum spaces, but if his drop seeing isn't a plenum (air return space) and is instead ducted, then he shouldn't need plenum rated cable.
That's true riser may be fine in this instance. Generally anything above a drop ceiling is often plenum space in an office building. So he would need the plenum rating for that area.
My experience has been closer to 50/50. For example, my current building is all ducted.
Fair enough... also why @syko24 should talk to their code enforcer.
-
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
That is probably the case but as long as the cable is plenum rated then you're probably fine. But I would check with your local code enforcer just to be sure.
What does plenum rating have to do with going down the wall? Most places don't allow you to run non plenum rated in plenum spaces, but if his drop seeing isn't a plenum (air return space) and is instead ducted, then he shouldn't need plenum rated cable.
That's true riser may be fine in this instance. Generally anything above a drop ceiling is often plenum space in an office building. So he would need the plenum rating for that area.
My experience has been closer to 50/50. For example, my current building is all ducted.
Fair enough... also why @syko24 should talk to their code enforcer.
Totally agree with checking on code. I guess my question was more for personally knowledge. I've seen cablers do things differently from job to job and was just curious what was best practice. Or when hiring someone to cable I can be more knowledgeable.
-
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@coliver Thanks for the reply.
I have seen cases where the installer sometimes just bends a piece of conduit at the top of the drywall but doesn't run the conduit down to the box. I assume this is because there was not the room or desire to rip open the wall completely to run the conduit.
That is probably the case but as long as the cable is plenum rated then you're probably fine. But I would check with your local code enforcer just to be sure.
What does plenum rating have to do with going down the wall? Most places don't allow you to run non plenum rated in plenum spaces, but if his drop seeing isn't a plenum (air return space) and is instead ducted, then he shouldn't need plenum rated cable.
That's true riser may be fine in this instance. Generally anything above a drop ceiling is often plenum space in an office building. So he would need the plenum rating for that area.
My experience has been closer to 50/50. For example, my current building is all ducted.
Fair enough... also why @syko24 should talk to their code enforcer.
Totally agree with checking on code. I guess my question was more for personally knowledge. I've seen cablers do things differently from job to job and was just curious what was best practice. Or when hiring someone to cable I can be more knowledgeable.
People do illegal things all the time. All you can do it reach out to the highest authority on the matter to ensure something's being done to law if that's important to you.
or have clauses in your contract that specifically state the liability of the installer if it's not done to code. -
@Dashrender - I think low voltage is one of those things that a lot of installers cut corners on because most people aren't going to check their work above the ceilings or down the walls. The client typically just cares that the jacks work and that's it.
-
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender - I think low voltage is one of those things that a lot of installers cut corners on because most people aren't going to check their work above the ceilings or down the walls. The client typically just cares that the jacks work and that's it.
Are you implying that the client will check other things? Like power wires, etc? I highly doubt it.
-
@syko24 National electrical code requires that any penetration of a fire wall be sealed.
You know it is a fire wall if both sides are dry walled up.
Whether or not you have to use a pipe to penetrate will be based on state and local codes.
-
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender - I think low voltage is one of those things that a lot of installers cut corners on because most people aren't going to check their work above the ceilings or down the walls. The client typically just cares that the jacks work and that's it.
Are you implying that the client will check other things? Like power wires, etc? I highly doubt it.
Oh, please, don't get me started on that topic! I had to move four people in the FEA group thanks to sloppy/lazy cable runs being put in. At the time they "only" had 3 different workstations with 21" CRT tubes for each of them... not much space was left on the desk after all their equipment was setup.
-
@Dashrender said in Cabling and firecode:
@syko24 said in Cabling and firecode:
@Dashrender - I think low voltage is one of those things that a lot of installers cut corners on because most people aren't going to check their work above the ceilings or down the walls. The client typically just cares that the jacks work and that's it.
Are you implying that the client will check other things? Like power wires, etc? I highly doubt it.
No but cabling and recabling is sometimes done after buildout of an office. No inspector checking the work.
