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Which wire type can you run in a plenum?
Plenum cables are coated with flame retardant and made using special plastics that don’t smoke nearly as much as other plastics to help prevent this problem. Any cable that you run through plenum spaces must be plenum rated, even wiring used for information transfer, like Cat5 wiring.
Can riser cable be used in plenum?
Plenum cables can be used in place of riser cabling in a “riser” space as plenum cables have a higher fire resistance. However, you cannot substitute a riser rated cable for plenum rated cable in a “plenum” space.
How many types of plenum cables are there?
Types of Plenum Cable: As of market practice these days, these cables are usually found in the form of category 5 enhanced (Cat5e), category 6 (Cat6), and category 6 augmented (Cat6a). These cables are usually sold in bulks of 1000ft.
How do I know if a cable is plenum rated?
Look for CMP(means Communications Plenum Cable) ,CL3P(Shielded Multi-Conductor Plenum Security Cable) , or CL2P(Class 2 plenum cable ) marked on the cable. Plenum cable is covered with a fire proof plastic layer of either a low-smoke polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a fluorinated ethylene polymer (FEP).
Can plenum cable be used in walls?
Standard (CM) Cable Can be used in walls and beneath floors. Useful when the fire code does not have any restrictions on cable type. Often used for patch cords and jumpers.
Can plenum wire be painted?
Painting the cables can change the cable performance properties in unknown ways. This is especially true of plenum cables, which are designed to have excellent fire-resistance properties. Painting or coating of plenum cables might compromise their fire-safety properties.
What is the difference between plenum and riser cable?
Because plenum cables are built to a higher fire resistance standard than riser cables, plenum cabling is more expensive than riser cabling. While you can substitute plenum cabling for riser cabling in a “riser” space, you cannot substitute riser rated cables for plenum rated cables in a plenum space.
When should you use plenum cable?
When Should Plenum Cable be Used? Article 800 of the National Electrical Code (NEC) states that plenum cable should ALWAYS be used in plenum airspaces and air ducts to slow down the spread of flames and reduce smoke and toxic fumes from circulating throughout the building.
When should plenum cable be used?
Plenum cable is mandated to be installed in any “air handling” space. For example, most large office buildings use the ceiling to return air to the AC unit. This qualifies this ceiling as a plenum ceiling, and all the cables that go through that ceiling must be plenum rated.
What are the plenum rated cables used for?
Plenum rated cable has a special insulation that has low smoke and low flame characteristics. Plenum cable is mandated to be installed in any “air handling” space. For example, most large office buildings use the ceiling to return air to the AC unit.
What is plenum cable used for?
Does cable need to be plenum rated or non-plenum rated?
This is whether or not the cable to be used will need to be plenum rated or Non-Plenum rated. When we refer to cable as plenum or non-plenum we are not talking about the cable itself. The plenum rating that we are talking about actually refers to the jacket that surrounds the cable.
Can you run wires through a plenum?
Any cable that you run through plenum spaces must be plenum rated, even wiring used for information transfer, like Cat5 wiring. Also worth mentioning are ‘accidental’ plenum spaces—all it takes is a leaky duct to make any open space a plenum, and it happens more than you might think.
What are plenum cables made of?
Plenum cables use treated jackets, usually low-smoke PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or FEP (fluorinated ethylene polymer). The jacket is designed to 1) hinder the progression of flame and 2) not release the harmful smoke that normally accompanies any type of burning plastic.
What happens if you use untreated plenum cables?
Using untreated cables in plenum spaces can spread the fire to other areas very quickly and spread noxious smoke throughout the building. Plenum cables are coated with flame retardant and made using special plastics that don’t smoke nearly as much as other plastics to help prevent this problem.