What is the difference between cat5 riser and plenum?
Usually, riser cables are installed in between the walls of buildings. They can also be installed in areas that do not pose danger in case of a fire. Plenum rated cable is a cable that is suited to go in the plenum spaces of buildings.
Is riser better than plenum?
The Main Difference
Since plenum jackets are manufactured with a greater fire resistance, they promote a lower risk for an electrical fire than riser cables, therefore more expensive. However, riser cables are still the safer option over general-purpose wires.
Is cat6 riser cable plenum rated?
A plenum cable can be used in a riser space, but a riser cable generally cannot be used in a plenum space.
What is the difference between cat6 and cat6 plenum?
The only thing that distinguishes Cat6a Plenum Cable from Cat6a Riser Cable is jacket material. A plenum cable comes with a CMR-rated jacket. CMR means Communications Multipurpose Cable, Plenum and it is the highest rating when it comes to jacket materials. Cable with CMR-rated jackets has fire-retardant properties.
Can I use riser cable in the plenum?
Riser cabling is specially made for vertical risers — it cannot be used for plenum applications, which you will learn more about below. The lower fire safety requirements of riser cabling make it ideal for non-plenum environments where smoke toxicity and exposure pose less danger or fires are less possible.
When should plenum cable be used?
If you have a large wall or ceiling return air grate; remove and see if there the air is channeled through sheet metal ducting. If there is no sheet metal duct; just the open ceiling or wall space, then you are required by law to use Plenum Rated cable.
Why is plenum cable more expensive?
When running cables within plenum spaces, plenum cables are a must. Because plenum cables are built to a higher fire resistance standard than riser cables, plenum cabling is more expensive than riser cabling.
Do I need plenum cable in my house?
While it’s definitely acceptable to use plenum-rated cable in your home to install a signal booster, a WiFi network, or something else, more often than not, it’s not necessary. Most residential buildings don’t have plenum airspaces. Plenum areas are more common in commercial buildings.
How do I know if my Cat6 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).
Do I have to use plenum cable in my house?
Do I Need Plenum Rated Cable in My Home? While it’s definitely acceptable to use plenum-rated cable in your home to install a signal booster, a WiFi network, or something else, more often than not, it’s not necessary. Most residential buildings don’t have plenum airspaces.
Why do I need plenum cable?
A plenum air return would unknowingly circulate toxic air throughout an office. Since both you and the Fire Department don’t want you to die from breathing in toxic fumes from your cabling, code requires Plenum Rated cable installed through any plenum air return space.
How do I know if my cable is plenum?
Should I use plenum cable in my house?
Is plenum cable really necessary?
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.
Is Cat5 plenum rated?
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.
How do I know if my ethernet cable is plenum rated?