Communication Cables

[MBRUESCHKE]

Can communication cables,(Cat5E, Cat6), occupy the same raceways as control circuits?

 

[Gregg Harris]

Can communication cables,(Cat5E, Cat6), occupy the same raceways as control circuits?

Yes, look at 800.133

 

[petersonra]

I thought we decided not real long ago that article 800 did not apply to most of what we would consider communications circuits such as inside telephone and ethernet cabling.

 

[Gregg Harris]

I thought we decided not real long ago that article 800 did not apply to most of what we would consider communications circuits such as inside telephone and ethernet cabling.

Communications Circuit. The circuit that extends voice, audio, video, data, interactive services, telegraph (except radio), outside wiring for fire alarm and burglar alarm from the communications utility to the customer?s communications equipment up to and including terminal equipment such as a telephone, fax machine, or answering machine.

 

[tom baker]

What type of control circuit? Take a look at Art 725
Is it a class 1, 2 or 3 circuit.
Class 1 is wired with a chapter 3 wiring method and can't be in raceway with Cat 5 or 6. Class 2 IE a thermostat could but there can be issues with induced noise.

 

[hbiss]

petersonra

I thought we decided not real long ago that article 800 did not apply to most of what we would consider communications circuits such as inside telephone and ethernet cabling.​

From the 2011 NEC handbook:

Although information technology equipment systems are often used for or with communications systems, Article800 does not cover wiring of this equipment. Instead, Article645 provides requirements for wiring contained solely within an information technology equipment (computer) room. (See 645.4 for a description of the type of information technology equipment room to which Article 645 applies.) Article 725 provides requirements for wiring that extends beyond a computer room and also covers wiring of local area networks within buildings. Article 760 covers wiring requirements for fire alarm systems. In some cases, telephone system wiring is also used for data transmission, which is covered by Article 800.
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-Hal​

 

[hbiss]

I should add that IMO it makes no sense to have ethernet cabling covered by 725 unless it also supplies power to a device via (POE- Power Over Ethernet) which is CL2. 725 covers power limited and control circuits, Class 1, 2 & 3. Plain ethernet belongs to none of those as it carries no power.

But in reality you can ignore the fact that plain ethernet is covered by 725 rather than 800 since there is no difference in requirements.

-Hal

 

[Rampage_Rick]

I should add that IMO it makes no sense to have ethernet cabling covered by 725 unless it also supplies power to a device via (POE- Power Over Ethernet) which is CL2. 725 covers power limited and control circuits, Class 1, 2 & 3. Plain ethernet belongs to none of those as it carries no power.

The NEC also covers fiber optic cable, which carries beams of light. With fully nonconductive fiber the NEC has about as much relevance as it does regarding sewer pipe.

 

[hbiss]

The NEC also covers fiber optic cable, which carries beams of light. With fully nonconductive fiber the NEC has about as much relevance as it does regarding sewer pipe.

Well, it is called cable. If the NEC doesn't specify what and how it is to be installed who would?

-Hal