CAT5 wiring for security systems

Status
Not open for further replies.

zwxmi

Member
Hi I was wondering if it would be ok to use CAT5 between the contacts and the alarm panel or if the capacitance and inductance of CAT5 would be an issue? thanks for your help in advance...zwxmi
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
If the system you are installing falls under the provisions of Article 725 - which I am sure it does, CATV cable is not a permitted substitution for typical CL2 or CL3 cable.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
bphgravity said:
If the system you are installing falls under the provisions of Article 725 - which I am sure it does, CATV cable is not a permitted substitution for typical CL2 or CL3 cable.

He said CAT5 not CATV.

I suspect the alarm comes with instructions that tell you just what cable you should use. I sort of doubt the inductance or capacitance of the cable matters any but I don't really know.
 

don_resqcapt19

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
retired electrician
Bryan,
All of the CAT5 cable I have is listed as "CM", "CMR", or "CMP". Per Table 725.61, you can sub "CM" for "CL2" and "CL3".
Don
 

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
opps... Did I mention that sometimes I confuse a "5" with a "V". That's what I get trying to read too fast. It did seem awful weird someone would try to use CATV for this use, however it really wouldn't suprise me.

But now that I have been set straight, I agree with the other posts...
 

zwxmi

Member
Great thanks all for the replies! My situation, I was sent out to troubleshoot a system ?power 632? which was periodically falsing and the only thing I could find out the unusual was the CAT5 wiring that was substituted on two contacts runs. I replaced the CAT5?s with the standard alarm wire and so far the system hasn?t falsed again?a friend suggested to me that the structure of CAT5 wire was the issue thus that question in first post about capacitance and inductance....one more Q about the code side of things, is CAT5 permitted by code or not?...thanks again zwxmi
 

tom baker

First Chief Moderator
Staff member
Often Cat 1 or Quad (the old green red black yellow) telephone wire is used between devices and the alarm panel. In fact many of the devices use a green red black yellow color code on the terminals. In my mind it would be easier and perhaps less expensive to stay with quad. This wire is listed as CM Class 2
 

hbiss

EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
Location
Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
Occupation
EC
I replaced the CAT5?s with the standard alarm wire and so far the system hasn?t falsed again?

Well, there you go! I certainly wouldn't use CAT5 for anything but it's intended purpose.

-Hal
 
Article 725 states that the minimum size conductor for security alarm wiring is 22 gauge. Where as the Cat5 is 24 gauge, so you are one size smaller than the standard.
 

stevenj

Member
to many false alarms with the sensors. and the wrong gage.cat5 is twisted in pairs and shelided, starard alarm cable is not.
 

macmikeman

Senior Member
Ever seen aluminum foil tape used on glass doors and windows for glassbreak detection? Not common anymore, but I wonder what codes are broken using that stuff as a wiring method for alarm contacts.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top