A security contractor recently put some cameras up in one of my customers grain elevators. He ran exposed cat5 cable and there is no way these cameras are rated for the location. I brought this up to my customer that my AHJ might have a problem with this. He approached the camera installers and they said "you don't need the cable installed in conduit in these locations because it is low voltage". From my experience i thought any class 2 wiring needs to be in conduit in hazardous locations. Any insight anybody?
Can cameras be installed in class2div1 with no hazard rating and exposed cat5
- Thread starter Rsteenson
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petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
It seems clear to me that he has to comply with the referenced requirements found in chapter 5 if the area where he is running the wiring is classified.
I would take a close look at 502.10 (B)(1)(4) and see if it might apply to what he did.
I think there are some cameras that can be gotten IS as well.
Those are the articles I was reading, and I interpreted the same way. There is no way these cameras are IS. I looked online and found plenty of options for haz loc. Cameras. I do believe all of his wiring needs to be in threaded rigid conduit and cameras need to be rated for location or in an enclosure rated for location. Thanks for your input.
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- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
If it is Class II, Division 1, you need cameras that are listed for that location and you need a wiring method that complies with 502.10(A).
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
502.10(B) is for Class II, Division 2, the OP said Class II, Division 1.
I assume that the area is Division 1 because of housekeeping....if it is really Division 1 because of actual ignitable concentrations of grain dust in the air cameras would be worthless.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
I missed that it was div 1 in the title.
If it really is div 1 it would not appear to be compliant. I would not have thought an area around a grain elevator where a camera would likely be installed would be div1 though.
The comment the OP stated the installer made bothers me though, but inaccurate descriptions of why something may or may not be code is not a code violation.
so I'm not sure I have ever seen pltc cable? The cameras look like a regular domed camera you see on a hotel ceiling, nothing like the haz loc. Cameras I found online. Regardless of whether it is div 1 or div 2 I'm not sure it makes a difference in my opinion. The area is where the product makes its first pass over several cleaning machines that are open but also have dust fans. The concentration of dust varies from product to product.
So if it is a div 2 location you don't ? This area is where different products pass over several open cleaning machines with dust systems. The concentration of dust changes by product but there is always a layer of dust on everything in there. Unless it is pltc cable, which I'm sure it's not I think it still needs conduit regardless doesn't it. I am out if town and nowhere near a code book of course.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
That classification is often a result of the housekeeping practices....if you allow 1/8" or more of grain dust to build up on surfaces between cleanings, the area is Division 1.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
In a Class II, Division 2 area a camera that has a "dust tight enclosure" is suitable....a NEMA 4 enclosure is dust tight and a common NEMA rating for cameras.
Yes, the very fact that there is a layer of dust may make the area Division 1.
Yes, even in Division 2 there are strict limitations on the permitted wiring methods.
FYI, Belden makes a PLTC cable that we use all the time. So far it stands up great in the O&G world.
https://www.belden.com/products/industrialcable/ul-instrumentation-control-cable.cfm
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