Data cable in light pole

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steve66

steve66

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Location
Illinois
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Engineer
Is it legal to run a Cat 6 data cable for a security camera in a light pole with power wiring for the light?
 
See to it that any voltage breakdown between power and data cables does not cause appearance of power potential in the terminals of battery back up terminals, if any. Just a thought.
 
tom baker said:
You can run the data cable in LT flex, which is inside the pole
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That's what I have specified in the past, but I wonder if its really necessary. It seems to be one of those grey areas.


don_resqcapt19 said:
Maybe. Take a look at 725.133(I).
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It does look like there is an exception for when the Class 2 or Class 3 cables are all in a non-metallic sheathed cable. I would say a CAT 6 cable would qualify.
 
Cavie said:
Ask yourself this. Can you run Cat 6 data cable in the same wall cavity in a house with power wires??
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Yes, but I would not bundle them together or run them through the same hole in a stud.

Is the interior of the lamp post a raceway? If it contains individual power wires rather than a cable assembly, you might have an argument about that. :)
Or is it just the inside of utilization equipment and the NEC wiring system stopped at the base of the pole?
 
It does look like there is an exception for when the Class 2 or Class 3 cables are all in a non-metallic sheathed cable. I would say a CAT 6 cable would qualify.
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I could be wrong, but isn't Non-metallic sheathed low-voltage power cable type NM-B? Thus you would need to make sure it is rated as NM-B?

If Cat 6 cable automatically made the exception list then there would be almost no reason to put in 725.136(A) as everyone would just use Cat 5 or Cat 6 18AWG conductors.
 
GoldDigger said:
Yes, but I would not bundle them together or run them through the same hole in a stud.

Is the interior of the lamp post a raceway? If it contains individual power wires rather than a cable assembly, you might have an argument about that. :)
Or is it just the inside of utilization equipment and the NEC wiring system stopped at the base of the pole?
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And you would be correct.
 
Bjenks said:
I could be wrong, but isn't Non-metallic sheathed low-voltage power cable type NM-B? Thus you would need to make sure it is rated as NM-B?

If Cat 6 cable automatically made the exception list then there would be almost no reason to put in 725.136(A) as everyone would just use Cat 5 or Cat 6 18AWG conductors.
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Not exactly, but I think you have the right idea. It looks like non-metallic sheathed has to be a listed type of cable per NEC article 334. (The handbook says it must be listed to UL719). So any of the NM types mentioned in 334 would apply, but standard Cat 6 would not.

At least, that's the way I see it now. Thanks for the input.
 
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