Underground communications wire. Best practice

[fastline]

I don't usually go underground with communications but looks like some Cat6 will need to go in underground conduit. Curious what the best practice is? Being a "wet location", I am not sure if gel filled cable will be required?

 

[petersonra]

I don't usually go underground with communications but looks like some Cat6 will need to go in underground conduit. Curious what the best practice is? Being a "wet location", I am not sure if gel filled cable will be required?

I am pretty sure there is gel filled cat 6 cable listed for both direct burial and wet locations. There is no reason it has to be gel filled though.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I used a Belden CAT5e rated for that application a number of years ago, but the part number I have is no longer in existence.
It didn't have a gel in it, but white hand cream like substance that was very easy to clean off compared to some of the gels in other cables.

 

[Birken Vogt]

I have seen many applications with ordinary old Cat 5 in conduit underground working fine.

This is California though where our conduits mostly stay dry.

Cat 6 direct bury is in stock at my SH's DC. Cut to length to order.

I always use DB when I go anyplace that could have water.

If I leave a building to another building where there could be a ground potential difference, I try to use fiber or Ubiquiti, though.

 

[Todd0x1]

if that same cable is going to run in a building make sure its also listed CMR, some of the direct burial cable has a PE jacket and is quite flammable. Ive used a ton of outdoor non-gel cable in conduit. Cable with water block tape is also a non gel option.

 

[cabledawg]

For any wet locations, just use any CAT6 with OSP or Direct Buried rating. Hope this helps.

 

[Todd0x1]

For any wet locations, just use any CAT6 with OSP or Direct Buried rating. Hope this helps.

except those are frequently not listed for running in a structure.

 

[cabledawg]

Depends on the application, What are you trying to accomplish? Are you extending Dmarc/Mpoe/possible Wifi into a building? Commercial, residential, or for your own home. Its best to error on the side of caution because anything UG can/will get wet, Just my 2 cents

 

[hmaki]

direct burial is an ideal for underground use gives great protection - even if using conduit

 

[tom baker]

I have seen many applications with ordinary old Cat 5 in conduit underground working fine.

This is California though where our conduits mostly stay dry.

Cat 6 direct bury is in stock at my SH's DC. Cut to length to order.

I always use DB when I go anyplace that could have water.

If I leave a building to another building where there could be a ground potential difference, I try to use fiber or Ubiquiti, though.

Agree with fiber or ubiquity. Fiber is cheaper than copper. You can get pre terminated fiber with a pilling head. Multimode works well and the media converters are inexpensive

 

[zbang]

MM works well but SM is almost the same cost these days, so that's what many people are installing.

Ground potential difference? Assuming we're doing twisted-pair Ethernet, it only matters if you ground both ends of a shield, the data pairs are galvanically (transformer) isolated at each end.

 

[tom baker]

except those are frequently not listed for running in a structure.

The NEC allows that unlisted cable to enter a building to a protector. Details used to be in Article 800 not sure where now