sundance-communications.com/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Cable Penetrations into Telecom closet?

One thing I rarely see mentioned is the cable pathway into the telecom closet. How do you bring the cables in to the room? Is there an accepted best practice?

I see an awful lot of holes poked in ceiling tiles, hammer-holes through drywall, etc.

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Steve

Depends on the construction, but for example with a hung ceiling with cable above we usually bring the bundle down a wall to the cross connect on a backboard below. Where it passes through the ceiling we notch the wall angle and tile to go around the bundle. This isn't done with a hammer but neatly with tin snips and a knife. That's how the other trades do it, follow their lead.

The worst thing I can think of is where the cables are run in the wall and brought out through holes in the backboard behind the blocks. Yeah, it looks neat but try to figure out where everything goes or try to run new cables.

-Hal

one of the most important things is to keep the wires off the ceeling tiles strap them to a i beam or to something else solid i like to snake the cables down the wall and out to the blocks i leave a pull string in the wall just in case we have to pull more cables down the wall

We don't do it often, rather only on locations that request or require a REALLY NICE looking install (most are nice looking...we still do quality work!), but for those we sometimes install a short piece of strut above and below the ceiling tile, then install a conduit or two (2"-4" diameter) for the cabling to run thru. The conduit would be just long enough to go into the ceiling and below the ceiling, or long enough below the ceiling to where it makes sense to dump out onto the backboard or rack. Simple installation, and it looks clean. Then the ceiling tile can be cut to fit around the conduits. The conduit you end up with is similar to how we sleeve a firewall. Nylon bushing, set-screw connector, conduit, set-screw connector, nylon bushing. For plenum ceilings, I would go without the bushing.

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| Signal Communication Systems - Fresno, CA |

| Telephone Systems, Voicemail Syste... & Data Cabling - Central Valley, CA

[This message has been edited by 5years&counting (edited June 29, 2005).]

We do the same as 5y&c.

I like to use the fingermold for my cables to come from ceiling to the backboard when not using ladder trays. At least you can snap the cover off and lay in the wire. Conduit you always could risk burning into other cables and you can't see this inside the pipe. Also like to use velcro ty straps and wish others would do so to!!!

Oh yeah cable entering the telecom closet? If its a fire wall then you should do it right and use the fire sleeve. You can also get retrofit fire sleeves to fit existing wire.

This as many things comes down to what the customer is willing to pay for. You can explain until your blue in the face that you need fire sleeve or J hooks and cable management. Thats why a Cat5e cable run is 125.00 because your going to do it right. I just bid a job, new construction- block walls with furrering strips and styrofoam inslation. I spec the job with conduit stubs at all locations, dual cat5e drops. 180 per drop labor, cable, pvc conduit, boxes the whole show, the cable guys are slow and need something to do. I hear back we are 4 times higher than the retired Verizon guy hes going to do it. I stopped by to see the building. There are cat5 cables ran to the locations to bad there all stapled down the furrering strips left in a loop for the dry wall guy to cut holes for. And he's getting them a deal on a system to I just had to laugh.

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ssimpson@oneringtelecom.com Need a Telrad Programmer Kit? Telrad Programmer Kits

I have to admit that made me laugh SS.It is funny but what sux is,it's true.I had a used car lot as a customer once,and the guy actually accused me of ripping him off.A used car salesman talking about rippin somebody off.I love my job.

Normally what I do is attach a 2 or 4 inch conduit to the wall you want to come down and leave it a foot above the ceil and a couple inches below, then use d-rings to continue down the wall, ounce inside.It looks good.