I want to know if the traditional wall plate jack colors in the US are white jack for voice and blue for data?

Just curios on this one. I purchaced the last supply stock of jacks, cables and so on and have a number of jacks that are red, yellow, green and so on from my ex boss. I would imagine a red female beldon jack could be used as a backbone cable but, have not seen it used in that case.

I don't believe that there is a firm standard that is observed across the industry. I have heard white for voice, gray for "other" voice (like a fax machine or answering machine) blue for data #1 and orange for data #2.

In high-end homes and offices where the feng-sui is an issue, the customer usually wants the plates and jacks to be all the same color, whether that be white, telephone ivory, electrical ivory, dark brown, or some other color. On many occasions, I have had an "open, frank and candid exchange of views" with architects, builders and owners about ensuring that everything blend into the whole picture.

On one such job, I delivered the plates and jacks to the GC, and he took them to a paint shop where they were carefully painted to match all the other plates, outlets and switches, in exactly the color that Madam wanted. On that job, had I used blue for data, there would have been "pulling of hair and rending of sackcloth."

Unless someone specifies a color or colors, I just use white plates and white jacks. I carry a bunch of permanent markers to create black, blue, orange, red, etc, jacks, for special occasions, and I stock a few gray jacks, since that's a color that can't readily be created with a felt marker.

At work we use white plates/housings, white cable and jacks for voice, blue cable and jacks for data.

On my own jobs I typically use ivory plates/housings, ivory jacks for voice, and orange jacks for data.

At my college, they changed their specs every few years. At least you could tell how old the wiring was by looking at the plate.

For several years, I make the voice jack the same color as the faceplate and the data jack blue or orange, if it's my choice The "fax" or special jacks get a complementary color, ie gray for ivory or white, black for gray, etc., and there's always a chance for a RED jack somewhere (PF).

Some places, especially with structured cabling want the same color for voice and data and you just make sure they are labeled and in the same position from outlet to outlet. I hate those.

Carl

Here is UT's chapter-and-verse on cabling:

https://www.utoledo.edu/facilities/construction/standards.html

Okay here is a request on the blue prints. Tell me this will/will not cause hum from AC power onto the data cables? Thee gang wall plate with voice on one gang opening and data on the other?

https://ibin.co/1VMer8BBLzMA

BTW, What are the prices of data parts in your part of the US? I was quoted at greybar. May look for a better source of high quality parts in the US.

2 port single gang ax101433 xxx
1 48 port patch panel ax103255 xxx
White beldon jacks cat6 ax101065 xxx
Blue beldon cat6 ax101071 xxx
Patch cables 7ft c601109007 xxx
patch cables 5 feet C601109005 xxx
mud rings lv-1 arlington mpls xxx

Did not get a quote for cat6 plenum cable but it is very pricy over xxx per box based on another quote from a supplier.


EDIT to remove wholesale pricing.

Wholesale pricing is not allowed in the open forums.

BTW, is there another brand of wall plate that work with beldon cat6 jacks?

Bill, if not allowed in open forums, when where can I get tips on good pricing in the US or eastern canada?

The installers and pro shop forums are for price sensitive questions. This keeps cheap bastards from trying to nickel and dime you to death. You have access to the installers forum...the general public and trunkers do not.

"https://ibin.co/1VMer8BBLzMA"

There is no need for a three-gang box (we're not surprised, though, are we, that an architect specified something about which he knows little or nothing?)

Since we can populate a single-gang plate with up to six (6) standard jacks, there is no need to supply such a wide plate.

The answers to your hum question are (1) no, but I wouldn't do it that way, I would keep the power in a physically separated box, or (2) the NEC down here allows a two-gang box as long as there is a special partition in the box to ensure that the high- and low-voltage systems play nicely together.


Here's a slightly outdated (2008) version of the rule:

800.133 Installation of Communications Wires, Cables, and Equipment. (A) Separation from Other Conductors. (1) In Raceways, Cable Trays, Boxes, and Cables. (c) Electric Light, Power, Class 1, Non–Power-Limited Fire Alarm, and Medium-Power Network-Powered Broadband Communications Circuits in Raceways, Compartments, and Boxes.

Communications conductors shall not be placed in any raceway, compartment, outlet box, junction box, or similar fitting with conductors of electric light, power, Class 1, non–power-limited fire alarm, or medium-power network-powered broadband communications circuits.

Exception No. 1: Where all of the conductors of electric light, power, Class 1, non–power-limited fire alarm, and medium-power network-powered broadband communications circuits are separated from all of the conductors of communications circuits by a permanent barrier or listed divider.

Exception No. 2: Power conductors in outlet boxes, junction boxes, or similar fittings or compartments where such conductors are introduced solely for power supply to communications equipment. The power circuit conductors shall be routed within the enclosure to maintain a minimum of 6 mm (0.25 in.) separation from the communications circuit conductors.

There is no standard for data jack color. It will depend on what the client specifies. I have had clients want the wall plate and jacks to match (commercial and residential), I have had them want the Voice to match the wall plate and the data to be (insert color here).

As to color-coded jacks, the distinction between voice and data is rapidly disappearing. The concept of "universal" ports terminated on patch panels is becoming more common.

I see no problem with this requirement.

The voice and data will go on the low voltage side of the 3-gang box and the 2 5-15R duplex receptacles will go on the side. It all adds up as the 2 5-15R duplex receptacles require a 2-gang box and you have to have the low voltage stuff in it's own single gang box.

So a 3-gang box with a barrier fits the bill just fine.

On a side note: Is it Belden here in the US and Beldon in Canada?

Rather BE Fishing. Okay sounds good.

My convention is Telco Gray for primary voice, white for redundant voice and blue for Internet. Keystone jacks are color coded identically. Ditto for all patch cords. Housings are clearly labeled with P Touch labels identifying which jack is for what.

Ed, I think Beldon was just a typo.
It was originally Nordx, based in Canada, so it's still more prevalent there.
Belden bought CDT and got rid of most of the individual company names.

I'm not sure it is a typo, Jeff. There are other threads going where the Canadian members seem to consistently spell it "Beldon". I'd normally agree with you, but there seems to be so much consistency that I have to wonder.

Now, I do still see the constant misspellings of Siemon and Siemens (and variations) in this trade and even more in the electrical field. "Siemons" is my favorite.

Nordex was formed from the sale of Nortel's cable division so that's why they had Bix etc.

And I agree that Beldon is a typo, never seen a company called that selling telephone stuff in Western Canada.

IS there any current or past discussions on blueprint specifications and what they could mean? What pack pole cat6 plates should be used? This site will have some pack poles...but really, for a goverment office? That is what I see in the blue prints.

What do you mean by "pack poles"?

Sam

I assume you are referring to "Tele-Power" poles which is a Wiremold trade name or Hubbell Premise Wiring aluminum service poles. These are usually specified when through the floor outlet access is restricted or not possible. As far as a "standard color" is concerned, that is totally left up to the architect, electrical installers or the telecommunications installer. As far as cover plates, the company (Wiremold, Hubbell, etc.) catalog will provide you with suitable cover plates for the metal cutouts made for the outlets and jacks.

I recently did a job for a national that actually specified black for data and white for phone. They also specified the color of patch and line cords. So, it's a mixed bag. If you are reading a print, then there should be some accompanying documentation explaining things like fit, trim and color. If that is missing or was never done, then you should have a list of questions for the pre-bid meeting. If this is a government bid, there should be meetings and lots and lots of drawing revisions and specification changes.

Rcaman

As RCaman said - it's all up to the Architecht (or decorator).

I did a large job for ATT (about 7,000. Drops) and they spec'd White for Digital Voice, Blue for Data, Green for Analog Voice (Fax etc,) and Red for Analog Voice phones that were for backup ( fed by microwave).

Was this a standard? It was for them.

At least on that job.

Sam

It was a colorful installation for sure.

Sam, that reminds me of many of the pictures Mike Andruschak posted over the years. They used quad cat 5 cable in red/blue/white/green with corresponding jacks.

Just thinking reading this that some of our buildings have different coloured cable going to the drop point depending on if its being feed from the north, south, east or west wiring closet on the floor.

Clever idea. Reminds me that years ago (pre structured wiring/cat anything) I had a job to do in Utica, NY. New construction, about 1000 locations, each one getting one voice, on connection to the IBM mainframe and one connection to the DEC minicomputer. All done with UTP. I was most concerned with the cable going to the right place, so I came up with a novel idea - multi colored cable! At the time cable only came in two colors, grey and beige. I made special arrangements with a cable company (Mohawk, I think) and as long as I bought a minimum of 100,000' I could get any color I wanted.

I had the local electricians (who were running the wire) run the grey cable to the voice closets, the blue to the IBM cluster controllers at one end of the data center and the beige to the DEC equipment at the far end of the data center. We had no problems with any wire winding up in the wrong place.

It seems funny to think about a problem getting a third color wire. This was in 1987 or '88 as I recall.

I also had special jacks made up. Almost all locations were to be fed by underfloor raceway and there would be "doghouses" at every location. Each little doghouse could accommodate two, duplex jacks (one on each side). Voice needed a duplex for itself (one phone one modem or fax machine) and I still needed an IBM and a DEC connection. I got one of the manufacturers to create a duplex jack, half RJ-12 (to feed a Balun panel)and half DEC MMJ. They were color coded black so there was no confusion.

Seems like a million years ago.

Sam

BTW, Beldon makes light blue patch cables. I wanted dark blue cable. Who makes what in what color for patch cables?

I know systemax makes dark blue horizontal cable but cannot recall the the color sceems of these cables.

General only makes grey patch cable..as shown in there catalog.

Lastly, I have a site, the electrician pulled in cat6 cable for POS terminals. Waste of money and over kill. If I had the job, everything would be cat5e.

Do resteraunts normally use stainless steel wall plates covers so they are easy to clean? I did not think of this during my jack/plate purchace.

If you are doing for a chain or a designer provided plan, there should be somewhere in the specs what type of cover plate they want.

That being said a stainless plate won't hurt in the prep area if its not spec'd.