SherbyNet - /page/wikibook/entry.mu

Micron Document

<!DOCTYPE html>

<title>Plenum cable</title>

</head>

<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Plenum cable</span></span>

</h1>

</header>

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style>

<p><b>Plenum cable</b> <span class="rt-commentedText nowrap"><span class="IPA nopopups noexcerpt" lang="en-fonipa">/<span style="border-bottom:1px dotted"><span title="/ˈ/: primary stress follows">ˈ</span><span title="'p' in 'pie'">p</span><span title="'l' in 'lie'">l</span><span title="/ɛ/: 'e' in 'dress'">ɛ</span><span title="'n' in 'nigh'">n</span><span title="/əm/: 'm' in 'rhythm'">əm</span></span>/</span></span> is <a href="Electrical_cable" title="Electrical cable">electrical cable</a> that is laid in the <a href="Plenum_space" title="Plenum space">plenum spaces</a> of buildings. In the <a href="United_States" title="United States">United States</a>, <a href="Plastic" title="Plastic">plastics</a> used in the construction of plenum cable are regulated under the <a href="National_Fire_Protection_Association" title="National Fire Protection Association">National Fire Protection Association</a> standard NFPA 90A: Standard for the Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems. All materials intended for use on wire and cables to be placed in plenum spaces are designed to meet rigorous <a href="Fire_safety" title="Fire safety">fire safety</a> test standards in accordance with NFPA 262 and outlined in NFPA 90A.

</p><p>Plenum cable is required because, if nonplenum cable catches fire, it can release toxic fumes. If those fumes are released in a plenum space, they can spread throughout the building through the air circulation system.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

</p><p>Plenum cable is jacketed with a <a href="Fire_retardant" title="Fire retardant">fire-retardant</a> plastic jacket of either a low-smoke <a href="Polyvinyl_chloride" title="Polyvinyl chloride">polyvinyl chloride</a> (PVC) or a fluorinated ethylene polymer (<a href="Fluorinated_ethylene_propylene" title="Fluorinated ethylene propylene">FEP</a>). <a href="Polyolefin" title="Polyolefin">Polyolefin</a> formulations, specifically based on polyethylene compounding had been developed by at least two companies in the early to mid-1990s; however, these were never commercialized, and development efforts continue in these yet-untapped product potentials. Development efforts on a non-halogen plenum compound were announced in 2007 citing new flame-retardant synergist packages that may provide an answer for a yet-underdeveloped plenum cable market outside the United States.

</p><p>In 2006, significant concern developed over the potential toxicity of FEP and related fluorochemicals including the process aid <a href="Perfluorooctanoic_acid" title="Perfluorooctanoic acid">perfluorooctanoic acid</a> (PFOA) or C8 such that <a href="California" title="California">California</a> has proposed some of these materials as potential human <a href="Carcinogen" title="Carcinogen">carcinogens</a>. The NFPA Technical Committee on Air Conditioning, in response to public comment, has referred the issue of toxicity of cabling materials to the NFPA Committee on Toxicity for review before 2008.

</p><p>In 2007, a development program specifically targeting the production of a non-halogen plenum cable compound was announced to specifically address lingering toxicity concerns presented by halogenated compounds for use in European and other global markets.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Riser_cable">Riser cable</h2></div>

<p>Cable that is run between floors in non-plenum areas is rated as <b>riser cable</b>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The fire requirements on riser cable are not as strict. Thus, plenum cable can always replace riser cable, but riser cable cannot replace plenum cable in plenum spaces.

</p><p>Both plenum and riser cables commonly include a rope or polymer filament with high tensile strength, which helps support the weight of the cable when it is dangling in an open chute.

</p><p>Cables like <a href="Twisted-pair" class="mw-redirect" title="Twisted-pair">twisted-pair</a>, <a href="Coaxial_cable" title="Coaxial cable">coaxial</a>, <a href="High-Definition_Multimedia_Interface" class="mw-redirect" title="High-Definition Multimedia Interface">HDMI</a>, and <a href="Digital_Visual_Interface" title="Digital Visual Interface">DVI</a> are available in both plenum and riser versions. The cable cost is often significantly higher than general-use cable due to the special restricted-use flame retardant materials.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Cable_stiffness">Cable stiffness</h2></div>

<p>Plenum-rated and riser-rated cables are restricted to only allow certain chemicals for manufacture of the wire insulation and cable sheath. Typically this results in reduced flexibility of plastic cables, making it stiff and hard to bend. The <a href="Bend_radius" title="Bend radius">bend radius</a> may also be increased, and tight bends can potentially crack or tear the insulation and sheathing.

</p>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><div class="reflist">

/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("./mw/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("./mw/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("./mw/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("./mw/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}

/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */

</style><cite id="CITEREFHallberg2014" class="citation book cs1">Hallberg, Bruce A. (2014). <i>Networking: A Beginner's Guide</i> (Sixth ed.). New York. p. 51. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>9780071812245</bdi>.</cite><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{cite book}}</code>: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)</span></span>

</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-5/issue-3/contents/design/intrabuilding-riser-cable-a-look-at-the-basics.html">"Intrabuilding riser cable-- a look at the basics"</a>. <i>www.cablinginstall.com</i>. March 1997<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2017-12-15</span></span>.</cite></span>

</li>

</ol></div></div>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161122100250/http://www.l-com.com/multimedia/video_clips/video.aspx?ID=13100">Videos showing flammability of cables (including Plenum rated) based on jacket rating</a></li></ul>

<p>The videos here, while presenting a comparative viewpoint, do not show the fire tests used to determine the relative acceptability of cables for use in plenum spaces. The fire tests shown in the referenced link are small scale (bench) demonstrations of relative burning characteristics under one condition that is not sanctioned by or used by any safety code or regulation in determining suitability for use in plenum or other applications.

</p>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=90A">NFPA 90A: Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems</a></li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-04-10" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Plenum_cable&oldid=1284959113">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

</div>

</div></div>

</div>

</main>

</div>

</body></html>