Running cables close to electrical wires, Problem?

beachbum

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 12, 2003
Messages
483
Well, this is really the only place I see fit to post this so...here I go.

I am going to do several networking jobs soon, actually one is already done...my own house. We live on an island which got 6' of water from hurricane Ivan, yes it was 4 months ago, no there is no progress down here. Anyways, the place is gutted and is pretty much wired. One problem: Electrical! The house is fairly small width wise, no basement of course, so everything is limited to the "attic", which is probably a foot tall?

Like I said, the house itself isn't all that wide, but is long, and the electrical wires run straight down the middle. I encloses all the wires in blue electrical conduit and mounted it overhead trying to get it as far away from the electrical wires as possible, but that's not really far and you cant avoid it sadly, somewhere somehow you are going to have to cross some electrical. I have done everything in my power to try not to screw this up, I DO NOT want to have the place enclosed to find out that the TV's have humming birds implanted in them. The coax is quad shielded, and im just using regular cat5e. The wires are suspended on the ceiling like I said and are several inches from electrical, like 220's and the main 110 cable that goes to the breaker panel.
I'm just trying to make sure that everything is going to be okay and im not going to have any interference problems.
And input is greatly appreciated. :D :cool:
 
Just want to get the picture straight.

when you say blue electrical conduit you mean blue flex? It is like split loom (but not split) and has blue rubber coating over it.
And the electrical wires are in the conduit.
When you have to cross a communication cable over an electrical cable do it at 90 degrees and make sure all of your shielding is grounded.
 
The electrical conduit is the ridged PVC. No, the electrical wires are not incased in the conduit, the low voltage wires are. The electrical wires are secured with staples and are laying flat on the rafters.
 
I don't know wat the building codes are there, so I don't want to tell you some that might be illegal. However some that won't be mentioned in code is, you can run a bare copper wire down the lenght of the conduit and tie that to ground. That wire will absorb any transient energies and should leave you with a clean signal.
 
It is grounded, hopefully everything is fine. As for building codes, well I also dont know, but being on the island everything is screwed up. They are more concerned about having high impact doors and windows than anything else.
 
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