Cat 5 Cable

Before discussing a Plenum Cat 5 cable in detail you should try and understand the meaning of the word Plenum. Plenum is a vacant space facilitating air circulation and which can also be utilized for different purposes. The space between the ceiling or raised floor is generally called the plenum. The plenum space is required inside buildings to spread network cables, power cables and different pipelines that provide a variety of services inside the building. The plenum space can prove to be harmful if in case fire reaches this space. The deposit of fresh oxygen present there can help to fan the fire.

The plenum cables are covered with a jacket or sheath made of either PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) or FEP(Fluorinated Ethylene Polymer). PVC and FEP are fire proof plastics. PVC is more flexible and is used to make the wires and cables bend. The cables that are not run under plenum spaces are called riser cables. It hardly matters if riser cables are not fire proof. Riser cables can always be replaced by plenum cables but the reverse cannot happen.

CAT5 cables normally come as four pairs of wire wrapped inside a protective sheath. They are typically round shaped. The core of the wire comes in two forms, solid and stranded core. The stranded cored cables are used for patch cabling and connecting network card to the terminal. The solid cored cable usually runs from wall termination up to the patch panel. This solid core cable is also available in a plastic sheath or plenum covering. The plenum CAT 5 cable is almost same to the CAT5 cable. However, the unique feature is that it is covered with a plastic sheath which is fireproof and which prevents any damage due to fire. These plenum CAT 5 cables are used in areas where chances are that a network cable will pass through a region prone to fire eruptions.

Some common features and applications of Plenum CAT 5 cables:

Applications * Remote controls. * Intercom * Burglar alarms * Circuits that are power limited * Smoke detection

Features * High quality mechanical and electrical properties. * Resistant to oil or moisture. * Clears the flame and smoke test.

These cables are user friendly but costly due to their unique features. But the users are ready to pay a hefty amount as they cannot ignore the benefits offered.