Routeing ethernet through electrical backing boxes

[James Carmichael]

I am decorating one of the rooms in my house and want to add ethernet while I am at it. I want to bury the cable.

It makes sense to me to borrow the "safe zone" thinking of electrical wiring, so I don't undo all of my good work later on by driving a picture hanging nail into my nicely concealed cat-6.

So, I'd quite like to co-run my ethernet wiring alongside the electrical wiring in an open chase. This means the electrical socket would create the safe zone it sits in, the same as it does for my electrical wiring. Yes, I know running parallel to the electrical wiring (a 2.5mm 20 amp radial) may have a small degrading effect on the ethernet. It's only a 2m ceiling to socket, so I doubt it - but I understand the risk.

Anyway, is there any *regulatory* or *safety* issue with routeing my ethernet cable into my socket's metal back box. Basically, it'll come into the backing box from the top, taking advantage of the vertical safe zone above it, hang a left to go out through the side, then carry on the horizontal safe zone to a newly installed ethernet point.

No, I cannot just use the ethernet point to create a facsimile of a vertical safe zone and route straight to that. The location won't allow for it. My only available vertical safe zone is via the electrical socket.

So, in short: Can I route ethernet cabling through an in-use electrical backing box?

Thanks

James

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

I think the following applies:

Proximity to electrical services
Except where one of the following methods is adopted, neither a voltage Band I nor a voltage Band II circuit shall
be contained in the same wiring system as a circuit of nominal voltage exceeding that of low voltage, and a Band I
circuit shall not be contained in the same wiring system as a Band II circuit:
(i) Every cable or conductor is insulated for the highest voltage present
(ii) Each conductor of a multicore cable is insulated for the highest voltage present in the cable
(iii) The cables are insulated for their system voltage and installed in a separate compartment of a cable ducting
or cable trunking system
(iv) The cables are installed on a cable tray system where physical separation is provided by a partition
(v) A separate conduit, trunking or ducting system is employed
(vi) For a multicore cable, the cores of the Band I circuit are separated from the cores of the Band II circuit
by an earthed metal screen of equivalent current-carrying capacity to that of the largest core of a Band II
circuit.

I think there is also some mention of interference but can't remember where it is.

 

[rsgaz]

How about, bring ethernet and power down to one of these...

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61hHnKnp84L._AC_SL1023_.jpg

...in the furthest apart knockouts(ideally), put a spare future cat6 socket in the single gang bit, then a second cat 6 cable going left as per your original design?

 

[Fitz555]

It might be a bit late to post here but, do not run you ethernet cable alongside electical cable.
I wont bore you with the details but in short the electical cable will cause interferance on the ethernet cable.

 

[SUNRAY]

Ever heard of a camera cable?
Mains,
Video,
Sync pulses,
Audio,
Intercom.

All in one cable less than 1/2" diameter.

Ever seen what's piled up under a portable concert stage? In places 2 ft high.
BIG mains, multiple 125A 3 phase, triac controlled lights etc,
Audio cables, analogue and digital.
Video cables, analogue and digital.
Lan network cables, multiples of,
Intercom.

 

[Fitz555]

Yes, and a long I have installed some,
but with more and more being used over CAT6 and the higher frequencys being used over the cable the interferance gets worse.
there is a lot of detal on this in the EIA/TIA and ISO/IEC standards, not to mention risk of over heating if inclosed and used for POE.

 

[SUNRAY]

Yes, and a long I have installed some,
but with more and more being used over CAT6 and the higher frequencys being used over the cable the interferance gets worse.
there is a lot of detal on this in the EIA/TIA and ISO/IEC standards,

I dare say you are correct however I can quote multiple examples of cat2 to cat6 being run in the same containment as VSD's, big mains cables, transmitter aerial cables etc and if everything is done correctly there doesn't seem to be any downside. I've quite often seen several LAN links, telephone lines, CCTV video and audio being run in a multipair cable. A 3500m [7 500m drums with basic pvc tape joints] 9504 style cable provided along hedgerows, across fields etc for an RS422 circuit and immediately commandiered the other 2 pairs for 2 WB900 systems [total of 4 phone lines].
Not saying is right but if it's all done properly these things work a lot better than many people believe or understand.

not to mention risk of over heating if inclosed and used for POE.

If it is heating with POE it is being done wrong, there are standards for reasons.

 

[securespark]

SELV is excused from safe zones.

 

[James Carmichael]

Thanks all for the replies to this.

I ended up finding a route behind the kitchen cupboards (adjacent room), going through the wall immediately into the back of the socket. Ended up being no need to co-route with the electrics.

 

[SUNRAY]

Thanks for letting us know the final outcome.