I’ve got guys coming in to install HV air conditioning in my 70 year old house and thought it would be a good time to also run cable through the interior walls instead of the ugly external runs that someone did years ago.
For coax, does quad-shielded cable make much of a difference over dual shield?
Would you guys recommend running conduit alongside the 3″ HV air ducting that will be run, or just run the necessary cables? I’m kinda torn on whether or not it’s worth running a 1-1/2″ PVC conduit for telephone, CAT5e, and security if I ever decide to do that someday. I certainly don’t see needing any in the next 5 years or so, but maybe I’m too shortsighted.
Replies
You definitely should go with quad sheild, period.Better signal, no interferance. It is also S.O.P for all the cable companies now that a digital signal is provided.
CAT5 for phones is recommended if you have 2 lines and one of them is used as a fax ir internet line. No crossover noise.
Frankie
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Regarding the 1 1/2 conduit for future wires:
If you don't add it, you will need it.
If you do add it, you probably won't.
The cost of adding it now will vastly outweigh the cost of not having it later.
I worship at the shrine of Murphy.
Absolutely go with the quad shield RG-6 for video/cable modem. You might consider 2 drops to each plate if there is any possibility of satellite or satellite/cable. As for telephone, we still run a lot of 2-pair Category 3 (home runs, of course). Our theory is that if you need more than 2 lines, you will probably want a phone system. Most digital phone systems today operate on a single pair anyway. No reason not to use Category 5e for voice, except that you'll have unused pairs that you'll need to terminate in either 66 or 110 blocks to keep them organized. 2-pair cable can be terminated directly in modular plugs, which can be plugged directly into most small phone systems - Avaya, Panasonic, etc., or many distribution panels.
For data, you'll want to pull Category 5e. If you have sufficient access to install tubing stubs, that would be even better. You never know when fiber will be coming to your neighborhood.
Bob
Definitely put conduit wherever you have access to do it. Then you'll be able to pull in whatever they invent in the future.
-- J.S.