Cat 6 for telephone

[8BitRefugee]

I'm in the middle of a remodel and have run Cat 6 and RG6 throughout my house. The electrical inspector was in my house recently inspecting the electrical system and told me that the Code will not allow me to use Cat 6 for telephone.

We are cord cutters and did not see the point of running Cat 3 that will never be used. I have a distribution panel where phone service can be distributed if we ever need the service using the per existing Cat 6 cable.

Can someone point me to something in the electrical code (we use NFPA 70), etc that I can use to show the inspector that Cat 6 is acceptable? I live in south florida if it matters.

Thanks for your help.

 

[tmbrown97]

I wish I could help specifically; but that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You can't use "better" cable of similar type?

I'd call the building department and dig deeper into that one asking him to show you where it's "not" allowed. I've run into issues where an inspector just doesn't like something; but when challenged to prove it's not allowed, they come up empty and end up having to let it go.

 

[InspiredTim]

I run cat6 for data and phone. Tell him to get f@cked.

 

[wuench]

It will work fine. I used Cat5 and the phone plug will fit into a Cat5 jack using just the middle wires (or you can use an adapter). You may want to look into appealing that one, but check the cost of an appeal it may be easier/cheaper just to throw down some Cat3 to get the inspection passed and abandon it later.

 

[apostolakisl]

First off, I agree, that is rediculous. But if he insists, simply say "it isn't phone line, it is data cable." Tell him you are installing a pbx system. I don't have any phone wire in my house (nor cat5/6 being used as phone wire). I use all wireless phones. I do have conduit so I could pull phone wire if I wanted to, but I won't.

 

[Linwood]

If he can't be easily convinced, run one Cat3 to one jack somewhere, tell him "that's the phone, everything else is network", get your CO and then patch it wherever you want.

Consider my pool alarm -- apparently it is required you have an alarm if any door opens leading to the pool AND one that CAN NOT be turned off (e.g. during a party). The whole back side of my house, almost, opens to the pool. As do many S Florida homes. So what does everyone do? Install the alarm, get their CO, then take the batteries out and unplug them.

But it's still there so if I need work done that gets near it, I can plug it back in, get a new permit approved, and unplug it again later. So keep your Cat 3 jack for the "yes, we plan to have only one phone in the house -- we don't like telephone calls".

 

[JimS]

This is crazy. Cat5 or 6 is much better for phone use, especially if you have DSL. It picks up less interference and has less cross talk (between two lines) than cat3. I used all Cat5 for phone when I built and it has been great. They make phone jacks that can be punched down for it.

I agree with Lou - just tell them its all data cable. It will probably be easier to just say you don't plan to have a phone and leave the end jacks off (or put on network jacks if they insist on it) and then put on phone jacks later. Lots of people don't have phones anymore and I don't think the code requires you wire for phone. Or just wire one jack as others have said and say you will have a cordless phone system from there.

If you try to fight them about it first they may not buy the "it's all data cable" statement later. Just go for that up front.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I have a 'track' home and the builder (Woodside Homes) ran nothing BUT Cat5e to all the jacks. They were then all terminated to RJ-45 jacks. Then, in the wiring cabinet, it depended if you patched phone or network into the lines to determine if they were phone or data.

A phone cable will fit just fine in an RJ-45 jack and you never know the difference in pin numbers.

This turned out to be a great setup because I made sure at least one Cat5e run was made to both sides of each room. That way, after we were moved in, I could then determine if I wanted the jacks to use phone or network.

Leviton makes a great breakout circuit board for the telephone for this application. Here is a kit which will let you land your cables as well.

 

[Linwood]

In the your mileage may vary department, plugging in RJ11 plugs into RJ45 jacks over time may bend the springs on some of the side pins so they no longer work well as Rj45 jacks. A moot point if you never move things around of course. And it does not happen instantly, or even all the time. But businesses who did this a lot in the early days often found themselves replacing a lot of jacks later, and many (well, at least ones I do) will wire the phone with a real RJ45 plug instead. Cost is negligably different, and I heartily endorse just wiring everything with RJ45 where you can.

 

[tmbrown97]

For what it's worth, I started wiring enterprise spaces with all Cat5 on patch panels back in 2002; literally many thousands of jacks, and used half of them for just phones in the beginning; then many years later, switched to VOIP and repurposed the same jacks as just network. I never had an issue with a single bad jack. RJ11 has 4 conductors, but 6 pins; RJ45 is 8 Conductors 8 Pins; so it's literally the outer two pins that'll get pushed a little out of place - but it's never been an issue for me.

I've been running everything to standard patch panels for some time, then for business, using a telco patch cord to connect to a PBX, or for home use using something like a 1x6 splitter to do similar, but all with the same phone line.

 

[video321]

My house is almost 10 yrs. old and even then Cat5 was the minimum allowed for our area.

 

[apostolakisl]

In the your mileage may vary department, plugging in RJ11 plugs into RJ45 jacks over time may bend the springs on some of the side pins so they no longer work well as Rj45 jacks.  A moot point if you never move things around of course.  And it does not happen instantly, or even all the time.  But businesses who did this a lot in the early days often found themselves replacing a lot of jacks later, and many (well, at least ones I do) will wire the phone with a real RJ45 plug instead.  Cost is negligably different, and I heartily endorse just wiring everything with RJ45 where you can.

What happens if you use rj45 jack for a telephone and someone plugs an ethernet cable into it by mistake? Seems to me that a telephone ring which has substantial voltage would fry your computer/router/whatever. I've never measured a ring voltage, but I have gotten shocked by it before. If it can shock me, it has to be able to do damage.

 

[wuench]

They make these things called "labels" to help you avoid those situations...

I haven't sat down to figure out where the phone wires would land on a Cat5 jack but a lot of structure wiring solutions like my Superpro are designed this way, RJ45 only, label it with the little plastic label as phone or network. But if you are worried about it you can always use the RJ11 keystone.

I know some inspectors and I asked them about the process of "correcting" an inspector. I have also had to deal with inspectors on some cabling jobs. Your options are to convince the guy that shows up and if you can't you can appeal it, at a cost. Of course they are all a bunch of good 'ole boys in the same office so the odds of them disagreeing with one another is probably pretty low. You best bet is to be as friendly as possible and try and convince them, or do what they say and abaondon/rip it out later. Going "against the grain" is not going to help you. And I was told if you run into a real issue, you're better off calling your city aldermann/representative as they can pressure their management.

And if they drop any "hints" consider following through, but be very careful suggesting any "hints" yourself. I have seen on one commercial job, serious and costly ramifications, of not just working with them in that regard too. The people I know don't work that way, and would be insulted, but in some cities that seems to be standard practice.

 

[apostolakisl]

They make these things called "labels" to help you avoid those situations...

Oh sure, you expect people to read!

But seriously, the jack would probably be down low under a desk or something and probably be right next to an actual ethernet jack.

In my office I used cat5 for all the phones, but used the rj11 keystones just to be sure. I also put the ethernet on the same plate, so it could definitely be a problem. Although my office is almost all pbx which is likely not the same kind of ring voltage. But a couple of the jacks (fax machines) are regular phone hookups and they do have ethernet right there.

 

[8BitRefugee]

Thanks for the advice, I think I am going to go with running a single line of Cat 3 phone wire to a location closest to where the phone service enters the house.