Input needed for house wiring, please.

[royalj7]

Ack, you are right of course. I should of said RG6/U with a double shield, something like a belden 1694. Just to stay away from quad shield for baseband signals.

What's a baseband signal?

Baseband is the low frequency signals like composite and component you use for video, as opposed to RF signals, which are like your incoming cable TV.

 

[beelzerob]

Oooo, ok. Thanks. That makes sense then...I'll keep the RG59 for the baseband signals, and I'll add 1 QSRG6 to each location in case I'll have some kind of receiver there.

I haven't priced any wire yet, which is why I have so many different types. If costs end up being nominal from one type to the next, then I might just use, say, cat5e for everything.

Homerun doorbell to wiring closet...got it. Clever.

 

[beelzerob]

Some temp sensors are RS485 based and need 4 wires. Some are serial and need TX, RX, and ground. Some analog ones need V+, Ground, and Analog Voltage Out. Why skimp on a few feet of wire? If you ar buying cat-5e in bulk anyway just use that.

The temp system I have now actually IS RS485, but that's at the sensor hub. the actual temp sensors that come to it are all 2-wire.

Wouldn't 22/4 be twice as much as 22/2?

 

[beelzerob]

Atttic feeds for OTA HD antenna, SAT dishes, FM master antenna, lightning detector, Cell phone extender, WAP?

Added those runs. 4 QS RG6, and 2 Cat5e, and 18/4. (might want to put a wireless access point up there)

Buried wire to automate mailbox?

Ya, we talked about that...but the mailbox is 500 ft away. I actually told the contractor to put a 1" conduit down the utilities trench so I could run wire later if I wanted to...but he failed to get the message and then the trench was all filled up. Oh well, if I have to, I can always use the telephone conduit they ran, since we don't plan on getting phone service anytime soon.

Wire under the stairs for pulsor strain sensors?

Hadn't thought of (or heard of) that. I think I'll just lay off the doughnuts instead.

Thermostat wires

Oh ya. I'm going to talk to the installer about putting in an aprilaire controller from the beginning....that only requires a cat5 run to it, right?

Internal motion detector wires

Hmmm...ya, I do need to do that, but I'm going to put them on a lower priority scale. Basically, only if I end up with extra time and wire (not likely). Part of the reason we moved here is no crime at all. So, I'd only be interested in the non-alarm related applications, of which there are (lighting and such). But for something like that I really don't see us spending the money on sensors anytime soon.

Glass break sensors, CO sensors, methane sensors, flood detectors?

Ya, I can see water detectors in a few places, mainly the basement (which I can do with ease after movein). CO sensors in the kitchen and garage for sure. Those are just cat5 and 18/2, right?

Are you going to have wires to your AC panel or meter for sensors to monitor power consumption?

Hadn't thought of that, but the panel will be almost within reach of the wiring closet in the basement, so it can wait.

 

[beelzerob]

Here's my written wiring requirements. These are basically in case I can't finish it for some reason, to describe all the little details.

Unless specifically mentioned, all wire will homerun to the same location in the basement (directly below mudroom).

Connections on floorplan are to be wired as follows:

1)Speakers will be wired with 16/4 wire. There will be a separate run for each room. The run will travel first to the A/V keypad or touchpad location, and then to the speaker. In rooms with 1 speaker, the run will terminate at the speaker location. For rooms with 2 speakers, the run will travel to the nearest speaker, add 1 ft of slack, and then travel to the other speaker. In the great room, 2 16/4 runs will be required for the 4 speakers. Those runs will first travel to the video location on the wall between the great room and the den, and then down to the wiring closet.
2)Temperature sensors will be wired with 22/2 wire.
3)Window and door contact sensors will be run with 22/2 wire. Wire shall be run to the top of the window or door frame.
4)Touchpad or A/V Keypad locations will be run with a combination of Cat5 and 18/2 wire. (Note: Cat5e wire can be used if the cost difference is nominal).
5)PC Network runs will be with 2 separate Cat5e.
6)TV Outlet runs will consist of 5 separate RG59 coax wires and 1 RG6QS wire. The RG59 wire must be “precision video”, 20 solid BC center conductor, 100% foil, 95% TC braid.
7)Smoke alarms will be wired with 22/2 wire. This is only for secondary notification of an alarm. The smoke alarms will adhere to all code requirements without any need for the 22/2 wire. The actual smoke alarm to be used will be the GC 350ACC (or similar).

Connections not pictured on floorplan:
1)4 QSRG6, 2 Cat5e, 18/4 to attic, at attic access location.
2)Doorbell wiring to run from front door button location to wiring closet, then up to doorbell chimes.
3)1 Cat5e to thermostat location.

 

[upstatemike]

What did you say you were using for an intercom?

 

[beelzerob]

What did you say you were using for an intercom?

We're kinda on the fence about that. We're alternating between an intercom system vs. just a paging system through the house speakers. Of course, when it comes to prewiring, I guess the answer is "both"!.

I have wiring already for A/V keypads planned in all bedrooms, which will be Cat5 and 18/2. That should support most intercom panels, right?

 

[beelzerob]

I'm finding that the price difference from 18ga to 16ga is pretty significant. I had planned on using 16 for all my speaker runs. Now I'm thinking that maybe some of the runs are short enough that I could just use some of the 18ga instead. The last house I had was run with 18ga wire, and it never occured to me that it wasn't good enough.

So, without starting a forum war.....does anyone have a suggestion of the max distance I could use 18 ga wire for speakers for without too much concern about power loss?

 

[Steve]

I would not use 18ga for anything over 50' max, and thats probably pushing it. Heck, I used 14ga for my distributed audio (Nuvo with Proficient speakers). You only get to do it once, I would use 16ga minimum.

 

[beelzerob]

Heh...ya, after I posted, I went back and looked at the numbers and realized that, ya, the price difference is pretty huge....but it was per 1000 ft! And for 1000 ft of 16/4 wire, that was not a big deal (not sure how much I'll need yet, but it probably won't be more than 1500 ft).

Good point...if I'm GOING to splurge, now is the time to do it.

 

[beelzerob]

I'm reconsidering how TV's are going to be wired. It was mainly due to being tired of debating which of the bazillion forms of coax to use.

So, I recalculated using 2 Cat5e runs per TV instead of 5 RG59 (or whichever the heck it was). It ended up being about $180 less. Of course, I'd then have to buy baluns which are, amusingly, about $180 for 2. Initially, there is only one TV location we really need, the rest can wait, so 2 would be enough.

The plusses are that 2 Cat5e would be WAY easier to run than 5 RG59. Ya ya, I know, "don't choose cable based on what is easy to use"....but the magnitude of this job is beginning to take hold. It's basically going to be all me for two weeks....after work on weekdays and on weekends...to get it all done. So wherever I can save some time, that's good.

The minuses is that after I buy the first 2 baluns, then I'm at the same pricepoint as if I had run RG59....so making use of more TV locations means buying more baluns, and thus in the long run exceeding the RG59 cost. But if I had run RG59, I'd be able to make immediate use of all of the TV locations without further expense.

There's probably some hope that as time passes, the price of baluns will drop, and maybe they'll be more reasonably affordable by the time we need more. But that's just a hope.

Does anyone have any strong recommendations on either of these paths?

 

[SnyperBob]

Does anyone have any strong recommendations on either of these paths?

I would run the RG6's along with the cat5e

Unless specifically mentioned, all wire will homerun to the same location in the basement (directly below mudroom).

Connections on floorplan are to be wired as follows:

1)Speakers will be wired with 16/4 wire. There will be a separate run for each room. The run will travel first to the A/V keypad or touchpad location, and then to the speaker. In rooms with 1 speaker, the run will terminate at the speaker location. For rooms with 2 speakers, the run will travel to the nearest speaker, add 1 ft of slack, and then travel to the other speaker. In the great room, 2 16/4 runs will be required for the 4 speakers. Those runs will first travel to the video location on the wall between the great room and the den, and then down to the wiring closet.
2)Temperature sensors will be wired with 22/2 wire.
3)Window and door contact sensors will be run with 22/2 wire. Wire shall be run to the top of the window or door frame.
4)Touchpad or A/V Keypad locations will be run with a combination of Cat5 and 18/2 wire. (Note: Cat5e wire can be used if the cost difference is nominal).
5)PC Network runs will be with 2 separate Cat5e.
6)TV Outlet runs will consist of 5 separate RG59 coax wires and 1 RG6QS wire. The RG59 wire must be “precision videoâ€, 20 solid BC center conductor, 100% foil, 95% TC braid.
7)Smoke alarms will be wired with 22/2 wire. This is only for secondary notification of an alarm. The smoke alarms will adhere to all code requirements without any need for the 22/2 wire. The actual smoke alarm to be used will be the GC 350ACC (or similar).

Connections not pictured on floorplan:
1)4 QSRG6, 2 Cat5e, 18/4 to attic, at attic access location.
2)Doorbell wiring to run from front door button location to wiring closet, then up to doorbell chimes.
3)1 Cat5e to thermostat location.

I just noticed that you listed 18/2 wire for security pad along with cat5e. The wiring guide says to run firewire for security pads, which is actually 18/4.

Does anyone know if 18/2 is enough, or do they need 18/4 as the guide states? I'm planning on prewiring for security system and I don't want to screw it up

Thanks

 

[beelzerob]

Does anyone know if 18/2 is enough, or do they need 18/4 as the guide states? I'm planning on prewiring for security system and I don't want to screw it up

Thanks

I did notice the firewire mention, but just throught that it was a safety precaution...to keep the wire from getting burned through. But that's not something I'm worried about. But I didn't know it also meant using 18/4 wire.

My whole desire is just to wire in such a way as to support the greatest number of variations on keypads. I had figured cat5 for data and 18/2 for power. Anyone out there who uses a keypad or two, say even the Elk keypad....is that enough wire?

 

[upstatemike]

I thought the reason for the 18/4 was because the keypad is part of the fire alarm and as a "life safety" device needs to be connected to the panel with red fire wire to meet most code requirements.

 

[beelzerob]

I thought the reason for the 18/4 was because the keypad is part of the fire alarm and as a "life safety" device needs to be connected to the panel with red fire wire to meet most code requirements.

Oh, well that would make sense. That's not the case for me, as I'm not installing an alarm system so there's nothing to bring to code. Anything I DO install eventually will only be secondary to the primary alarm system (smoke alarms for fire, dogs for burglars).