Please help fully specifying wire to purchase.

[beelzerob]

Ok, I've identified these types of wires that I will be using in the house:

All CL2 (in-wall rated)

22/2 - Stranded
18/2 - Stranded
16/4 - Stranded
Cat5e/Cat6 - solid
RG59 - “precision video”, 20 solid BC center conductor, 100% foil, 95% TC braid
RG6QS - solid copper core, 3Ghz rated

Is there any other kind of extra specifications I need for these? Is 18/2 wire just 18/2 wire, or are there solid, stranded, etc versions. And how do I choose which is the right type?

Even Cat5e I believe comes in solid and stranded, right? I have no idea which I need, nor which I have been using all this time. If it affects terminating, then I've probably been using whichever is the kind you can easily terminate with tools bought at home depot.

Thanks! Gettin' ready to do some ordering! I've calculated a minimum of 1.5 miles of wire so far.

 

[WayneW]

Most in-wall wiring is solid. Most patch cable type stuff is stranded. But there are plenty of exceptions and opinions.

For most things, the jacket color is up to you and your own schemes. But wire used for life safety is usually red... that includes smoke detectors, keypads, sirens.

 

[upstatemike]

Make sure anything going inside a wall has a CL2 rating.

 

[Sandpiper]

Ok, I've identified these types of wires that I will be using in the house:

22/2
18/2
16/4
Cat5e

Is there any other kind of extra specifications I need for these? Is 18/2 wire just 18/2 wire, or are there solid, stranded, etc versions. And how do I choose which is the right type?

Even Cat5e I believe comes in solid and stranded, right? I have no idea which I need, nor which I have been using all this time.

Cat 5 does not come in stranded. It's just Cat 5 Cat 5e or Cat 6. I recommend Cat 5e or Cat 6. Choose whatever color you want. Blue is very popular.

For other applications, this is what I recommend:

Security contacts: 2C#22AWG, CL2, stranded.
Keypads and telephone: Cate 5e or 4C#22AWG, CL2/CM, solid.
Security glass breaks, motions, etc: 4C#22AWG, CL2, stranded.
Low voltage power: 4C#18AWG FPL. or 2C
Sirens, speakers 2C#18AWG FPL. or 4C.
Smoke detectors: 4/C#18AWG FPL (solid).

Plenum or riser rated cable is not necessary unless you are wiring inside a plenum or riser. There are no risers in residential, and you should not normally be wiring in a plenum .

 

[WayneW]

Cat 5 does not come in stranded. It's just Cat 5 Cat 5e or Cat 6. I recommend Cat 5e or Cat 6. Choose whatever color you want. Blue is very popular.

Umm, Cat 5e cable IS available in stranded, so I would be surprised to hear that cat 5 was never available as stranded. It is hard to find cat 5 wire for sale nowadays, everybody has cat 5e.
http://www.cablestogo.com/product_list.asp?cat_id=303

 

[royalj7]

Yea, I've used both solid and stranded Cat5e, which I think Wayne hit on in his first post. Personally, for inwall stuff I use solid.

--Jamie

 

[CollinR]

Ok, I've identified these types of wires that I will be using in the house:

22/2
18/2
16/4
Cat5e
RG59 - “precision video”, 20 solid BC center conductor, 100% foil, 95% TC braid
RG6QS - solid copper core, 3Ghz rated

Is there any other kind of extra specifications I need for these? Is 18/2 wire just 18/2 wire, or are there solid, stranded, etc versions. And how do I choose which is the right type?

Even Cat5e I believe comes in solid and stranded, right? I have no idea which I need, nor which I have been using all this time. If it affects terminating, then I've probably been using whichever is the kind you can easily terminate with tools bought at home depot.

Thanks! Gettin' ready to do some ordering! I've calculated a minimum of 1.5 miles of wire so far.

22/2 < Most alarm contacts
22/4 < Motions / Glassbreaks and other powered sensors.
22/4 < Firewire for system smokes
18/2 < General LV power
16/4 < What is this for?
Cat5e < Phone/Data/ whatever you need
RG59 - “precision video”, 20 solid BC center conductor, 100% foil, 95% TC braid < What is this for?
RG6QS - solid copper core, 3Ghz rated


Sounds pretty good, somethings not right though. You should probably be well past 1.5 miles of wire.

 

[upstatemike]

I would always use solid for any kind of UTP communications or network wiring. Termination for this type of cable is usually insulation displacement stuff like punch blocks and these are designed for solid wire.

Stranded is fine for 22/2 alarm wire and such and is best for cat5 patch cables where the added flexibility is needed.

 

[upstatemike]

It occurs to me to ask why a hip modern a-go-go person such as yourself is putting in automation wire at all? You really don't need network wire because you can just cover the house with wi-fi. No need for phone wire since you can just use cell phones or VOIP over your wi-fi. No need to wire for automated switches or thermostats, just use Z-Wave. For whole house music you can go with SONOS and for touch screens use UMPCs. Fire and security can be handled with an Elk wireless receiver and CADDX wireless sensors and you can even handle doorbells and intercom with a Reporter wireless intercom system. Wireless network cameras are common and you can use Sage to distribute video over your wireless network (better get 802.11n).

Makes you wonder if all this pe-wire effort is really worth it?

 

[CollinR]

Makes you wonder if all this pe-wire effort is really worth it?

Not I! :lol:


A wire is better then wireless almost every time.

 

[Sacedog]

Makes you wonder if all this pe-wire effort is really worth it?

Not I! :lol:


A wire is better then wireless almost every time.

I agree. Unless you live in the country (where there is little interference from neighbors), and had a fairly open house, I would always use wired systems if I could. Yes it takes longer, and costs a bit more, but there really isn't a comparison at this point.

 

[beelzerob]

22/2 < Most alarm contacts
22/4 < Motions / Glassbreaks and other powered sensors.
22/4 < Firewire for system smokes
18/2 < General LV power
16/4 < What is this for?
Cat5e < Phone/Data/ whatever you need
RG59 - “precision video”, 20 solid BC center conductor, 100% foil, 95% TC braid < What is this for?
RG6QS - solid copper core, 3Ghz rated

Sounds pretty good, somethings not right though. You should probably be well past 1.5 miles of wire.

Darnit, I KNEW I should have included the list of what kind of connections those wires are for. Let me see if I can remember off the top of my head....

22/2 - temp sensors, door/window contacts, smoke alarm relay connections (note, this is a secondary system, not primary)
18/2 - general LV power
16/4 - speaker wire (1 wire per 2 channels)
Cat5e - Lighting control (OnQ), PC network and phone
RG59 - Component video signals + sound (2ch or digital)
RG6QS - Satellite, or OTA HD antenna

Ya, I was surprised I was still less than 2 miles too. The house is a 2 story, roughly 60 X 60 ft. Wiring room is KINDA centrally located in the basement, so maybe that cuts it down a lot. I'm planning on greatly padding those numbers when I go to order...nothing wrong with extra wire.

 

[Sacedog]

Couldn't you just use RG6 for Satellite, Componant, Sound, etc.? I have seen that some use RG59 for Componant and Audio, instead of RG6, but I am not sure why.

I too am getting ready to bite the bullet, and purchase all of my cabling for my house, and have assumed that I can just use all RG6QS. Anyone have a good explanation as to why I might want to use RG59 for the Componant and Audio runs?

 

[CollinR]

Use all copper rg59 (copper shield no foil) for optimal performance on all baseband video and audio.


This is because the foil/aluminum shielding is more effective at higher frequencys digital services utilize. Copper briad has better rejection in the lower frequencies used for most local video interconnects.

 

[upstatemike]

I have even seen people use RG59 to make custom length audio patch cables. Nice to avoid bunches of excess wire behind your equipment but at the cost of using very fat cables. I wonder if there is a thinner coax cable type that could be used for making custom length patch cables?