Spacing data

Eddiesparks · Apr 25, 2014

Hello all,

230v is at least 50mm away i know but can u put hdmi, cat5, aerial/co-ax, speaker cable all thru same holes/chases??

Heard conflicting things on this...

Richard Burns · Apr 25, 2014

When running ELV circuits (data etc) close to LV circuits you must have insulation suitable for the highest voltage present on all cables or provide insulating material between.

If you are running signals liable to be corrupted by adjacent 50Hz wiring then shielding or separation would be needed.
Passing a data cable and 230V cable through a hole and then the cables go off in different directions may not be a problem, though it is sometimes, running the cables parallel to each other will more likely cause problems.

tazz · Apr 25, 2014

Most commercial installs have basket tray for all elv and data, fire, security, data all in the same basket...

Engineer54 · Apr 26, 2014

Eddiesparks said:
Hello all,

230v is at least 50mm away i know but can u put hdmi, cat5, aerial/co-ax, speaker cable all thru same holes/chases??

Heard conflicting things on this...

To be honest with you, i'd think you'd be foolish to run such signal/data cables in the same wall chases and through the same joist (or whatever) holes as mains 230/240V cables, whether such cables have suitable insulation levels and appropriate screening or not... I've seen signal/data cables being corrupted where it would never have been expected....

Try and keep such cables reasonably separated from 50Hz mains cables when and wherever possible.....

Eddiesparks · Apr 26, 2014

I think Tazz is the only one who understood my post lol!

I am obviously aware of keeping the LV well away but was wondering if the data cables interfered with one another. I was pretty sure they didn't but wanted to check.

Richard Burns · Apr 26, 2014

Eddiesparks said:
I think Tazz is the only one who understood my post lol!

Correct, I misunderstood, thought you were asking about all of the data+ passing beside 230V; an "and" would have helped in the sentence

.

Eddiesparks · Apr 26, 2014

No i always keep 2 inches apart at least for power. I believe this is specified in the regs.

Not just for interference but also if a rat chomped through the lot and all your data cables and co-ax was at mains potential that would be pretty bad!!