Difference between Cat6 Plenum Cable & Cat6 Riser

Several clients would frequently purchase fire-resistant cables for safety concerns, with plenum cable and riser cable being the two most common fire-resistant classifications. Among the Ethernet cable classifications, Cat6 cables are widely used in these two categories. What exactly is Cat6 Plenum Cable with pure copper conductor wires? Cat6 Riser Cable: What Is It? We will supply you with relevant information on all of these concerns.

What are Flame Retardant Cable Jackets?

First and foremost, it is critical to comprehend what flame retardant cable jackets are. This aids in your understanding of Ethernet cable types and how they function. What you’re going to get and how it’ll function will be crystal clear in your mind?

In any event, you should take care of the fire-resistant Ethernet cable coat coatings. Currently, PVC Underwriters Laboratories cable (UL cable, US fire assurance criteria) and Low Smoke Zero Halogen cable are the most widely used fire-resistant cable kinds (LSZH cable, European public fire security principles).

Cat6 plenum cables vs. Cat6 riser cables are classified as “UL cable type,” which includes a group of cables divided into five classes based on their safety standards and usage conditions: CMP cable, CMR cable, CM cable, CMG cable, and CMX cable.

How does Cat6 Riser Ethernet Cable work?

Cat6 riser cable, also known as Cat6 CMR cable (Communications Multipurpose Cable, Riser), is the UL standard’s business-grade cable, which is compatible with the UL1666 security standard. It’s designed to prevent flames from spreading from floor to floor in vertical structures.

As a result, it is most commonly used for floor vertical wiring. A Cat6 riser cable, unlike a Cat6 plenum cable, usually has a coat covering made of somewhat modest PVC.

Where it can be installed?

Apart from the plenum area and air conduits, non-plenum wires can be used everywhere. As a result, Cat6 riser cable is frequently used between floors in non-plenum areas. It is the central conductor of a structure’s circulation system, transporting speech, information, and video from the primary entrance point to the many places and levels of the structure.

When extending cable between floors through risers or vertical shafts, Cat6 CMR cables are necessary in both commercial and residential constructions.

How does Cat6 Plenum Ethernet Cable work?

First and foremost, the CMP cable (Communications Multipurpose Cable, Plenum) is the most frequently requested cable in the UL fire insurance standard—the health standard is UL910. Its purpose is to keep fire spread to around five feet and to limit the amount of smoke released during a fire.

Cat6 plenum cable refers to Cat6 CMP cable, which is designed to fit inside plenum areas. It is less priced than Cat6a Plenum 1000ft Cable, making it more appealing to purchasers. Cat6 plenum cable coats are often made of low-smoke polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or fluorinated ethylene polymer (FEP).

Where it can be installed?

The Cat6 plenum cables are designed to provide channels for structures to return wind streams, working with airflow to warm and cool frameworks. These Cat6 network cables are frequently seen in the air return pressure support system found in ventilation pipes or air handling equipment (over a suspended roof or under a raised floor, for instance).

Because fire and smoke may quickly spread through these plenum areas filled with additional oxygen. It can cause damage to furniture and jeopardise people’s lives, Cat6 plenum cables are essential to keep the fire from spreading.

Important Points to Remember: –

A plenum cable can be used in a riser space, but a riser cable can’t be used in a plenum area in general. In the event that a fire breaks out, using an unsuitable cable type might cause serious problems. Smoke and exhaust from consuming cables might be cleared into the HVAC framework and disseminated throughout the structure if riser-evaluated cables are used in a plenum area where CMP-appraised cables have been installed, resulting in monetary losses or even losses. If everything else fails, refer to the National Electrical Code of the NFPA. It will tell you which cable types are suitable for different applications.

Conclusion: –

The Cat6 Plenum Cable with pure copper conductor wires is the best in any case. The built quality of these cables is better than all other types of conductor wires. This is why their performance is much better than other cables.

They provide high data transfer speed and perform very well against the interference factors like crosstalk and EMI. This cable can be installed at the place in the networks. This is their biggest benefit.

On the other hand, the Cat6 Riser cables can only be installed in the riser spaces of the buildings. This limits their usage to some extent. You can use them outdoors as well but they cannot be installed in the plenum spaces of the building. The riser-rated pure copper conductor wires are preferred by the network engineers due to their less cost. They are less expensive in comparison to the plenum-rated cables.