Here’s another question that comes from our support lines. You see, of all the cables we have at Solid Signal, most are not rated for burial. In fact only a few are. So what if you want a cable for burial, and we have that type of cable but not in a burial rated version?
Well, it’s cable that is supposed to perform well when you bury it. But there’s a little more than that. Typically, burial rated cable will have three characteristics that non-burial-rated cable might not have.
It’s not always true, but often times you will find burial rated cable in a bright color that stands out. You’ll see burial rated cables in yellow, orange, blue, and other colors like that. The reason is obvious: you want to know that cable is there when you’re digging.
Here’s something common to every burial cable. Traditionally, burial rated cable is made to withstand being buried. That’s sort of obvious. The outer jacket can be thicker or stronger, the materials are designed to resist humidity and insects, and overall the construction of the cable is a little more robust. This is one reason you rarely find burial-rated RG11 cable. RG11 is already so much thicker than RG6 that making in burial rated also compromises your ability to work with it effectively.
This is something you’re now starting to see with burial rated cable. There are several levels of environmental sensitivity in cables. For example, many states require plenum-rated cable for indoor use. Plenum-rated cable is designed not to emit poisonous gas when it’s burned. More and more, we’re seeing burial-rated cables built the same way. Over time, cables that do degrade can leach poisons into the ground, and it only makes sense to make sure that burial-rated cable doesn’t do that. Of course there has to be a balance too.. the cable has to stand up to years of abuse and sometimes that requires certain materials.
The solution is simple. It’s legal to bury your cable. You can just put regular cable in the ground if you want to. But there’s a smarter way. You can take 1/2″ PVC and run the cable through it. If you’re really smart you’ll spray paint it orange first, but the most important thing is that you use the PVC pipe to shield that cable. That will stop stray shovels from cutting through cable, and that’s the most important thing.
If you’re looking for more information about cables and connectors, call the experts at Solid Signal at 888-233-7563. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below.
The post Is burial-rated cable required if you’re burying the cable? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
What is burial rated cable anyway?
Well, it’s cable that is supposed to perform well when you bury it. But there’s a little more than that. Typically, burial rated cable will have three characteristics that non-burial-rated cable might not have.
Visibility
It’s not always true, but often times you will find burial rated cable in a bright color that stands out. You’ll see burial rated cables in yellow, orange, blue, and other colors like that. The reason is obvious: you want to know that cable is there when you’re digging.
Durability
Here’s something common to every burial cable. Traditionally, burial rated cable is made to withstand being buried. That’s sort of obvious. The outer jacket can be thicker or stronger, the materials are designed to resist humidity and insects, and overall the construction of the cable is a little more robust. This is one reason you rarely find burial-rated RG11 cable. RG11 is already so much thicker than RG6 that making in burial rated also compromises your ability to work with it effectively.
Ecology
This is something you’re now starting to see with burial rated cable. There are several levels of environmental sensitivity in cables. For example, many states require plenum-rated cable for indoor use. Plenum-rated cable is designed not to emit poisonous gas when it’s burned. More and more, we’re seeing burial-rated cables built the same way. Over time, cables that do degrade can leach poisons into the ground, and it only makes sense to make sure that burial-rated cable doesn’t do that. Of course there has to be a balance too.. the cable has to stand up to years of abuse and sometimes that requires certain materials.
What if you can’t get burial rated cable?
The solution is simple. It’s legal to bury your cable. You can just put regular cable in the ground if you want to. But there’s a smarter way. You can take 1/2″ PVC and run the cable through it. If you’re really smart you’ll spray paint it orange first, but the most important thing is that you use the PVC pipe to shield that cable. That will stop stray shovels from cutting through cable, and that’s the most important thing.
If you’re looking for more information about cables and connectors, call the experts at Solid Signal at 888-233-7563. We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. If it’s after hours, fill out the form below.
The post Is burial-rated cable required if you’re burying the cable? appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
Continue reading...
