Plenum Cable uses

Perhaps, some people may have heard the term Plenum Cable especially when we talk about the cabling set-up and design in a particular building. But the big question is what does this term means? To answer this, there are certain concepts that we must learn beforehand. In most of the newer construction and in most high rise construction, architects often provide designs that saves space and the cost of expensive sheet metal by simply drawing the air back to the heating or the air conditioning through the open spaces located above the ceiling and even between the walls. Standard cable is placed in PVC or polyvinyl chloride and this is typically used in this set-up. However, chloride element found on this material may actually cause a lot of harm since when PVC smolders or burns, it may release harmful toxic fumes into the air. In this set-up, the toxic air may circulate through the office and cause health related damages. 

In order to provide countermeasures against this potentially debilitating effects, code would now require Plenum Cables to be installed through any plenum air return space. To do this, it must first be determined if the air space is not ducted. There are simple tips in order for you to know whether or not your building uses a plenum air return. If you have a large wall or ceiling return gate, you can check by removing it and see if the air is being channeled through metal steel ducting. Alternatively, especially when there are no ceiling return gate, you can look closely at your fluorescent lighting fixtures and see if there are any gaps around the edge of the fixtures and put your hand over the gap so that you can feel the air movement. With these measures, you can determine if you are currently using a plenum air return or not. 

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