High voltage power line in metal conduit?

[eggcited]

Hi all, perfect time to spend the next few days installing cameras
I have an existing in-wall network cabinet where I will run all my shielded network cables down into from the attic. In that same bay is a power line from the attic going to the outlets on the bottom of the cabinet.
I plan on moving the power line to the next bay before joining it back to that bottom outlet. Now I can keep everything above the cabinet clean and clear for only network cables.

So at worst, I should still satisfy the NEC standards for unshielded of 8" proximity? Since I am using shielded network cables, I should be fine right? No cable runs should be longer than 75ft.
Would it help any to put that power line (already in the next bay) in a grounded metal conduit?

My second scenario is my detached garage. I would love to put an in-wall cabinet in the next bay right next to the breaker panel. I know I should give myself more room say skip one bay? Will putting it in the adjacent bay be a terrible idea?

Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[bp2008]

I can't speak for the NEC or other standards, but I can give my opinion. I think if you are considering all of these things, then you are doing well. Trust your instincts.

This year I moved into a home built in 2003 with lots of unshielded cat5e near power cables. The comm box is literally just on the other side of a 2x4 stud from the breaker box for the whole house. The cat5e was originally for telephone, but I repurposed it for ethernet and put a shielded patch panel in the comm box. I put my router and switches and servers in a shelf just in front of the white box.

It has all worked fine at gigabit speed. The only issues I've identified were when using this cat5e for 10 gigabit links, there would be occasional packet loss. On one of the links the issues were minimal enough most people would not even have noticed. The other link had much more trouble which was eventually traced to running a blender in the kitchen. In both cases we ended up running fiber optic cables. It might not have been necessary if the original builders had used shielded cat5e or practiced better spacing, but it was 2003 ... I'm lucky they used cat5e.

For reference, here's a photo from before I moved in. Blue cables are the cat5e.

So at worst, I should still satisfy the NEC standards for unshielded of 8" proximity?

I certainly would try. It may be overly cautious but I would try for at least 12 inches separation whenever possible. Obviously it isn't always possible and sometimes the cables must cross paths, and that is okay.

Since I am using shielded network cables, I should be fine right?

Yes, you are probably fine. Honestly you would probably be fine even without the shielded network cables.

Would it help any to put that power line (already in the next bay) in a grounded metal conduit?

I don't know if it would help. It does sound like a lot of work for probably no meaningful gain though.

My second scenario is my detached garage. I would love to put an in-wall cabinet in the next bay right next to the breaker panel. I know I should give myself more room say skip one bay? Will putting it in the adjacent bay be a terrible idea?

Since that is basically what was done with my whole house wiring using unshielded cable, I think you will probably not have any problems. If I were you I would consider running fiber optic cable to the detached garage though, just so you aren't creating an electrically conductive path between buildings through your data network.

 

[eggcited]

Thanks for the detailed reply! Gave me confidence to chug along. Got that power wire moved and hooked up some cameras today, excited to see it come together. Good points on the fiber to the rear Garage.

I did notice today that the cameras would get choppy/hangup if I wiggled either ends of the connections - happens with custom and off the shelf cables. Goes back to normal when I let go though. Using a Klein pass through crimper on CMX truecable wire. I'm wiggling them when doing the continuity/short checks and looks fine.