Why flat cables and CCA cables are not recommended for PoE ( Power Over Ethernet )

[mat200]

Notes: subject to updating .. notes from another forum .. consolidating here ..

Flat cables have very thin wires :

Wires are super thin, thus not intended for PoE / Power over Ethernet.

For PoE you want to go with 23 or 24 AWG cat5e / 6, copper wires not CCA wires ..

If you are running wires in the attic or in-wall look for a cable which is properly rated for in-wall.

also, claiming this to be cat7 certainly is a "stretch" of imagination .. I would even call this a fraudulent description.

note: thinner wires = more resistance, less power can be carried on it, heats up more .. this is why you have minimum AWG gauge for electric wires depending on watts carried ..

In general saving a few dollars on the cable, and creating potential current or future issues for trouble shooting, or rerunning cables is problematic when cost of labor and downtime are included.


CCA - big problem is aluminum ( core of the CCA wires ) is very brittle and more likely to break vs copper wires .. just a big headache when this does happen

32 AWG conductor gauge vs 23 or 24 AWG copper wiring ..

32 AWG has a resistance of 164.1 Ohms per 1k ft
24 AWG has a resistance of 25.67 Ohms per 1k ft

This means the 24 AWG can carry electrical power better, long, further, with less heat vs the 32 AWG wires.

also 32 AWG wires are very thin, and more prone to breakage vs a thicker strained version.

What is the relationship between power and resistance and constant voltage?
( I=V/R ) and ( P=VI) gives (P=V*V/R) as voltage is constant so (Power is inversely proportional to resistance) or (1/R)

CCA is problematic :

Copper-clad aluminum (CCA) conductors have a resistance that is 55-60% higher than copper. If the resistance is not compensated, the voltage drop will be greater for any channel length. CCA is also weaker than pure copper and oxidizes easily

ref:

Copper Wire - Electrical Resistance vs. Gauge

Gauge, weight, circular mils and electrical resistance in copper wire.

www.engineeringtoolbox.com

Copper Clad Aluminum vs Copper: The Ultimate Test

If you read my previous blog, then you know that Copper Clad Aluminum (CCA) is bad...very bad. Industry and regulatory bodies only approve of solid or stranded copper, even for Ethernet cable.

www.truecable.com

 

[TonyR]

+1^^^.
Belden won't even make anything CCA. Also, no CCA CAT cable is UL-listed in the U.S. of A., for good reason.

Also, I personally would not run any cable in my house or anyone else's home or business that does not have the correct jacket rating for the application such as CMR (Riser) for use in walls, between floors, in crawl spaces and attics. I can see a "good" lawyer for the homeowner's insurance co. claiming that the jacket on an un-rated, un-tested cable helped the flames from one floor or wall spread to other areas of the house or business. And rightly so, I guess..."good" cable costs more for a reason and we should know enough about what we're doing to understand what can happen if we don't.

 

[wittaj]

One of the many things I question why it is even allowed to be sold.

 

[JDreaming]

Guilty, I used a lot of flat cables in the past because it was convenient and I didn't know better.