Cable running advice

[WhiteKnight]

I know that you are supposed to avoid running any other cables alongside power mains, but in my case the only alternative would require about 10x the effort. Is there anything I can do to limit potential problems? I'm planning on running coax cable for a cable modem BTW.

 

[TwoBills]

When you say running it beside the mains, do you mean bringing it into the house thru the same hole? Thats ok. Even running it along side the ac will work out ok, too. The rule is not to parallel ac for more than 1ft and generally stay 13" away, but w/coax you can get away with it. Same with cat5. Any lesser cable, then it's a good idea to stay away. When you can't, then just zig-zag the cable within the same stud or joist pitch, breaks up the parrallel. In house cable tv installers, in general, don't pay any attention to the ac at all.

 

[WhiteKnight]

Not bringing it in to the house, but running new extensions from the existing setup. I'll probably have to run alongside the AC mains for about 13 feet with the coax, but I don't think I'll have to do it much at all for the cat5e.

 

[WhiteKnight]

So is it just speaker wire and other totally unprotected wires that experience interference when run alongside AC? (RG6 Coax and Cat5e being shielded/twisted, respectively)

 

[Jojo7]

If you want to be on the safe side, you could always run the power in some sort of conduit.

However, I really don't think it will be a problem running cable near the power.

 

[TwoBills]

Originally posted by: WhiteKnight
So is it just speaker wire and other totally unprotected wires that experience interference when run alongside AC? (RG6 Coax and Cat5e being shielded/twisted, respectively)

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Yeah, pretty much. Speakers, station phone wire, etc.

I always zig zag anyway, to avoid a direct parallel, if I can't avoid an ac bundle or if I think there's a chance that ac will come in behind me (such as dropping down stud channels, near a light switch, in a pre wire situation.