PROTECTIONTECH

Telephone:  425-869-7778
Fax:  425-869-7717

Home Up

 

Installation Tips
Safety & Equipment

Protect yourself and others by following these basic safety guidelines:

Wear safety glasses. If you're working in a crawl space or above a dropped ceiling, you never know what might fall from above or what you might lean into in the dark.

Use common sense with ladders. Don't stand on the top two steps, and don't lean too far to one side.

Wear protective clothing. Long-sleeved shirts and pants will protect you from minor cuts and from materials you don't want next to your skin, like fiberglass. Don't wear loose clothing.

Don't be careless when lifting. Bend your knees and keep your back straight. Don't be shy about getting help if you need it.

Use tools with care. If you use a saw or drill, work from a stable position. Watch out for lengths on extension cords that are easy to trip over. Don't leave tools lying in places where someone might trip over them.

Be wary of electrical cable. Category 5 cable systems, like phone wire, carry low-voltage signals instead of high-voltage power, so they don't pose the fire risks that high-voltage (power) cable systems do. Nevertheless, you'll probably be working near power cable. Don't touch it, especially in ceilings and walls, you never know when it might be live. Know where the nearest fire extinguisher is.

Know code. Building codes may prohibit frilling or cutting holes in fire walls or ceilings. Also, some parts of a building may contain materials like asbestos or PCBs that must be handled only by trained technicians. Check with your site administrator to be sure you don't compromise safety in the building. If you drill through walls, you may need to fill the holes completely with a noncombustible patching compound. If your plan includes routing cable through spaces where air is circulated, you may need to use fire-rated cable.

The following is a list of equipment you may need:

bulletSafety glasses
bulletNeedle-nose pliers
bulletLadder
bulletAdjustable pliers
bulletDrill and bits
bulletUtility knife
bulletPull string
bulletScrewdrivers (in sample kit)
bulletElectrical tape
bulletPermanent ink marker
bulletFish tape
bulletScissors
bulletWire strippers (in kit)

Cable Routing Basics

Do:

DO make the longest run first.

DO make a "cut sheet" - if for example you are wiring a school, make a rough diagram showing where the cable runs are and the numbers of the schoolrooms they go to. Later, when you wire the patch panel, the cut sheet will tell you what order to position the wires in.

Don't:

DON'T EVER cut unlabeled cable. Label cable before routing it or you'll lose track of which cables go to which schoolrooms.

DON'T label cable "Ms. Scholl's classroom". Instead, use a label that will be understandable to someone years later, such as "Rm. 103".

DON'T allow cable to be stretched, pinched or kinked, or data will travel over it more slowly. Don't tie tie-wraps too tight - they should be able to slide a little.

DON'T cut corners with cable - leave ample slack. A few feet of cable costs a lot less than the time it takes to redo a run because of wiring mistakes or stretched cable. When you wire the jacks and patch panel, you shouldn't be tethered up against the wall. Leave enough slack to reach the floor and extend another 2 or 3 feet at both ends of the cable. In addition, it's standard practice to leave a service coil - a few extra feet of cable coiled up inside the ceiling or other out-of-the-way place.

General Information:  info@protectiontech.com
Webmaster:  webmaster@protectiontech.com

We accept Visa, Master Card and American Express

This is a secured server site. Your data is safely encrypted and is safe from unauthorized access.