Curious journey for a HDMI cable...

[RobCee]

Hi there and thanks for clicking. I have a curious conundrum regarding a long and winding journey for a five-metre fire-rated HDMI cable. I hope your collective expertise can resolve this matter.

The key question for me is not whether it's possible, but whether it is within housing regulations and indeed safe. I will explain the cable's journey below:

1) First it goes into a stud wall in Room One, then up three meters into the ceiling of Room One and into the floorboards of Room Two

2) When in the floorboards of Room Two, it travels 1 metre across, into the very base of another stud wall in Room Two

3) Then, when in Room Two's stud wall, it travels 50cm up, and pokes out into Room Three

I know it's quite a bizarre journey. I'll spare you the story of how it got to that. By my calculations the fire-rated HDMI cable will pass through two safe zones.

Thanks for reading,

Rob

 

[snowhead]

What's your understanding of Safe zones and the cables to which the term applies?

 

[RobCee]

What's your understanding of Safe zones and the cables to which the term applies?

Good question, because perhaps I have got this phrasing wrong.

My understanding of Safe Zones is they are areas in a wall where wiring is permitted to run through. Safe Zones typically, but not exclusively, exist around the perimeter of a wall, as well as vertically and horizontally across electrical switches and sockets in a plus-sign shape.

However, these areas are of course not safe to drill in! So perhaps the safe zone is in fact the negative space between the areas I mentioned? Apologies if I have misspoken on this.

"Fire-rated" I am a little more confident with. A fire-rated HDMI cable is one that complies with CL2 and CL3 standards, meaning that it provides additional protection and is classified as inherently safe to run through walls.

Hope that answers your question Snowhead.

Best,

Rob

 

[davesparks]

Safe zones are generally specified for low voltage (between 50V and 1000V AC aka mains voltage)
You can be a bit more relaxed in the approach to extra low voltage cables, which HDMI is.

Do you have a link to this 'fire rated' HDMI cable? It's not something I've ever heard of, but being fire rated in terms of cables normally refers to a fire performance cable such as those used for a fire alarm, there's not much need for an HDMI cable to continue to operate during a fire!

Are you sure it isn't LSF or LSOH insulated cable as would be used in commercial installations?

Normally for a house you would use standard 'off the shelf' HDMI cable.
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I've had a quick look and it appears that CL2 and CL3 are USA terminology so not applicable to the UK

 

[DPG]

'Prescribed zones' is a better term than 'safe zones'.

 

[RobCee]

Understood and thanks all for the useful clarifications.

I'm happy of course to change the terminology from "fire-rated HDMI cable" to "HDMI cable with materials that are more resistant to burning than standard HDMI cables", and to change the phrase "safe zones" to "prescribed zones".

With this in mind I would appreciate anyone's help in answering my initial question: Is my plan safe, and is it permitted within UK regulations?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[DPG]

From the point of view of the electrical regulations, yes. Obviously there may be issues as regards structural stuff, such as drilling holes in beams, etc.

 

[RobCee]

From the point of view of the electrical regulations, yes. Obviously there may be issues as regards structural stuff, such as drilling holes in beams, etc.

Thank you DPG, really appreciate your help.