Essential Install | Cables & Connections
Debunking cable myths
Webro’s WF100
coaxial cable
Webro’s marketing manager John Pindar offers expert
opinion on the future of cabling regulation.
New construction projects regulations took effect
from July 1 2017 and details regulation on cabling,
meaning manufacturers cannot now supply cables in
most instances unless they have been tested, certifi ed,
and marked in accordance with the CPR cable standards.
We’re still seeing some uncertainty over what exactly CPR
means for distributors and installers so here’s the top 5
most common misconceptions about CPR:
• With CPR, PVC sheathing will be illegal: This is
unlikely to be the case. PVC is found in many other
places in buildings other than cable. UPVC windows
are unlikely to be made illegal anytime soon. It is
worth noting that the CPR test is for the whole cable,
not just the sheathing.
• Class ‘Fca’ means a cable has failed the test for
EN 60332-1-2: This is untrue. All class ‘Fca’ means
is that the fi re performance of that particular cable
cannot be determined during testing. It is entirely
possible that the cable has been tested against EN
60332-1-2 by the manufacturer and has passed. But
a cable cannot be declared at level ‘Eca’ unless the
manufacturer undertakes this work through a notifi ed
body and possesses a copy of the appropriate
classifi cation report.
TechLogix supports
the AV over fi bre
optic infrastructure
SCP’s shielded pair
cables are certifi ed
by the HDBaseT
alliance
• All cables must be CPR rated: This isn’t the case,
and there are some exceptions. The legislation
applies to cables used for the permanent supply of
electricity & communication in buildings and other
civil engineering works, with the objective of limiting
the generation and spread of fi re and smoke. Any
cables outside of this range are exempt.
• All existing cables need to be removed: The
legislation only affects new installations and
replacement of existing cable installations.
• Brexit makes the CPR cable regulations
redundant: This is another thing that is unlikely
to happen. We don’t yet know what the result of
the UK’s moves to leave the EU will be, in terms
of what the fi nal deal will be, so we don’t yet
know what legislation the UK will be bound by.
The rest of the EU will remain bound by the CPR
regulations, so any UK companies wishing to
supply cable into the EU will in all likelihood still
have to abide by those very same CPR regulations.
Webro are CPR ready. Our fl agship WF100
coaxial cable is Euroclass. Our own cables are all
CPR-marked, and carry their own DoP. If you are
still unsure about your obligations under the CPR
regulations, there’s a guide that can be downloaded
from our website: webro.com.
Some manufacturers reduce CAT6A manufacturing
costs by increasing the diameter of the jacket and
ditching the intra-pair foil screening. SCP believe this is
bad for two reasons. Firstly, thicker cable makes cable
management more of a headache. Secondly, and more
importantly, this cheaper CAT6A design is no good
for HDBaseT. The HDBaseT Best Practice guidelines
recommend comprehensive shielding in cables for a
good reason: signals are asymmetrical (unlike Ethernet)
and with real-time transmission, packet loss is not an
option. Unlike generic CAT6As, SCP’s shielded pair cables
are designed