This thread brought something to mind ...
A while ago I was doing a network install which involved floor boxes - IIRC they were CEF's finest "own brand" boxes. The sparky had left all the power sockets loose - the screws holding the socket plates to the box were all loose by several turns and the sockets would move when inserting/removing a plug.
Well, while I was screwing the data socket plate down, I just did the others up as well - there's no reasonable reason for leaving them loose and IMO it is a safety issue.
Some time later, it was noticed that the sockets weren't working - the RCD had tripped. It reset, but tripped again later - and by chance it happened while it was quiet enough to hear the pop from under one of the sockets.
This was reported, and the sparky called back in. There then followed a discussion as to whether it was reasonable to leave all the sockets loose. His argument was that once the computers were plugged in, they wouldn't be touched again - except occasionally as stuff got reorganised. I pointed out that there are people called "cleaners" who tend to use any socket that's accessible.
I think he just "fixed" the one that had been popping - I don't think he went round the rest, carefully positioning the cables behind the sockets.
Floorbox design was an issue - there was very little depth to them, but of course, for many that's a bonus when you are having to raise the floor to fit them.
I have to say, I generally dislike jobs like this one - where I'm following a sparky who's done the containment (and sometimes pulled the cables). More often than not, they have no idea about data cabling, and they usually choose the big compartment for one RFC while leaving an inadequate small compartment to be overfilled with data cables. On the last job, I decided against having a discussion as to why a solid plastic barrier would give adequate separation one way, but not the other
And he whinged about how nice it must be having someone else put all your trunking in for you - in this case, no it flippin wasn't.
And as for coming back later to find power cables in your data tray ...
A while ago I was doing a network install which involved floor boxes - IIRC they were CEF's finest "own brand" boxes. The sparky had left all the power sockets loose - the screws holding the socket plates to the box were all loose by several turns and the sockets would move when inserting/removing a plug.
Well, while I was screwing the data socket plate down, I just did the others up as well - there's no reasonable reason for leaving them loose and IMO it is a safety issue.
Some time later, it was noticed that the sockets weren't working - the RCD had tripped. It reset, but tripped again later - and by chance it happened while it was quiet enough to hear the pop from under one of the sockets.
This was reported, and the sparky called back in. There then followed a discussion as to whether it was reasonable to leave all the sockets loose. His argument was that once the computers were plugged in, they wouldn't be touched again - except occasionally as stuff got reorganised. I pointed out that there are people called "cleaners" who tend to use any socket that's accessible.
I think he just "fixed" the one that had been popping - I don't think he went round the rest, carefully positioning the cables behind the sockets.
Floorbox design was an issue - there was very little depth to them, but of course, for many that's a bonus when you are having to raise the floor to fit them.
I have to say, I generally dislike jobs like this one - where I'm following a sparky who's done the containment (and sometimes pulled the cables). More often than not, they have no idea about data cabling, and they usually choose the big compartment for one RFC while leaving an inadequate small compartment to be overfilled with data cables. On the last job, I decided against having a discussion as to why a solid plastic barrier would give adequate separation one way, but not the other
And he whinged about how nice it must be having someone else put all your trunking in for you - in this case, no it flippin wasn't.And as for coming back later to find power cables in your data tray ...
