What Is Plenum Cable?

Plenum cable is simply cable that has been approved for use in a Plenum space. The plastics used in the construction of Plenum cable is regulated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Specifically, NFPA Standard 90A outlines the requirements of cable to be used in plenum spaces.

The cable must be Jacketed with a fire retardent plastic jacket of either (a) low smoke polyvinyl chloride (commonly referred to as PVC) or (b) fluorinated ethylene polymer (FEP). These materials were selected based on their ability to meet the stringent fire-safety criteria of NFPA 90A.

Plenum cable is required for use in plenum spaces, but what about non-plenum spaces in between floors? In non-plenum spaces located near plenum spaces, riser rated cable or CMR, is sufficient. Note that since the fire safety standards on riser-rated cable are not as strict, plenum-rated cable can always replace riser-rated cable, but not vice versa.

Perhaps the most commonly required fire-retardent cable is plenum Cat5 or Cat6 due to its ability to be run over long distances such as through the air ducts and other plenum spaces within a building. However, there are also plenum coaxial, plenum HDMI, and plenum DVI cables on the market today.