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Do the internal power cables within a panel need to be LS0H

JEH

Upon clients request we have some service panel specially manufactured. It is like a normal power panel but has some special socket outlets (industrial and general purpose type) installed on its front face/plate. 

Within this service panel, there is a main panel for incoming supply which is further distributed to the socket outlets through their own branch breakers. In order to have flexibility, the panel manufacturer employed fire resistant cables (instead of flexible busbars) between the branch breakers and the socket outlets. 

The consultant on the project is rejecting the material saying that those internal cables should be low smoke zero halogen because the specs for the project calls for all internal cabling and wiring of the building to be LS0H. 

I will appreciate your thoughts on this, is the consultant right to reject the material? For my own opinion those cables are just like busbars and they do not need to be LS0H necessarily.

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  • 0

    I think you're missing the point here. It's the whole building that has to contain only LS0H cables within it. If you're choking to death on toxic fumes, it doesn't make any difference whether they came from distribution cables or control panel wiring.

    regards, burn

  • 0 in reply to burn

    Agree with that - the 'big picture' approach  is often lacking. Such silliness is  often seen in the form of LS0H wires/ cables, but inside a  PVC conduit or even PVC duct / dado rail.

    The volume of the plastic in  the enclosure is many times that of the insulation on the wire and  just waiting there to emit more volume of choking fumes than the cable would ever have done.

    Mike.

  • 0 in reply to burn

    Yes that makes sense to me totally. But in the same specifications non-LS0H cables are also allowed in some locations within the building. In addition, there is so much other material within the building that will result in toxic fumes. 

  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Hi Mike, 

    Yes PVC ducts and dado trunkings are being used within the same building and also there is plenty of material that will result in toxic fumes. That had been my discussion with the consultant that it is not a fire engineered installation overall and the specifications are a little unclear for the wiring within panels. 

  • 0 in reply to burn
    burn said:
    It's the whole building that has to contain only LS0H cables within it

    Well, there are two issues:

    1. With COTS product, there is no control over what's in the box ... if it's PVC, you get what you get (and in general most of the alternatives are the same) ... no-one, for example, is going to be changing out the PVC-insulated ribbons in security (intruder or access-control) panels or devices.
    2. If the specification only appears to cover LS0H for fixed wiring, then the contractor may (dependent on contract) be able to ask for a variation (and more money) for going LS0H in panels (and certainly for retrofitting LS0H after panels have already been built).
  • 0 in reply to gkenyon

    That said, the responsible makers (not chinese 'best price my friend' offering) will be using halogen free ribbon cables anyway - it is a very cheap 'value add' sales point, as the PVC stuff is almost the same price.
    Depends on the product and customer budget point.

    Mike

  • 0 in reply to mapj1

    Hi Mike, 

    Its just that this is all happening in Saudi Arabia, where it is still on-going process to switch to halogen free cables. Also there is a marginal price difference between the PVC and LS0H. 

  • 0 in reply to gkenyon

    Thank you for all the great points. I have already discussed the issue with the contracts dept. and they will soon be putting together everything to discuss with the consultant. 

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  • 0 in reply to gkenyon

    Thank you for all the great points. I have already discussed the issue with the contracts dept. and they will soon be putting together everything to discuss with the consultant. 

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