We are all quite correctly obsessed with meeting the tighter specifications for intruder systems and products, as most recently has been the case with PD6662, yet we seem to ignore that most universally used product in all installations – good old security cable.
‘Cable is cable, one is just as good as another’ is one of the most repeated phrases I hear among installers. Not only do I doubt that was ever true, but it is certainly not the case now!
There is a cable standard for a very good reason. BS4737 Part 3 is designed to approve a cable with the minimum of resistance, and therefore ensure the effectiveness of the system and reduce the incidence of false alarms due to signal drop.
Security cable might not appear to be the most sophisticated of , yet its characteristics are absolutely vital to the efficiency of the installation. If inferior product is used, it can easily by an unwelcome cause of false alarms.
The BS4737 Part 3: Section 3.30 specification for components is THE specification for PVC insulated cables for interconnecting wiring, and specifies clearly the conductor resistance and construction, along with PVC shrinkage, type and thickness, and minimum of resistance.
Should any of these parameters be compromised, the system’s integrity can be jeopardised. As a result, false alarms and expensive call backs can occur.
The recent dramatic rises in the price of copper, the main conductor used in security cabling, coinciding with the increasing system demands of PD6662, have put the quality of security cable firmly back on the agenda within the industry.
There may inevitably be some cables offered which claim to meet BS but simply do not. And there is also security cable on the market which may not claim compliance with BS4737, but offers some small commercial advantage. The question is, is it worth the risk?
Lower costs for non-BS cables are often reflected by the reduction in the amount of copper used in the cable, and the absence of tinning, which is a process to assist good termination. It can also be reflected in the conductor used, which may be a low grade copper, or an alternative composite conductor material with significantly different characteristics.
The UK market has for many years taken the specification and availability of security cable manufactured to BS4737 as the standard for all quality installations, but don’t take that for granted – not in today’s competitive marketplace. Don’t let the cable be the weakest link in your installation – always use cable manufactured to the British Standard.
