White Plastic Phone/Data Lines: What You Need to Know

If you are working on a project that involves white plastic phone/data lines, we would like to ask you to take a closer look at the firestop installation for these materials.

This next blog series is going to discuss a few challenges we have found with firestopping phone and data lines and we are going to start our discussion in wood framed buildings, despite the fact that much of this information is relevant to other construction types.  Your phone/date teams such as Verizon, Comcast and the rest of them are likely creating a liability on your project when they run their data and phone lines. To those of you who think that I should inform these big companies, I have tried unsuccessfully to find the right person to speak with. The only solution I can think of now is to let the rest of you know about this issue and hope that you can at least make a difference on your projects.

These phone and data installers use two different materials from what I have seen. If you see something different in your area, please let me know. One is the white plastic phone/data lines made from HDPE that are relatively small, maybe 5/8” OD, and may be run as single lines or as bundles. They cause an array of issues. The first of which there is that only ONE firestop manufacturer that I can find who has LISTED detail for these microducts . That means that if your installers are using a different manufacturer, they are creating a liability because they are not using the materials as they have been designed and tested. It could be worse than that. They could be installing something that we know WON’T work in a fire scenario.

This blog series will address the following issues. First, we will discuss HDPE microducts through wood floor ceiling assemblies as a single line. Next, we will look at what to do when these are in bundles through floor ceiling assemblies. The UL nomenclature for both of these applications is FC 2000. After that, we will examine gypsum walls, which are WL 2000 series details. Then we will move on to concrete assemblies, discussing CAJ, FA, and WJ details together.

Following that, we’ll explore FE details, which are similar to FC details but involve different framing. FC details involve wood framing, a plywood floor on wood trusses, and a drywall ceiling to complete the rated assembly. In contrast, FE details use a fluted metal deck with concrete on metal trusses. The ceiling on the underside forms part of the rated floor-ceiling assembly. This section will highlight the unique differences due to metal framing. We will then discuss common problems with FE assemblies separately. For clarity, here is a common rated floor assembly to help understand the type we are discussing.

If we don’t get sidetracked before we get to the end, we may address ENT. This is Electrical Non-Metallic Tubing or what I have heard in the field called innerduct. Look for the orange corrugated flexible lines, which range from one to one and a half inches in diameter. They have very thin walls and the corrugation gives the material flexibility and strength while keeping it light weight for the installers. This is a different material with different fire dynamics so of course it needs a different assembly.

One thing to know before we launch into these individual discussions, is this. Several firestop manufactures’, when asked for a detail for microduct have sent me details for ENT that specifically list PVC. Running white plastic phone/data lines has very different fire dynamics compared to PVC. If you were to read about it you may see that it requires a higher melting point than other PE plastics. Polyethylene, when compared to PVC will typically melt much faster. HDPE does require higher melting temperatures than other PE plastics. However, let’s consider the ASTM E814 fire test. If you follow this blog or work in the industry, you are likely familiar with the time-temperature curve. For this discussion we are going to look at it in reference to plastic pipes.

Typical plastics, including CPVC used for sprinkler pipes, generally melt between 200°F and 500°F. The difference between 200°F and 500°F seems minor compared to the temperatures in a one-hour fire test. This test reaches 1700°F at the one-hour mark and 1000°F at the five-minute mark. Despite the small range, lower-temperature plastics often require more aggressive intumescent materials to pass the ASTM E814 test. To understand the requirements for different applications, review the third-party test details. If you have any questions about a specific installation feel free to reach out for help.

When installing or inspecting plastic pipe installations, consider the annular space, the type of firestop material, and the type of plastic. All these factors are critical for ensuring the installation performs as expected during a fire.  This discussion is not breaking down all those details. We are only focusing on ensuring that the type of plastic you have in the field matches the tested and listed detail. This is critical.

Check in on the next blog to see if your team is installing these data and phone lines correctly. We will break each of these discussions into three parts we mentioned earlier. First, we’ll examine the current field conditions. Next, we’ll address the problems associated with those conditions and, finally, explore some solutions to consider.  See you again soon. Until then, continue learning and make the buildings you work on safer.

Check out the entire series to ensure you use this material correctly and get the firestopping right. If we can help with anything please give us a call.