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Cat 5's lifespan in uncooled storage

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by sf31p

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If a typical box of Cat V is stored in a storage unit that reaches 140 degree in the summer, how many months/years can the Cat V be stored in the storage unit before it becomes degraded and unusable?

8 replies

by robo_dev

The outer jacket is typically PVC (PolyVinylChloride) and the individual wire insulation is typically FEP (Fluorinated ethylene propylene). (Teflon)

FEP has a maximum operating temperatture af around 204C and a melting point of 260C (400-500 deg F).

PVC has a much lower melting point, and a claimed maximum working temperature for PVC-jacket CAT5 is 140F.

Worst case would be that the jacket would begin to lose it's flexibility a little sooner than normal, but the individual conductors would not be affected at all.

by ---tk---

"To determine the maximum operating temperature for a particular CAT5e patch cable, you would need to know the actual raw CAT5e material that used to make it. As a general rule, most CAT5e cable made with a PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) jacket can withstand temperatures ranging from about 0 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Some of the cheaper brands, especially the offshore products, do not have as good of a tolerance.

The Ethernet patch cables and crossover cables produced by CAT 5 Cable Company are made using a CAT5e material that will tolerate temperatures from -4 to 167 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature range allows for operation in the most extreme conditions."

http://www.cat-5-cable-company.com/faq-cat5e-max-temp.html

From this statement, I would say... years... unless the actual cable starts to decay...

by larryd4

CatV is simply copper lines twisted and shielded. I would be more worried about the hardware in the storage unit.

I've used CatV inside heating ducts with no problem. If its so hot to melt the outter casing then its to hot.

by skdtech

and the jacketing does not crack or tear when handling it should be good up until everyone is upgrading to CAT10. What does the box say regarding storage conditions? Storage conditions are usually expected to be much harsher, environmentally, than actual use conditions.

by older mycroft

Is this Cat5 cable actually being used or just simply being stored? ;)

by seanferd

I sure hope it is just being stored. :^0

Off topic: The original question sort of reminds me of a combination of a classic maths "word problem" with "How much wood can a woodchuck chuck..." Must be free association day in my brain.

by oh smeg

Starts to go off. Under those conditions I would say Indefinitely. 10 years at least though.

You don't have to worry about the heat as much as Chemical Contamination which can adversely affect the Insulation Proprieties of the Sheathing Materials. ;)

Col

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