Cables are extremely important to transport power and information. Most people have dozens of cables running throughout their homes. From powering coffee makers to charging phones to providing internet, people need cables for many things. But cable damage happens often, so it’s good to learn the causes of cable damage.
Extreme Temperatures
Cables can handle many weather conditions, especially if you get weather-resistant cabling. But high heats or cold temperatures can damage the wires inside the cables and ruin a cable. You should be careful to keep wires out of places with big temperature changes to prevent damage and potential fires.
Animal Damage
Smaller animals like rodents will sometimes find a cable and try to chew on it. If they chew through the wire’s protective casing, they can easily damage the cable and hurt themselves at the same time. Do your best to keep out any small animals and watch your pets to stop them from chewing wires.
Cable Sheath Damage
The sheath of a cable helps to isolate the electrical signals inside and protects the inner workings of a cable. Damage to the outside of the cable sheath can indicate a more serious problem. Outer damage can mean lower efficiency for the wires or full degradation of the signals.
Improper Conduit Fill
Wires may seem simple, but it takes a delicate balancing act to ensure the proper flow of electricity and information through a wire. An easy mistake that people make when creating wires is to not follow a good conduit fill chart for their types of cables. Every cable needs different conduit fills and getting it wrong will lead to several issues for the cable.
Insulation Damage
The inner workings of a wire are separate from the outside to preserve the signals that travel through the wires. Damage to this insulation with twisting or punctures can negatively affect the signals in numerous ways and is one of the common issues people see with cables. It’ll likely require repairs or replacements to fix the issues.
Keeping all these potential issues in mind will help you keep your cables in top shape and prevent a lot of issues over the years. This is important for every home that uses electric devices or internet, as the cables support these devices.