Residential Telecommunications Infrastructure - Inspection

What it is

This inspection records the installation of a dwelling's telecommunications cabling infrastructure: the distribution device (DD) and the auxiliary disconnect outlet (ADO), the building ground access and the power outlet at the DD, the outlet locations by room with the cables the declared grade requires at each, the labels and terminations at each outlet visited, the installation checklist, the run list inside the DD, and the security and whole-home audio cabling where installed. The record carries a declared grade of residential cabling (Grade 1, Grade 2 or Grade 3, which sets the minimum cables at every outlet location), an inspection stage (rough-in, before insulation and wallboard, or trim-out or completion), the dwelling type and the construction type (new construction, or an addition or remodel), because the stage and construction type decide which findings conform and which raise issues only. Cable length, cords and transmission performance are recorded on the separate Cables, Low-Voltage, Low-Energy - Acceptance Test form and linked to this record. The infrastructure is inspected against ANSI/TIA-570-E for the declared grade and stage, with the bonding conductor at the DD checked against ANSI/TIA-607-E.

Why it is performed

A dwelling's telecommunications infrastructure is built into the walls, so what is wrong at rough-in or trim-out is expensive to correct after occupancy. The declared grade defines what every outlet location must carry, and the distribution device, its ground access and its power outlet decide whether the access provider and the owner's equipment can be connected and maintained. An installation inspection before the walls close and again at trim-out or completion catches rooms without a cabled outlet, outlets short of the cables the grade requires, cable that is not the recognized category or series, jacks wired to the wrong scheme or with too much untwist, runs labeled at one end only, a missing run list, a bonding conductor without labels, and security or audio legs without the conductors or the category 6A cable the standard calls for. Recording the observations and recommended practice alongside the graded items leaves the owner with a record of the installation as built, not only a pass or fail.

When it is performed

The inspection is scheduled at one of two stages, and the stage is recorded because it changes what conforms. At rough-in, before insulation and wallboard, cables have been run and outlet boxes placed; unterminated jacks, a run list not yet posted and an outlet box without its power device are accepted, while the distribution device, ground access, room coverage, outlet contents, cable media, labels at both ends and the installation checklist are inspected in full. At trim-out or completion, those same items must be finished: jacks terminated and wired, the run list posted inside the DD and the DD power outlet installed. The construction type is recorded as well, since concealed pathways are graded only in new construction and raise an issue on an addition or remodel. The inspection is repeated when an addition or remodel changes the cabling, and the linked cables acceptance test records the transmission results for the same runs. Once the inspection is complete and the deficiencies are corrected, the infrastructure is ready for service connection.

How it is typically performed

The inspector records the declared grade, the stage, the dwelling type and the construction type, then checks the distribution device: provided, inside the tenant space, accessible for maintenance, with space for a surge protector, and with an ADO installed indoors and readily accessible where no other accessible way to disconnect the access provider exists. At the DD the inspector measures the distance to the building electrical ground access against 1.5 m, or against a code or AHJ value whose reference is recorded; checks the bonding conductor's labels at each termination and its color; and checks the power outlet (non-switched duplex, 15 A or more, 120 V) and its distance from the DD. The inspector states how many kitchens, bedrooms, family rooms, offices and home theaters the dwelling has and how many of each have a cabled outlet, and notes whether every wall point lies within 7.6 m of an outlet along the floor line. At least one outlet is visited, up to twelve: for each, the room type and wall, the count of category 6A, coaxial and 2-fiber cables against the grade, whether the run is labeled at both ends, the jack wiring scheme, the largest pair untwist at either end and the coax connector type. The installation checklist is marked satisfactory or unsatisfactory item by item, the outlet twisted-pair category, coax series and fiber type are recorded once for the dwelling, and the run list inside the DD is checked for every run and its designation. Where a security system is installed, the panel termination, bonding, power supply and its outlet, RJ-31X line seizure, dc polarity color, ground wire, voice-input cabling, splices, topology and supervision are recorded; where whole-home audio is installed, each audio leg's conductor count, gauge, construction and category 6A cable are recorded with the speaker polarity color code. Observations of recommended practice are recorded for the owner, and the record closes with the inspector, the date, the design documents and the linked cables acceptance result.

What gets recorded

Identification: dwelling address or unit, dwelling type, declared grade, inspection stage and construction type. DD and ADO: whether a DD is provided, its location and access, surge protector space, and the ADO status. Grounding and power: building ground access and its distance, the limit basis with any code or AHJ value and reference, the bonding conductor's labels and insulation color, the DD power outlet type and its distance. Outlet locations: the count of kitchens, bedrooms, family rooms, offices and home theaters and the count of each with a cabled outlet, the cables required per location for the grade, and the 7.6 m floor-line check. Outlet sample: for each outlet visited, room type, room and wall, the counts of category 6A, coaxial and 2-fiber cables, run labeling, jack wiring, largest pair untwist and coax connectors. Installation checklist items, the outlet twisted-pair category, coax series and fiber type. The run list inside the DD and its designation. Security: panel termination and bonding, power supply and transformer outlet, RJ-31X, dc polarity, ground wire, voice-input cabling, splices, topology, supervision and the sensor conductor count and gauge. Audio: each leg's type, conductor count, gauge, construction and category 6A cable, and the speaker polarity code. Observations of recommended practice, the inspector, date, design documents and revision, the linked cables acceptance result, comments and deficiencies.

How results are evaluated

The record passes when every graded item conforms: a DD inside the tenant space and accessible for maintenance, with an ADO indoors and readily accessible where one is required; building ground access within 1.5 m of the DD (exactly 1.5 m conforms) or within the code or AHJ value recorded; for Grade 2 and Grade 3, a non-switched duplex outlet of 15 A or more at 120 V in or within 1.5 m of the DD; a cabled outlet in each kitchen, bedroom, family room, office and home theater, with the tally never below the room count; every outlet visited carrying the category 6A, coaxial and, for Grade 3, 2-fiber cables the grade requires (one cable of any kind at a single-service location), labeled at both ends, wired T568A, with pair untwist no more than 13 mm and a female F-type coax port at both ends; outlet twisted-pair cable of category 6A or better and coax of Series 6 or Series 11; no graded checklist item unsatisfactory (star topology from the DD, connectors matching the media, listed materials, firestopping, no coax consolidation point, a listed secondary protector where installed, and concealed pathways in new construction); a run list inside the DD listing every run; and, where installed, security cabling that ends at a bonded panel on a conforming supply with RJ-31X seizure, red positive on dc, a green ground wire of 14 AWG or larger, voice input on category 6A and proper splices, and every audio leg with its speaker conductors (stranded copper, 16 AWG or larger) and its category 6A cable. At rough-in, unterminated jacks, an unposted run list and a power outlet box without its device are accepted. Recommended items raise an issue only: surge protector space, the Grade 1 power outlet, bonding conductor labels and color, an outlet beyond 7.6 m, multimode fiber below OM4, DD placement, cords, markings, slack, machine-printed labels, a run list not by room and wall, security star topology and end-of-line supervision, and speaker polarity coding. The record is not determined until the grade, stage and type, the DD, ground and power, the room counts, at least one outlet, the core checklist items, the run list and the security and audio answers are all filled in.