coleman Speaker Wire - Help!

[JasonR]

Hello All. I'm new to this forum and want to thank you in advance for any advice. I'm finishing by basement and preparing for my Home Theatre. I'm now on the fence regarding the speaker wire I installed for a 7.1 set up. I purchased 250 ft of speaker wire from either Lowe's or Home Depot. I already installed the wire, but now second guessing whether or not I should have upgraded. It's not to late...drywall goes in next week. Here are the specs for the wire I purchased 250 ft for $80. Should I replace or leave it alone and move on? The AV stores have me scared! Also, I plan to use a mid to upper level equipment. Here are the details:
PART NUMBER: 94607
DESCRIPTION: 14/2 STRANDED FLAT CL2R-CL3R FT4 ZIP CABLE
CONSTRUCTION: This cable consists of two bare copper conductors laid flat with an integral insulation
and jacket. The clear jacket construction will have one bare copper and one tinned copper conductor.
APPROVALS: UL Standard 13 & 444, NEC Article 725 & 800.
APPLICATION: Power Limited Circuit Circuit Cable and Communications Cable for Riser Applications
Construction Parameters: Cable Cross-Section
Conductor 14 AWG Bare or Bare & Tinned Copper
Stranding 41/30
Insulation Material PVC
Insulation Thickness 0.024'' Nom.
Insulated Cable Dimensions 0.122" x 0.264" Nom.
Number of Conductors 2
Approximate Cable Weight 17.0 Lbs/1M' Nom.
Flame Rating UL 1666 Riser Flame Test
Electrical Properties:
Temperature Rating -20OC to 60OC
Operating Voltage 300 V RMS Max.
Capacitance Between Conductors @ 1 KHz 46 pF/ft Nom.
Capacitance Between Conductors to Shield @ 1 KHz -----
DC Resistance per Conductor @ 20OC 2.53 Ohms/1M' Nom.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Adam]

Welcome to the forum, Jason!

Don't let the audio shops scare you. That wire is just fine for speaker wire. The only thing that I'd suggest is that you check out the site linked here and look at the table pertaining to speaker wire gauge versus length. It's just a guideline, but it might be useful. For example, based on that site, if your wire lengths are 40 feet or under (per wire), then you could run just about any speaker that most people buy with 14-gauge wire and fall within the recommendation.

 

[MatthewB.]

Agree with Adam, you can easily go to Home Depot and buy 100 feet of 14 gauge wire for 40.00 (pre packagede) or just have it specially cut by the foot for possibly cheaper.

 

[JasonR]

Thanks for your help and quick reply. I feel much better about my set up and not tearing it out and replacing. I checked out the site you recommended and the longest length I have going to the rear channels is about 35 ft. The wire I bought does not have the extra jacket that I was told represents in wall wire. The wire I purchased is clear? It is CL3 so I originally thought that was the key. Also, I did pass by a few 120 lines that are laced through the ceiling with the speaker wire. About 1-2" from that line in a few spots. If you think this might be an issue I can space them with some wood...it would only take a few minutes. Thanks again for your help!

 

[Adam]

Always happy to help when we can!

Also, I did pass by a few 120 lines that are laced through the ceiling with the speaker wire. About 1-2" from that line in a few spots. If you think this might be an issue I can space them with some wood...it would only take a few minutes.

That's something that I won't be able to help with. There are others here that are much more knowledgeable about that. If you don't get any responses today, I'd suggest that you post again and bump this thread tomorrow. It's not as busy around here on Sundays.

 

[highfigh]

Thanks for your help and quick reply. I feel much better about my set up and not tearing it out and replacing. I checked out the site you recommended and the longest length I have going to the rear channels is about 35 ft. The wire I bought does not have the extra jacket that I was told represents in wall wire. The wire I purchased is clear? It is CL3 so I originally thought that was the key. Also, I did pass by a few 120 lines that are laced through the ceiling with the speaker wire. About 1-2" from that line in a few spots. If you think this might be an issue I can space them with some wood...it would only take a few minutes. Thanks again for your help!

Any time you need to go near power wiring, NEVER run your low voltage wiring parallel. Always cross at a right angle and stay at least 16" away if the runs must be parallel.

According to code, you can't drill or cut joists and rafters in the outer 1/3 of the width, only in the middle 1/3. Plumbers are good at ignoring this rule. This is a structural issue and if an inspector passes wiring or plumbing that goes against this rule, they should be reported for not doing their job,

 

[SAMSUNG HUNG]

I bought 100ft of 4 conductor cl3 or cl4 (in wall certified) i don't remember for less than $50 shipped. I plan on bi wiring my set up. Oh yeah it's 14awg. accessories4less.com.