Labor Rates
Another cost imbalance is that most of the time, the AV installer is charging a higher labor rate than the EC is for the conduit installer.
So if you skimp on conduit (which can be installed by a lower labor rate worker), and make the wire pull harder for the higher labor rate AV installer, you’re not saving anything.
Cable Types
But wait, there’s more! Did you know that code requires you to use what is called plenum-rated cable if you don’t pull it through conduit? And did you know that plenum-rated cable is 2-3 times as expensive as the non-plenum-rated version?
That’s because in case of a fire, codes want to minimize the amount of poisonous gasses that fill the air. Normal cable has a PVC jacket on it that will burn and give off highly toxic gasses. Those gasses can incapacitate or kill people before the fire does. So that’s bad.
Thus, if you’re going to free air cable through what is known as a plenum space (a space where air moves through that you might breathe), you have to use plenum-rated cable. So sure, you may have saved a little money on conduit, but if your cable bill is three times what it should be, have you saved anything?
Run Extra Conduit
One more tip; if you’re running conduit—or rather if you’re paying your EC to run conduit—have them run an extra tube here and there.
Now, it may not be necessary to run a spare conduit to each TV in the lobby, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have an extra, empty conduit between FOH and the amp room. Or between FOH booths in a building. Or maybe even a spare tube between the amp room and the ceiling (for later TBD use).
This is especially true if you’re going to cut the floor in a major remodel. If you’re cutting the floor, the biggest cost of that job is the concrete work. Adding a few extra unused pieces of PVC conduit underground costs almost nothing, and may well save you a lot of headaches down the road.
Do yourself and your church a favor—don’t skimp on the conduit budget.
Mike Sessler has been involved with church sound and live production for than 25 years, and is the author of the Church Tech Arts blog. Based in Nashville, he serves as project lead for CCI Solutions, which provides design-build production solutions for churches and other facilities.