How do you route and dress your power cables to minimize interference with the LV cables?

For the vertical part of the run, we usually try to allocate one rear rack post for power and one for LV, but inevitably LV cables wind up on both posts. That seems inevitable.

The horizontal part of the run also introduces a challenge when, say, the power cord comes from the left side of the component and the post we run power along is the right side. Since the lacing bars are used for LV cables, we don't use them, but then we want up just draping the power cord without support, which of course is not great.

Show Me Cables in St. Louis has by far the most extensive selection of 6”, 1’, 2’, and all other length power cords of all types that I’ve ever seen. Different colors, all kinds of right angle plugs and so on. I used to buy short power cords from Middle Atlantic but discovered them and never went back. Idk if they’re manufacturing them or buying them but you name it they have it. Perfect for neat racks. I usually do that for all components and a vertical power strip the length of the rack. Only thing is when you have a brick power supply you’re stuck with winding up the LV side of it but if the 120VAC side is modular you can at least make that a short one.

Thanks. So, in the case where the power cable is on the opposite side from the vertical power strip, how do you manage the short run from the equipment to the outlet? Do you just let it run free?

Can the power strip be located on the same side of the equipment where the power cords are attached?

Lacing bars- install some for power cords, use others for signal/speaker/network cabling but keep the power cords separate.

Back when I used to really *build* racks, I'd start by looking at the gear that's going into the rack before anything was even assembled. If you have 10 items and 7 have the power on the left, then put the power on the left rail and deal with those 3 things the best you can.

Beyond that, I'd follow the same guidelines they taught us at school: keep at least 1' between high and low voltage if you need to run them in the same direction, if you need to cross them, make it perpendicular, and if you need to run them together (as when passing through an opening), try to keep them together for less than 1' (or 18", I can't exactly remember now).

Again, they're guidelines. You just do the best you can.

Honest question - have any of you guys ever solved a problem by *only* moving LV cables away from high volt lines?

2 lacing bars for those components with power on the wrong side, 1 for LV and the other for power.

Now wouldn't it be nice if there was a standard so all power cords connected to the same side on the rear on every piece of rack-mount A/V and IT gear? And if they all had IEC connectors instead of a built-in 10 ft. long power cord (as seen on some UPS rack-mounts). Then all of the power could be run on one vertical PDU, on the one side, with very short power cords.

But that will never happen. So, lacing bars are the way to go.

BTW, it would also be nice if there was a standard for low-voltage power supplies for rack-mount equipment. So many voltages! So many connectors! So many wall-warts! So little time!

Two lacing bars, depending on equipment height, gets a little tight sometimes.

If the majority of equipment has power on left, vertical power goes on the left. The devices with power on the right have the power cord strapped horizontally on the shelf or under it if rack mount then go back to the left where it will then exit to the lacing bar. All devices get custom lengths for power cords so you aren’t having to find space to coil or zigzag extra cable.

What if it's a (really long) non-removable power cord? Do you cut it to length and install a power plug on the end? What happened to the warranty if you did that?

Sometimes, zig-zaging the extra cable may be necessary.

Honester question: have any of you guys ever even HAD a hum problem due to wiring position? That you solve by moving anything or everything? The only hum problems I've ever had were due to connecting points and grounding, not positioning of ANY wiring.

The one time I had a bad hum problem, it was when I was halfway through interwiring two surround systems that were about forty feet apart from one another. The client wanted TV when I left for the day and I told him to tolerate the hum. I insisted that we'd only put time into the hum problem after everything was wired.

After everything was wired, the hum problem had disappeared.

Meanwhile, I've seen power cords stuffed in between racks on the side away from signal paths when possible. What could be less inducive, pun intended, to hum than packing power cords RANDOMLY away from signal paths?

I don't remember who had it, but I have seen a few rack-mountable DC power supplies with switchable DC voltage. Maybe Mouser has these.

Cutting the cord will probably kill the warranty, regardless of the fact that it may be done perfectly but if it never has to go back, maybe the risk is acceptable. How much new equipment do you see without IEC power cords?

I had one that I can remember- it was a pair of Ixos audio cables that I offered to return due to their being an overpriced pile of crap but the homeowner said it wasn't the end of the world as long as they work.

I would say that 90-95% of the equipment in the rack that I just installed had power on the right. This issue comes when you have 1/2 and 1/4 wide devices (Sonos Connects, Routers, Streaming players) and you are trying to fit a couple devices on one shelf to help minimize rack space being used.

All the racks I have ever done (and was taught how to do) we used one lacing bar per device. As Ernie and SWFLMike mention, I have never had a problem with the wires running with a power cord for the maximum 17" the lacing bar runs. I would consider the grounding/bonding more important than worrying about keeping your power separate from the LV.

Middle Atlantic makes them but I think they might be a tad pricey!

[Link: middleatlantic.com]