Cable Management

With an every expanding range of home entertainment products, cable management systems are becoming more and more important to help both visually (cables always look messy just lying around) and in terms of product performance (Cat5 cables should not be ran in close proximity to power cables) and protection (sending your new PC crashing to the floor as you snag a cable). Cable management systems are also essential in larger installations where you have cabling for HIFI, PC networking, security systems throughout your home.

Todays cable management solutions include-

Cable Covers / Mats
Sometimes you have to run computer, stereo, TV, DVD, and other cables across halls, floors, or other areas where people will be walking. You risk damage to your cables, your floor, and you risk creating a very real tripping hazard. When considering your cable management solutions here you can look at light capacity cable covers or consider a faux baseboard type product into which you can run the wires.

Wire Labeling
How can you organize the cables behind your home entertainment center or PC desk? There are a lot of good labeling products out there that can help keep it simple. Cables organization can get out of control quickly so you should look at cable markers before you even start to set up your components! With well labeled wiring, you eliminate the stress of potentially unplugging the wrong wire or connector and you can make it much easier to upgrade particular components as and when they go faulty or need updating. You can buy cable labeling printers today for as little as $20.

Power management
You need to know how many Amps (current) you are drawing to make sure your set up is safe. Be wary of your power supply when you are putting your home office or home entertainment center together. Power distribution panels may be an option for your business to consider. BRC/SPC power distribution panels feature Current Monitoring with a real-time digital readout. Surge protectors should also always be fitted to ensure that you protect your valuable equipment from lightening strikes and power spikes.

Cable wiring – Baseboards for Your Home
The problem with most houses is that once the wiring is installed, that´s it. You can´t make serious changes without tearing up the place. The good news is that there are several solutions out there, from inexpensive simple cord covers to more advanced products that can mimic your baseboard. A great example of this is the WireTracks cable raceway This unique cable solution looks just like normal baseboard, except it carries wires. Best of all, you can change wires by opening up the WireTracks and adding or removing wires as needed. This is perfect for the home theater enthusiast who wants the best sound system and wiring options out there to ensure that their high tech playroom works as well as possible!

Installing Speaker Wires
Running speaker wire or some other form of cable around your house is easier with wire organizers like cable clips, cable saddles and cable clamps. For example, clips can hold one or two wires and guide them along a desired route unobtrusively, and keep your wires neat and tidy. They have an adhesive backing which means you can mount the cable clips on walls, baseboards, ceilings, desks or any other surface. By organizing your speaker wire and protecting it from being walked over, you help to keep your wires in good condition and you don´t run the risk yanking wires out of your speakers every time you cross the room. and you can avoid sending your valuable speakers crashing to the floor!

Basic cable management solutions
Maybe your office or home entertainment system is just an ordinary PC, printer TV, DVD etc. You’ve probably still got some cords dangling around both looking untidy and creating a possible hazard. Consider a simple solution like a single cable organizer or kopex (a plastic based system that brings all of your cables together into a flexible tube). Both of these products are low cost and protect your cables and wiring from the hazards of snagging, whilst improving the visual appearance.

Trunking cable management – running cables surface mount around the home or office
You can buy trunking to suit different cable sizes. It is generally made from plastic, normally square tube in shape and has a removable lid to enable you to insert cables. The back often has a sticky back to enable easy fixing to the wall or ceiling. A great solution if you do not want to drill holes in your flat or apartment.

Grommets – Cable management product
Rubber grommets enable you to feed cables through desk or pre-drilled holes, protecting the cable from the hard edges of the hole itself. This helps to ensures that no breaks or splits can occur in the cable over time.

There are many good cable management solutions that can be picked up for a relatively low cost on the internet.