In Canada (Ontario, specifically), is 'CL2' rated cable acceptable for in-wall installation?

Question

I've got a bunch of cable to install in the wall for my basement reno and have an excellent source for various cable types (speaker, video, cat6, etc), but the cable 'only' has the US CL2 rating, and no marked CSA ratings.

Ontario electrical code calls for cable with at least a CSA FT-1 rating for in-wall installations. From what I can find, it seems like CL2 is more-or-less equivalent to FT-4, and FT-4 has more stringent testing than FT-1 and can be used in places that only require an FT-1 rating.

Is the CL2 label sufficient to meet code (and pass inspection) for in-wall installations in Ontario? ie: do inspectors/code accept US classifications?

For reference: this page (from a cable distributor) has a decent summary of the plethora of ratings available.

Answer 1

Anyone reading this will need to check out their local code requirements, but...

I phoned the city and the electrical safety authority and it turned out for my case that single family dwellings are exempt from requiring fire ratings on in-wall cable, at least for low voltage wiring which I was inquiring about.

This means that, although having fire rated cable (like FT-4 or CL2) in your walls is still obviously a good idea, it was not a code requirement and therefore will pass inspection.

To answer the questions specifically: CL2 is totally fine for my single family dwelling and will pass inspection with no problems at all.

Again... Building code in your area may vary!!

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Also worth noting is that I was looking for non-metallic flex conduit to install in the walls to aid future low voltage wire pulls, and the single-family-dwelling exemptions means that if I wanted I could use simple sump pump hose as conduit and it would pass inspection. Sump pump hose is a very cheap flex conduit (roughly $12 for 25' of 1.25" or 1.5" diameter hose). I went with a longer coil of "actual" conduit/innerduct with my installation (longer lengths + better bend radius + integrated pull tape + peace of mind), but will be keeping the sump hose in mind for the future.

Answer 2

I'm not totally sure if this chart will help you, but worth a look. It shows the NEC to CSA equivalents in several applications. Many low voltage audio or data have minimal requirements. Hope it helps you. I have found that a call to a local building inspector with a question before doing something questionable is always a good move and puts you in good graces with the inspector. Here is a link to look at. http://www.pacificcabling.com/Information/flame_test_ratings.htm