Wiremold Evolution Poke-Thru Device
July 10, 2009 — You've outgrown Pokemon. Now it's time for Pokethru ... er, poke-thru, as in "poke-thru devices" a.k.a. floor boxes. Not being electrically inclined ourselves, the existence of these things came as, well, a shock to us. Hah!
Anyway, these are ingenious contraptions that let you run wiring down through the floor rather than, say, along the corners of the floors and walls. But wait, you say — doesn't poking a hole in the floor compromise the floor's fire rating? Nay! That's because this recessed and flush-mounted conduit for power and communication cables is made of what's called "intumescent" material. Yes, that's right, intumescent. Now if we can get the giggles out of the way, we'll tell you what that means.
In the science of fire dynamics, intumescent material is one that, when exposed to intense heat, doesn't burn but instead becomes viscous (glutinous and semi-fluid, like lava) and then swells into expanding bubbles that harden into a dense, heat-insulating char. According to the venerable, 109-year-old Connecticut company Wiremold (now part of the modestly named French multinational corporation Legrand), the Evolution series poke-thru devices maintain the fire rating of one- to two-hour-rated concrete or steel floors, and meet Underwriters Laboratories' UL514A and/or UL514C standards. (Note: They're not made for use in wet or damp locations or other areas subject to water-saturation, such as bathrooms.)
Available in six- and eight-inch diameters, the Evolution devices each have a die-cast aluminum cover with innovative sliding doors that let you open the cover completely — a full 180 degrees — so that nothing's in the way of your feeding-in wires. The devices also provide lots of space to store any accompanying receptacles or other unsightly components.
There are even dedicated a/v versions — so don't have to worry about computer communications in the event of an emergency, since all the wiring is routed through fire-rated below-floor conduits and not plastic molding running along the corners of the room. Poke-thru? More like poke- whew!
Wiremold/Legrand • 60 Woodlawn Street, West Hartford, Conn. 06110 • ( 860) 233-6251 • toll-free (800) 621-0049 • sales_support@wiremold.com
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