After testing samples of Monoprice’s CMR (riser) cable, UL stated that the cable may pose a fire hazard and recommends that organizations discontinue using it. In a public notice, UL said Monoprice’s CMR cable “may pose a fire hazard … does not comply with UL’s safety standards and is not authorized to bear the UL mark for the United States or Canada.
“The communications cable does not meet the flammability requirements of the safety standard, which may cause an increased fire risk,” UL added. The cable jacket (pictured) has the following inkjetted onto it: (UL) E467139 23AWGX4P CMR CAT6 UTP RoHS COMPLIANT
“UL recommends that you stop using this cable,” the organization also stated. UL says the cable is sold at monoprice.com and may be available from other sources as well.
In a post on LinkedIn, UL business development manager Eric Wall stated, “The samples came from the market during our regular market surveillance. The product was found to not be compliant with the CMR Riser flame test. It was also not properly labeled with a holographic label as required by the DUZX Category for Communication Cable.
“Always check for labels,” Wall continued. He further pointed out that a cable product with the letters “UL” printed on the box “with no holographic label greatly increases the probability that the cable is non-compliant. It also never hurts to compare E-numbers on the box and the label against our ProductIQ database. If you find a suspicious product please report it at market-surveillance.ul.com.”
This is not the first time a Monoprice brand twisted-pair cable product has run afoul of UL. In early 2013, UL issued a similar notice about a Monoprice UTP cable. Shortly thereafter, Monoprice said it has taken steps to rectify the situation with UL.