Editor’s Note: This post, focusing on the craziest IT closets and wire runs integrators have seen, originally appeared on June 3, 2020. We updated it on September 29, 2023.
Ahh, the old IT closet. What could be more banal? But if you don’t think AV racks and wiring can be thrilling, check your pulse after looking at some of these.
Most of these examples of awful IT closets, AV rooms and wire runs strike us as prime examples of a “takeover job.”
You know the type: your integration firm is brought in to fix a faulty installation or finish the work another firm wasn’t able to effectively complete.
You make your way to the back room where the AV cabling is terminated and — well — it’s a horrifying mess.
How do these excruciatingly bad AV cabling jobs happen? Sometimes, it’s the customer’s “I don’t want to spend that kind of money on a rack; can’t we pick something up from Home Depot?” mentality.
Or (if the integrator didn’t sell a maintenance package with a recurring revenue model) perhaps the site’s IT director got a little lazy with the cable organization. One thing led to another, and a year or so later, everything is in disarray.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t just the wiring. The programming, usability and reliability too of these chaotic job sites are usually out of order, too.
Commercial integrators know shoddy AV wiring and inconsiderate cabling aren’t limited to the commercial world, either. Our sister site, CE Pro, also published their own version of the most chilling AV cabling messes in the residential market.
Whatever the scenario, a lot can be gleaned from these photographs. Perhaps integrators should take up the motto, “if it’s not perfect, it’s wrong!” in order to prevent caustic cabling like these examples from happening again.
After all, as any “takeover job” technician knows: it’s not a victimless crime!
