# How u hang your pipes?



## 3KP (Jun 19, 2008)

I read one of the threads in here and people were saying how they hang there drain pipes.... Here is where I'm going with this.. 

How do you support your water pipes? use black talons? J hooks? old fashion copper hangers.. what do you use and why?

Where I was a apprentice they used armorflex and copper 2 hole clamps as time went they switched to the talons.


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## 3KP (Jun 19, 2008)

WOW lot of veiwers but no comments! what are you scared or just don't know how to hang pipe :laughing:


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Res or commercial new construction?


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## Dmaz (Jan 11, 2011)

Copper - plated or painted clevis hangers or oversized steel clevis hangers with continuous insulation. Occasionally using unistrut for trapeze hangers


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

3KP said:


> How do you support your water pipes? use black talons? J hooks? old fashion copper hangers.. what do you use and why?


For residential copper, we use copper-clad clips (the Dahl or other brand ones that come with nails). If you can afford it use real copper clips - too expensive though. For commercial/industrial copper, coated ring hangers on 3/8 rod (or any of a bunch of different ways where necessary).

For pex on blocks or flat surface, black talons. For thru-hole supports, ISC's (insulating suspension clamps, or mickeys) .


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Black Talons here also but I use the ones shaped like a "c" instead of a "j". Keeps the pipe off the studs.


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

This is how I hang PVC


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

What does the pvc over the strap do?


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Water lines depends on material used, but it goes something like this

Copper: Two hole copper clamp-Copper Bell Hangers-Split clamp off of strut
Pex: Talons-Plastic two hole clamps
CPVC(rare): 2 hole clamps-Talon

I never run anything but pvc as due to the nature of work. 
Drain(Pvc): Metal strap(looped)-J-hooks

That ought to do for now. :laughing:


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

gear junkie said:


> What does the pvc over the strap do?


Sets fall, holds pipe tight. He mentioned it in another thread.


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

In commericail autogrips or trapeze seldom use copper in homes contractors don't want it cause it gets ripped out, but when i did useit hung by full or 3/4 sioux straps


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

Michaelcookplum said:


> This is how I hang PVC


Why reinvent the wheel? J-hooks set fall easier, and faster.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

422 plumber said:


> Why reinvent the wheel? J-hooks set fall easier, and faster.


Let me respectfully make a point. One time in a house that had a nice concrete poured crawl(4' deep) a properly run and j-hooked drain system fell down, flooding the crawl with sewage. 

Why did this happen? Because the septic backed up and the J-hooks could not hold the weight of all that 3 inch full of fluids. 

The point is, since I had to deal with that, all pipes larger than 2 inch get plumbers strap so that it will never fall.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Copper gets 2 hole copper clamps. Pex gets tallons. Steel gets galv. 2 hole clamps. Waste is hung with plumber strapping but I may start using Michael Cook's method. 

A shop I used to work at in Northern Colorado hung all the copper with copper 2 hole clamps and COPPER NAILS! I'm sure it's financially prohibitive now but I think that's pretty damned cool.




Paul


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## Optimus Primer (May 20, 2009)

Indie said:


> Let me respectfully make a point. One time in a house that had a nice concrete poured crawl(4' deep) a properly run and j-hooked drain system fell down, flooding the crawl with sewage.
> 
> Why did this happen? Because the septic backed up and the J-hooks could not hold the weight of all that 3 inch full of fluids.
> 
> The point is, since I had to deal with that, all pipes larger than 2 inch get plumbers strap so that it will never fall.


Good point Indie. Now when they said the plastic strap I used will fail. We fill our pvc to the roof for inspection. A 2 story house that's a lot of weight. We have filled them on thursdays and got them inspected on mondays without any strap failing at all. I think it's some guys have never used some of these products so they give their opinion what they think would happen.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Indie said:


> Let me respectfully make a point. One time in a house that had a nice concrete poured crawl(4' deep) a properly run and j-hooked drain system fell down, flooding the crawl with sewage.
> 
> Why did this happen? Because the septic backed up and the J-hooks could not hold the weight of all that 3 inch full of fluids.
> 
> The point is, since I had to deal with that, all pipes larger than 2 inch get plumbers strap so that it will never fall.


I have also seen this on several occasions... :yes:

3 and 4" dropping while they are holding can get ugly fast.... 

I have also seen the plastic of the J-Hooks become brittle and break easily...
I had one where the line was sagging from them breaking and more started popping when I went to fix it....


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

For PVC, rubber coated milfords or clevis hangers

For Copper, Milfords, van hangers, clevis

for PEX, Just wrap it around the electrical wires, up and over the ductwork, or whatever else you can find to hang it on :laughing:

I hate plastic J hooks. they are cheap and flimsy and look like crap


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## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

Residential - PVC - hanger iron & stove bolts or plastic strapping. Copper in crawl - plated pipe hooks. Pex - talons.

Commercial - PVC & copper get teardrop hangers. If pex, it's all looped under slab.


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## pxt (Jun 28, 2011)

Thats not an approved strapping in Nj.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

*12 guage copper wire*

I use 12 guage black coated solid copper wire for about everything... water lines, drain lines, gas lines..... drive a 16 spike into the joyst and you are ready to go... I got a 500 foot roll in my truck

also we keep a roll of holy iron in the truck for drain lines and a roll of poly strapping ....

we always run into some mess where the gas line is just hanging in the air with no support at all... the water lines are just hanging above a water heater and the only thing holding them all up is the support from the water heater..... 

you have to support the whole mess or its gonna all come down in your lap when you remove the heater..:laughing::laughing:.

the copper wire better than bailing wire...
and about 20 times stronger.. and it looks great... 
very functional... The holy iron also works good too 

forget the j hooks , they never work for the messes we get into


where have you been hideing 3PK???

is the truck up and running yet??


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## jc60618 (Jan 24, 2010)

I do mostly commercial work and we use clevis hangers or friction/riser clamps.


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## sikxsevn (Jun 23, 2009)

What I use fr strapping is very situational, it really depends on what kind of material I'm working with and where. 

I prefer to use, in no particular order, Clevis hangers, riser clamps, and standoff hangers for something in the air, or away from the wall/floor

And things like 2 hole straps and standoff hangers when it's against a wall

I avoid using plumbers strap tape, and refuse to use those silly j-hooks or anything made of plastic to secure my pipe

Having said that, I do have a roll of webbed nylon strapping, the kind the ac guys use to hang ducts. I only use it when running CSST or any other flexible non-metallic tubing


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## mtfallsmikey (Jan 11, 2010)

I miss the old, real-copper Nibco 2-hole straps. Copper clad straps are junk.


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

I have seen some of the older, thinner j-hooks break off due to weight but the newer Sioux Chief j hooks seem pretty tough. For pex and copper it's talons or mickey clamps, van clamps if against a concrete wall.


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## bluewater (Jul 14, 2011)

What ever happened to strap iron and stove bolts everyone around here is using plastic strap on pvc looks like crap 
Hell I wish we could do away with pex and go back to only copper pipe half the guys out there today can't even solder pipe


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## mccmech (Jul 6, 2011)

Indie said:


> Let me respectfully make a point. One time in a house that had a nice concrete poured crawl(4' deep) a properly run and j-hooked drain system fell down, flooding the crawl with sewage.
> 
> Why did this happen? Because the septic backed up and the J-hooks could not hold the weight of all that 3 inch full of fluids.
> 
> The point is, since I had to deal with that, all pipes larger than 2 inch get plumbers strap so that it will never fall.



If we're not supposed to test plastic with air, then the dwv would've been tested with water, yes? If the j-hooks failed, was it because of improper installation? I use j-hooks exclusively because of the way they enable you to more quickly lay out drop of the trunk. If they hold up to a 10 lb. head pressure for inspection, please explain why they don't hold up to a clogged main.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

I think the J hooks have to meet an ASTM standard for pipe supports which means they should handle the weight of a pipe full of water. Maybe their weren't enough of them or they weren't secured properly. 

If one failed, it was probably like dominoes after that.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Because like many plastics, those j-hooks get weaker with age.

Sure, they hold up NOW. How about 10 years from now when they get brittle?



mccmech said:


> If we're not supposed to test plastic with air, then the dwv would've been tested with water, yes? If the j-hooks failed, was it because of improper installation? I use j-hooks exclusively because of the way they enable you to more quickly lay out drop of the trunk. If they hold up to a 10 lb. head pressure for inspection, please explain why they don't hold up to a clogged main.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Or, they might have been tested with air and never had the weight on them...


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

I like how a 30' straight run of 3" hung with J hooks sways like a drunk sailor.


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

As I work in cast iron my j hooks are steel and with 3/4" double expansion lead anchor it ain't goin nowhere 
My question is is there a problem using real j hooks on pvc 
Also mostly I use riser clamps, clevis hangers and 3/8" threaded rod with beam clamp or gimlet rods and straps we can't use wire or band iron


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## Greenguy (Jan 22, 2011)

What is a J hook? I do very little PVC other then service line repairs under ground.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Greenguy said:


> What is a J hook? I do very little PVC other then service line repairs under ground.


http://www.siouxchief.com/Support/DWV-Hangers/Hangs-Tuff.6MHQN

I've never seen them here. Probably not allowed. I don't think I'd use them even if we could get them. I'm happy with the way I hang my drain lines now.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Greenguy said:


> What is a J hook? I do very little PVC other then service line repairs under ground.


 



That was the move 'Dr. J' used to do in pro basketball silly...:laughing:


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