Creaking pipe support

AMW

See picture. The thing holding the pipe to the basement ceiling creaks loudly. What do I do?

mattmia2

The quick and dirty solution would be to try to slip a piece of rubber or heater hose or something of that sort between the pipe and the hanger iron.

AMW

I don't really have any pieces of rubber. Would an elastic work?

Hap_Hazzard

Replace it with a pipe hanger. Perf strap isn't rated for black pipe. I know you see a lot of it used for that, but it's not safe.

Intplm.

Something like this to replace the band iron.
Check the type of pipe, and your sizes. Both for pipe diameter and total length of hanger for proper fit.
Use a hanger that is meant for black iron pipe that you have in your post.

psb75

Cut a 2" x 4" x 8' piece of lumber to prop-up under the pipe (snugly) before you loosen the pipe-strap screws. Then change to a real pipe hanger.

Hap_Hazzard

Intplm. said:

Something like this to replace the band iron.
Check the type of pipe, and your sizes. Both for pipe diameter and total length of hanger for proper fit.
Use a hanger that is meant for black iron pipe that you have in your post.

Am I seeing things or do you have to take the pipe apart to use that hanger?

Wellness

@Hap_Hazzard. Hanger separates at top bushing to install around pipe.

AMW

Where can you buy that hanger?

Hap_Hazzard

AMW said:

Where can you buy that hanger?

I found it here: http://www.vegaindustrialsupply.com/our_products/hangers_and_support_hardware
and here: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Swivel-Rings-13650000

Intplm.

@AMW Any local reputable plumbing supply house should have this. Maybe it can be found at a hardware store too. Sometimes the local older private hardware stores will stock both of these items.

AMW said:

Where can you buy that hanger?

ScottSecor

I am not suggesting your current pipe hanger is right or wrong. However, I would look for some framing that the pipe might be rubbing against. Oftentimes, steel hangers and steel pipe expand at about the same rate. However, wood joists and studs expand at a much different rate. Most noises that we witness are inside the pipe (water hammer, velocity, air in pipes, etc) or from a pipe rubbing against a wooden joist.

Zipper13

mattmia2 said:

The quick and dirty solution would be to try to slip a piece of rubber or heater hose or something of that sort between the pipe and the hanger iron.

I've heard a lot of people here say that a piece of a plastic milk jug is the perfect spacer between the pipe and the hanger to offer some glide. I've used pieces of soda bottle.

Hap_Hazzard

By the way, these are probably the most popular hangers for black pipe: https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-BLCH200-2-Black-Clevis-Hanger
You just get a bunch of these in the appropriate sizes, some brackets (there are different types for different surfaces) some 3/8" ready-rod and a big bag of 3/8" nuts and go hang pipe.

AMW

> By the way, these are probably the most popular hangers for black pipe

Would those reduce the creaking? There doesn't seem to be any rubber on them, or any way they could have more give than the current hangers that I have.

Hap_Hazzard

They can swivel a little at the clevis joint, not that I've ever noticed mine moving all that much. If your pipes are moving a lot, it might be time to skim your boiler. Does the water level in the gauge glass move up and down when the boiler is making steam?

pecmsg

AMW said:

> By the way, these are probably the most popular hangers for black pipe

Would those reduce the creaking? There doesn't seem to be any rubber on them, or any way they could have more give than the current hangers that I have.

They will reduce the creaking over what you have in the picture, if creaking where it goes thru wood small strips from a plastic milk bottle help.

Zipper13

not sure if its been mentioned, but I'm intrigued by these hangers with a roller for the pipe to roll over as it expands. never used them, and I'm sure they are overkill for the minimal amount of expansion that one sees in a residential main, but I like the design, myself.



https://www.grainger.com/product/4LRE2?gclid=CjwKCAiAob3vBRAUEiwAIbs5TsFgrwbrlCXlVJ3MKjkuXUdmWf0MGjJzzXO7UO0RYOFHltQCtaJIVxoCSecQAvD_BwE&cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&ef_id=CjwKCAiAob3vBRAUEiwAIbs5TsFgrwbrlCXlVJ3MKjkuXUdmWf0MGjJzzXO7UO0RYOFHltQCtaJIVxoCSecQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!50916758277!!!g!82128325077!?cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA?campaignid=175663197

Hap_Hazzard

If your pipes are moving enough to need that, something's wrong.

Consider that the take-offs are rigidly connected to the main, and the 45° elbows often rest on the foundation sill, what's going to happen to the sill and/or the runout over time if the main is moving excessively back and forth?

If you're seeing a lot of movement, or hearing a lot of rumbling and creaking whenever your boiler is steaming, you need to skim it.

pecmsg

Zipper13 said:

not sure if its been mentioned, but I'm intrigued by these hangers with a roller for the pipe to roll over as it expands. never used them, and I'm sure they are overkill for the minimal amount of expansion that one sees in a residential main, but I like the design, myself.



https://www.grainger.com/product/4LRE2?gclid=CjwKCAiAob3vBRAUEiwAIbs5TsFgrwbrlCXlVJ3MKjkuXUdmWf0MGjJzzXO7UO0RYOFHltQCtaJIVxoCSecQAvD_BwE&cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&ef_id=CjwKCAiAob3vBRAUEiwAIbs5TsFgrwbrlCXlVJ3MKjkuXUdmWf0MGjJzzXO7UO0RYOFHltQCtaJIVxoCSecQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!50916758277!!!g!82128325077!?cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA?campaignid=175663197

8 or 10" is the smallest I've seen in that style. A little overkill!

ScottSecor

We've used the roller type clevis hangers on larger jobs with four, five, six, eight and ten inch steel mains. They work wonderful, but are not cheap by any means.