Don’t leave me hangin’

 

BY PAUL ROHRS,

contributing writer

 

Walk into any hardware store and it won’t take long to find a variety of items designed to hang pictures, cabinets, quilts or curtains. The plumbing and hydronic industry is no different. As an industry, we are required to adhere to codes by correctly supporting supply and return lines for potable water, as well as drain, waste and vent pipe according to the line size we are running. Manufacturers cater to these needs by giving us that same, but expanded variety.

 

A very common method of supporting equipment involves the use of Unistrut. This article will show samples of strut installs and other ideas of how different contractors use it. Not all of these are for hydronic and plumbing use. The installs can range from garage storage rack, to a straight edge for tile, to a bike rack. My point is that your imagination can be your greatest guide.

 

Struts come in many styles: Galvanized or painted, with accessories such as pipe rollers, raceway enclosures, mounting brackets and anti-vibration clamps. These few listed items barely scratch the surface for hardware you can attach, mount or secure with struts. When coupled with the necessary washers, nuts and bolts, you have an arsenal of items to support your project. (Feel free to email me if you would like me to send you a pdf guide from one manufacturer that lists all the strut accessories they offer — paul@biggerstaffradiantsolutions.com. As it is available in different styles and lengths, a chop saw, reciprocating saw, or even a hacksaw will be necessary to cut this to length.

 

A common sight, as in Figure 1, shows a trapeze assembly supporting hot and cold potable water supplies as well as a vent pipe. You can see that even with a small piece of strut and hangers supporting multiple items, there is still plenty of room left if need be. You could hang supply and return lines for heating systems or boiler vents.

 

Figure 2 is a boiler install by Frank Wilsey of “All Steamed Up” in New York City. Frank used strut for a chase for his fuel oil line as well as a convenient mount for an electrical disconnect.

 

Figure 3 is a simple bike rack that was put together. Who doesn’t need more storage room in the garage? If you are like most families with bicycles, it doesn’t take long for bikes to be scattered all over. This was a central way with a little bit of 15/8" painted strut and some “inside 45° brackets to have a way to pull your bike into its own respective stall. Inside that same garage there is a storage rack suspended above the garage door that provides storage space in an otherwise unused area. Figure 4 illustrates an effective place to store frequently and infrequently used items that are now readily accessible. (This was an excellent space for the Christmas tree and ornaments.) It is important to note that this storage rack was supported so that it was above any garage-door hardware. This particular project might also be a good illustration of how engineered steel like unistrut has an advantage over dimensional lumber. The smaller profile of steel, properly supported, can lend itself to long spans.

 

Figure 5 takes us back into the world of hydronics and how strut was used in one job to support a shell and tube heat-exchanger, backflow preventer, a circulator motor, as well as some supply and return piping. The angled bracket built out of strut was built with function in mind. A few linear feet of strut coupled with inside 45° and 90° brackets did not cost much to build and as space was a premium, the amount of wall space used was negligible.

 

In addition to its price, a primary benefit of Unistrut is its availability. Coming from a wholesaling background before becoming a contractor, I commonly referred to strut as an “A” item. There are catalogs available for strut accessories and with a lengthy list, it is up to you to convey your needs and wants to your preferred vendor. Strut clamps for steel and copper are usually readily available as is vibra-clamps. Vibra clamps are just like strut clamps but feature an additional plastic insert that keeps the copper firmly isolated away from steel clamps and strut. One common item I really like is called a “Slick Nut.” Figure 6 shows this small galvanized insert has plastic tabs that, when pushed together, slide directly into the channel and can be easily slid to your desired location before being tightened to secure it to a final location.

There is a tidal wave of solar projects heading our way and it seems that Unistrut is currently, and will continue to be, used in the mounting of solar panels and associated components. Figure 7 is a fine example of how unistrut was utilized in mounting solar collectors to a standing seam roof.

 

I hope this article can be used as an illustrative guide for you and your company to see different uses of Unistrut so that they can be modified to your next project. Again, let your imagination be your guide.

 

Paul Rohrs welcomes your comments. Contact Paul at paul@biggerstaffradiantsolutions.com.