I have no picture, because I cannot find it on google. I see it sometimes supporting pipes (I never had to use it, i used conduit ties on my PEX plumbing, it looks neater, holds tighter/don’t have to worry as much about water hammer) Its typically and long thing piece of metal, about 1 inch in width, and has holes evenly spaced along its length and is apparently flexible. I’d like to buy some to have around for quick fixes and such, seems like its very useful. Anyone know what it is?
I’ve never had to use it, but it really does seem like it has much more than one purpose, I can see using it for a variety of things, going to go pick some up (boring day).
You should not have to worry much about water hammer from PEX
because it can flex, it tends to just absorb the jack hammering you might see loose copper pipes doing.
Well the metal pipe could flex, but it was elastic and kept all the energy in the flex in the form of motion… also it would not expand or dimple as much as just simply bend.
Also, its the flexing of the metal pipe that causes jackhammer ?
The PEX can Flex AND deform in shape, and both are done in a more plastic, fluid way, where it transforms the kinetic energy into heat… the molecules rub and friction makes heat. The deforming in shape and therefore ability balloon and to dimple, while unnoticable to your eye, it enough to accomodate the water’s pressure changes… thus dampen the pulses of pressure involved in jackhammer.
Jackhammer is worse with longer lengths of metal pipe, as the total mass (momentum) of the pressure pulse grows, and the ability to bend grows, but the dampening (and hence banging) only occurs at the end or sharp corner… so it bends and bangs at the ends due to the length of water being stopped.
But longer lengths of PEX adds more dampening as every bit along the length is acting to absorb pressure changes and turn the kinetic energy to heat.
So actually, the PEX’s inability to flex is one reason it doesn’t jackhammer… its stiff enough that it doesn’t flop around like a garden house, and also fluid enough in terms of stretch and dimple… so that the pressure waves that do occur doesn’t create wobble.
Quick tip: they make it it copper as well as steel. Just slightly more expensive, but if you’re using it to hang copper pipes, that’s what you want to use to prevent any type of reaction between dissimilar metals. To be honest, you’ll probably just get some green build up (and yes, I know that’s corrosion) but I’ve never seen a copper pipe burst because of it.
Having said all that, the stuff is handy to have around. Also, keep in mine, it’s next to useless on it’s own. You’ll need some (drywall or sheet metal, probably) screws and probably a drill to make it work.
Good to know, I always over think stuff to be on the safe side. It’s great that I don’t really have to worry about hammer with PEX, Had it with metal pipes and that was so annoying to deal with, god forbid I flushed a toilet and turned the faucet off too quick. Bled the pipes out by shutting off water, opening faucets and flushing air through, then had to cut a hole in the wall and essential tie the pipes together and then to a stud and then re-drywall the spot, sadly it was a perfect patch and paint, but was covered by a vanity counter anyway (anger). I just bought some of this Pipe hanger strapping from Menards a few hours ago, some plastic and metal spools. Can’t hurt to have it laying around, i’ll find some clever use for it if not piping. Would have came in handy if I knew what the hell it was when I had metal pipes. I’m a DIYer that doesn’t like half-assed jobs, yet somehow I never knew wtf this stuff was called… sigh
Appreciate this question has already been answered, once, in 1960, for 20 minutes, so I thought I’d chip in with a description of a similar product - known to me as ‘builder’s band’ - it’s just a multipurpose perforated metal strip that is cut to length and used for any number of reinforcement/restraint type jobs.
Enormously useful - I have a run of garden fence that is constructed with slotted concrete posts and wooden panels - in high winds, the wooden panels have a tendency to flex and pop out of their channels - so I cut a bunch of pieces of this stuff and bolted through the panels, straddling the posts - so the whole run is chained together - and last winter, we didn’t lose a single panel
