Cable Plenum
Data Cable Hanger Options
It used to be that contractors would hang their phone lines and cable off anything including ceiling grid pipe, sprinklers, anything they could get a zip tie on. Fortunately, codes eventually put an end to that practice and most contractors are using some form of data cable hanger.
Bridle Rings.
One of the first data cable hangers were bridle rings. These are simply ¼” rod bent in an open circle. They come in various sizes up to 4″ and have either a ¼”-20 thread for mounting or a screw type end that can be screwed up into wood.
As cable has evolved and become more sensitive, these rings are being used less as the bearing area is two narrow for newer cabling applications. Mineralac has a bridle ring with a built in saddle that makes it acceptable for most newer types of cables.
J Hooks
One of the most popular forms of data cable hangers is the steel j hook. J hooks are just that, a j shaped hook that you can lay your cable in. J hooks come in sizes ranging from ¾” to 4″. J hooks are a very versatile data cable hangers as they are available plain or with hammer on clamps, wings to mount to grid wire and rod, angle clips to mount to threaded rod and many other configurations. Some of these data cable hangers have retainers to keep the cable in check.
Generic metal j hook data cable hangers are now available that can offer some unique styles and will definitely save you money over brand names.
Plastic Data Cable Hangers
One data cable hanger that is gaining popularity very fast is the new strap type hangers. Arlington Industries makes a product called the Loop that is a plenum rated loop that has a closure keeping the cable in check. These hangers have a built in mounting block that makes them easy to mount to the wall, ceiling, threaded rod or to a mounting bracket.
As with the metal j hooks, the Arlington Loop is available with a variety of configurations saving time on the job. One of the biggest advantage of this type of hanger is cost, usually running about half the cost of bridle rings and metal j hook data cable hangers.
How to hang your data cable hangers.
The wide variety of data cable hangers gives you many options for hanging the hangers themselves. When suspending cable runs from a ceiling, many contractors will use either a grid wire or threaed rod. Depending on the ceiling, they may shoot up a wire or a threaded rod hanger or drill in a conrete anchor. If it is a wood or metal deck, they may use a sammy screw (a type of rod hanger) or a ceiling eye lag.
Many applications call for mounting to steel bar joists or beams. As mentioned above, many data cable hangers are available mounted to a hammer on clamp that makes quick work of this type of install. Look for a hanger that can rotate any direction for this application.
If you mount to a wall, it is usually pretty easy, just screw them up. If it is a concrete wall, you may be able to shoot them right to the wall with a Ramset or Hilti gun. If not tapcon will do a nice job.
In conclusion…
Today there is a wide variety of data cable hangers available. All of them offer their own advantages. Most data cable distributors get in a real rut, just being interested in selling you cable and don’t take the time to show you all the new hangers. Take a little time on the net and you will be pleasantly surprised at the wide variety of data cable hangers available to you.
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