Interpreting Constant Support Hanger Readings

As the “baby-boomer” generation of power plant operators and maintenance personnel retire, enormous amounts of knowledge are lost. A part of this knowledge regards engineered products that support critical piping as well as boiler and turbine components. One such engineered product is the “constant support hanger”. The constant support hanger is a complex mechanical machine that is intended to provide a constant supporting load to the equipment regardless of the vertical movement experienced. This paper provides insights into how the constant support hanger can be visually inspected to: a.) Help assure that the support is operating properly, b.) How to interpret hanger settings to provide a means to gauge its operation, (c.) Recognize the constant support hanger from its numerous designs, vintages and manufacturers and (d) Provide insights into what can be done if problems are found.