How To Hook Up A Frist Free Hydrant To A Water Line

Hydrant maintenance is a vital part of your water utility's responsibilities, keeping fire response operating efficiently. However, it's also a huge time constraint for utility crews that are already pressed for time. Here's what can cause hydrant damage, the results of that damage, how the hydrants are inspected and maintained and tools to help make the job easier.

1. How To Hook Up A Hose To A Fire Hydrant

Here's what can cause hydrant damage, the results of that damage, how the hydrants are inspected and maintained and tools to help make the job easier. If you are connecting the hydrant to a metal water line then you may need to make cutting threads into the water pipe. Fill the base of the hole with half inch gravel to a level at least three inches above the drain opening at the base of the hydrant. To test the functioning of your newly installed frost free yard hydrant, allow the water.

Causes of Hydrant Damage

Electrolysis

Combining brass, commonly found in fire equipment or internal portions of the hydrant, with the main body of cast iron or steel in the fire hydrant causes electricity to move through the system, causing electrolysis. Though it's commonly used in electroplating, it also causes significant damage, essentially causing corrosion to start on the hydrant. This can happen when the stem and operating nut rust together, where the brass stem sleeve joins to the steel upper stem, the steel lower stem and the brass drain valve, and the seat ring compression area where the brass seat ring and the cast iron hydrant elbow meet.

Accidents

As one of the most common causes of hydrant damage, vehicle accidents can cause serious problems for your hydrant system. Whether the accident causes small cracks, bolts that are broken, stems that are bent or the breakaway flange is damaged, preventing accidents that can damage your hydrants can help keep them in operation without expensive repairs. This can be as simple as including a flag on your hydrants to mark their location for snowplows or general traffic.

Failing Valves

In dry barrel fire hydrants, which are used in much of the northern areas of the country, if a valve fails to seal properly, the water either continues to flow into the barrel or fails to drain out, depending on exactly how the valves are failing. In this case, the water that remains in the barrel can freeze in cold weather, blocking vital water from flowing into the hydrant when it's attempted to be operated by emergency services. By regularly testing your dry barrel hydrants, you can often catch leaking valves before they become a problem in the cold months of the year.

Too Much Force with Incorrect Tools

The amount of force that is used on your hydrants can cause damage to them in many situations, If your fire department is done with a fire and are shutting the valve, the water is still flowing, because debris in the system is blocking the valve. Do they stop to exercise the valve to release the debris, after a long, exhausting night of firefighting? Or do they crank down on the operating nut to see if it will close with more pressure, damaging the valve in the process? Too often, the latter is the choice that is made.

Results of Hydrant Damage

Imagine a small town on a winter's evening. There's a cold snap expected, and the heaters are running furiously to keep the cold at bay. Whether it's a worn extension cord run dangerously beneath a rug to prevent tripping hazards, an overloaded circuit or an ancient heater that suddenly malfunctions, a fire breaks out.

Emergency services are called, and the fire department responds to the fire. There's still someone in the house, so they're in a hurry to limit the damage and get that person out. They try to remove the caps from one hydrant, but it was cross-threaded last time it was sealed up, and the crew can't get the cap off. A second hydrant has frozen up due to a faulty drain valve, and a third has a heavily-stripped operating valve, making it difficult to operate the hydrant.

Because none of these hydrants were properly maintained by the time a functional hydrant is found and connected, the entire structure was ablaze. The job of rescuing the individual still in the house has become that much more difficult and dangerous. How much time could have been saved if the hydrants had been properly maintained and marked if out of service?

How to Inspect a Hydrant

Hydrants need to be inspected at least annually, with dry-barrel fire hydrants requiring two inspections annually, typically in the spring and fall. However, to meet ISO standards, there are a number of other details that need to be attended to in addition to twice-yearly inspections. These include:

• Location and number of the hydrant and that it is facing the proper direction with a minimum 15' clearance from the lowest outlet to the ground.
• Any physical damage or defect to the hydrant, as well as the condition of the paint and that it has the proper color code.
• The hydrant's status as a public, private or non-potable, its static pressure reading with date and time.
• Any obstructions on or around the hydrant, if it has a visible auxiliary valve and whether the outlets have been cleaned and lubricated.

There are some specific questions to consider while inspecting the hydrant:

• Are there any leaks during a static pressure test, can you hear the main valve leaking when using a listening device or is there standing water around the base of the hydrant? Does it drain properly?
• Is the hydrant in a dangerous position near traffic that requires relocation or bollards to be installed to protect it? Is it plumb or has it been struck by a vehicle? Do the pumper port and nozzles face the right direction and does it need to be raised or lowered to permit ease of use? Typically, the nozzles should be between 18' to 24' from the ground and should have 3' of clearance in every direction.
• Is it difficult to operate? Are the nozzle and pumper threads in proper working condition or do they need maintenance or replacement? Does it provide sufficient flow for firefighting? Is the paint in good condition and the correct color for your utility's requirements?
• Does it look like the hydrant has been operated illegally? If so, do you need to consider adding protective devices to deter vandalism or illegal usage?

Here are the steps for a proper hydrant inspection:

1. Remove one of the nozzle or pumper caps and use a listening device to listen for leakage in the main valve. Check the barrel for water or ice using a plumb-bob. Pump the water out of the hydrant's barrel, wait a few minutes and then check that water has not leaked through the valve.
2. Put the cap back on, but leave it loose enough for air to get out. Open the hydrant valve so that the air can vent out of the loosened cap, then tighten the cap the rest of the way and open the hydrant fully. Is it easy to operate? If necessary, exercise the operating stem several times to free up buildup and make it operate more easily. If it needs to be lubricated or the stem replaced, put it on the work schedule.
3. Check for leaks around the flanges, nozzles, pumpers, seals and the operating nut. Close the hydrant partially so that you can open the drain outlets, then flush it for 10-20 seconds. Close the hydrant completely, then open a quarter to half turn so that pressure on the thrust bearing or packing is relieved.
4. Remove one of the nozzles or pumper caps (if possible, a different one that previously used to check it for functionality). Attach a diffuser if necessary and a hand valve to control the outflow. Flush the hydrant thoroughly to flush out foreign material, checking the water quality in a plain white cup. Continue flushing until you have good water quality.
5. Once you're done flushing it, close the hydrant and remove the diffuser, putting your hand over the nozzle or pumper to check for suction while the water drains out on a dry barrel hydrant or pump the water out on a wet barrel hydrant. Again using a listening device, check for leakage in the hydrant. Remove and lubricate all of the nozzle and pumper caps, inspecting the threads for damage.
6. Check that the cap chains have ease of movement, unbinding or replacing them as needed. Replace and tighten all of the caps. Determine whether the operating nut needs lubrication or maintenance. Check whether the breakaway flange has been damaged. Collect or verify that the hydrant's GPS location is recorded properly. If a hydrant needs repair or replacement, immediately have it added to the workflow.

Preventative Maintenance

By undertaking the semi-annual inspections of your water utility's hydrant assets, you'll be able to incorporate much of the preventative maintenance into the same process. Regular testing and checking the movement of the nozzles or pumper caps and operational valve ensures that these vital components will work when they're needed. Checking for leakage in the main valve means that the hydrant won't freeze up when the fire department needs to use it.

When these steps are followed, you can ensure that the system will operate properly or that appropriate maintenance can be scheduled to make repairs as needed. If a hydrant needs maintenance, tag it out with an out of service sign so that firefighters don't waste precious during an emergency on a hydrant that is inoperable.

Difference between Wet Barrel and Dry Barrel Hydrants

With different structures and different fire fighting procedures, dry and wet barrel hydrants are used in different parts of the country. But what's the real difference between them? Here's a quick overview to get you started.

Wet Barrel Hydrants:

Wet barrel hydrants have a sturdy, basic design that allows them to operate for well over 100 years. The mechanism is all above ground, with the main valve preventing debris from entering the hydrant. Outlet valves and nozzles are independent, allowing firefighters to add lines to it without shutting the hydrant down to do so. However, these aspects also mean that this type of hydrant is very susceptible to frost, which is why they're typically used in the hot regions of the southern US but not in the northern reaches of the country.

Dry Barrel Hydrants:

Unlike the wet barrel's upper main valve, the dry barrel's main valve is seated at the base of the hydrant. Because this keeps the water line entirely below the frost line, this type of hydrant is much more prevalent in northern climates. When the valve is opened, the water fills the barrel, pressurizing it, and when the valve is closed, the water drains out, eliminating the risk of freezing.

Tools for the Job

• Hydrant Marker 1/2″ Rebar: This hydrant market includes two 4.5' reflective, waterproof stickers on a flag mounted on double-dipped safety orange 1/2' rebar.
• Hydrant Out of Service Sign: This plain, high-visibility disc fits over the nozzle of the hydrant, making it simple to mark hydrants that have been taken out of service for repairs so emergency services can avoid them.
• Hydrant Setter with Spreader Bar: Our hydrant setter uses lifting rings, held apart by the spreader bar, fit over 2.5' hose nozzles and are held in place by the nozzle caps.
• Hydrant Spring Flag w/Reflective Bands: These spring-loaded hydrant flags use galvanized spring steel and features four 6' reflective bands, alternating red and white, to provide superior visibility.
• Hydrant Tag with Cable and Clip: The galvanized cable with duplex clips attach unbreakable tempered nylon that is numbered or lettered on both sides.
• Universal Hydrant Flag Kit: This universal kit has a 4.5' Lexan disc and center-mounted U-clip with stainless steel set screw that will fit any 1/4' to 1/2' steel shaft.

• Hydrant Marker
  1/2″ Rebar

  This hydrant market includes two 4.5' reflective, waterproof stickers on a flag mounted on double-dipped safety orange 1/2' rebar.

• Hydrant Sign
  Out of Service

  High-visibility disc fits over the nozzle of the hydrant, making it simple to mark hydrants that have been taken out of service.

• Hydrant Setter
  w/Spreader Bar

  Our hydrant setter uses lifting rings, held apart by the spreader bar, fit over 2.5' hose nozzles and are held in place by the nozzle caps.

• Hydrant Spring Flag
  w/Reflective Bands

  Made with galvanized spring steel, our spring-loaded hydrant flags have four 6' red and white reflective bands for superior visibility.

• Hydrant Tag
  w/Cable and Clip

  The galvanized cable with duplex clips attach unbreakable tempered nylon that is numbered or lettered on both sides.

• Hydrant Flag
  Universal Kit

  This universal kit has a 4.5' Lexan disc and center-mounted U-clip with stainless steel set screw that will fit any 1/4' to 1/2' steel shaft.

If you need help getting on top of your hydrant maintenance program, Team EJP can help. We stock a number of quality tools and our hydrant maintenance service takes the task off of your to-do list entirely. Please feel free to contact us today to get started.

Updated Oct. 11, 2018

Composed of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, water is one of Earth's basic elements. In the fire service, it's our main suppression tool as it is readily available in large amounts and very effective at cooling burning fuel.

Fire departments will secure their water supply from two basic sources: static source or a pressurized source (hydrant). No matter what type of water supply is established, maintaining it is essential to fireground operations.

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FIRE HOSE KINKING

There is one water-supply killer — kinks in the supply hose. Kinks in hose lines are the number-one cause of firefighters who succumb to the effects of fire due to rapid heat elevation and/or spread and size of fire.

We use water to not only suppress fire but also to protect ourselves from the effects of fire. This protection comes from consistent and adequate pressure and flow to the nozzle. This water supply must be maintained at all times so that no interruption takes place at the nozzle.

When there is a kink in the hose line, flow and pressure are reduced by almost 50 percent — this is a significant reduction. Having two or more kinks only make the reduction greater.

These kinks are the small dominos that line up one after another heading towards handicapping the fireground and the firefighters on the end of the hose line.

Kink-free hose lay

Whenever a supply line is laid out from a hydrant to the pump, the firefighter at either the engine or the hydrant needs to take the time to flake out the hose so that no kinks will be formed when the hose is pressurized.

This can be accomplished by creating loops likened to a figure eight shape when the hose has to change direction, or by creating large curves as opposed to sharp bends.

Each hydrant can be different in terms of the pressure it can supply the engine; there is never a guarantee that the supply pressure form the hydrant will be enough to push out the hose so that kinks will be removed.

With small hose lines, the pump operator can increase the pump pressure in the line to help remove any small kinks that may have formed. But when it comes to the supply line, we are at the mercy of the hydrant.

How To Hook Up A Hose To A Fire Hydrant

To stop the dominos from lining up in this instance, train and exercise the muscle memory to hit the hydrant, lay the supply line, remove the kinks and then charge the line with water.