A fire hydrant (also known colloquially as a fire plug in the United States or as a johnny pump in New York City, because the firemen of the late 1800's were called Johnnies), is an active fire protection measure, and a source of water provided in most urban, suburban and rural areas with municipal water service to enable firefighters to tap into the municipal water supply to assist in extinguishing a fire. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The City of New York Active fire protection (AFP is an integral part of Fire protection. A township (or Municipality) is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous Fires that threaten civilian populations and property to rescue people from car accidents collapsed Buildings near a hydrant may qualify for an insurance discount since firefighters should be able to more rapidly extinguish a fire on the insured property. Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss
The concept of fire plugs dates to at least the 1600s. This was a time when firefighters responding to a call would dig down to the water mains and hastily bore a hole to secure water to fight fires via bucket brigades or, later, via hand pumped fire engines. A water supply network is a system of engineered Hydrologic and Hydraulic components including the watershed or geographic area that collects A Bucket brigade is a method for transporting items where items are passed from one stationary person to the next A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting Fires by transporting Firefighters The holes were then plugged with stoppers, which over time came to be known as fire plugs. This is the source of the colloquial term fire plug still used for fire hydrants today. After the Great Fire of London in 1666, the city installed water mains with holes drilled at intervals, equipped with risers, allowing an access point to the wooden fire plugs from street level. This article is about the Great Fire of 1666 For other great fires in London see Early fires of London or Second Great Fire of London. [1]
It has been claimed that Birdsill Holly invented the fire hydrant, but his 1869 design was preceded by many other patents for fire hydrants, and a number of these earlier designs were produced and successfully marketed. Birdsill Holly ( November 8, 1820 - April 27 1894) was an Inventor. Numerous wooden cased fire hydrant designs existed prior to the development of the familiar cast iron hydrant. Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but identifies a large group of Ferrous Alloys which solidify with a Eutectic. Although the development of the first above ground hydrant in the USA traces back to Philadelphia in 1803[2], underground fire hydrants — common in parts of Europe and Asia — have existed since the 1700s.
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Operation
A hose is attached to the fire hydrant, then the valve is opened to provide a powerful source of water, on the order of 350 kPa (50 lbf/in²) (this pressure varies according to region and depends on various factors including the size and location of the attached water main). For other uses see Valve (disambiguation. For the electronic component see Thermionic valve. The pound per square inch or more accurately pound-force per square inch (symbol psi or lbf/in² or lbf/in²) is a unit of This hose can be further attached to a fire engine, which can then use a powerful pump to boost the water pressure and possibly split it into multiple streams. A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting Fires by transporting Firefighters For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump. Fluid pressure is the Pressure at some point within a Fluid, such as water or air The hose may be connected with a threaded connection or a Storz connector. A threaded pipe is a pipe with screw-threaded ends for assembly For the beer see Storz Brewing Company. Storz is a type of Hose coupling invented by Carl August Guido Storz in 1882 comprised Care should be taken not to open or close a fire hydrant too quickly, as this can create a water hammer which can damage nearby pipes and equipment. Water hammer (or more generally fluid hammer) is a Pressure surge or wave resulting when a fluid in motion is forced to stop or change direction suddenly (Momentum The water inside a charged hoseline causes it to be very heavy and high water pressure causes it to be stiff and unable to make a tight turn while pressurized. When a fire hydrant is unobstructed, this is not a problem, as there is enough room to adequately position the hose.
Most fire hydrant valves are not designed to throttle the water flow; they are designed to be operated full-on or full-off. The valving arrangement of most dry-barrel hydrants is for the drain valve to be open at anything other than full operation. Usage at partial-opening can consequently result in considerable flow directly into the soil surrounding the hydrant, which, over time, can cause severe scouring . A hose with a closed nozzle valve, or fire truck connection, or closed gate valve is always attached to the hydrant prior to opening the hydrant's main valve. A Gate Valve, or Sluice Valve as it is sometimes known is a Valve that opens by lifting a round or rectangular gate/wedge out of the path of the Fluid.
When a Firefighter is operating a hydrant, appropriate Personal protective equipment, such as gloves and a helmet with face shield, are typically worn. Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous Fires that threaten civilian populations and property to rescue people from car accidents collapsed Personal protective equipment (PPE refers to protective Clothing, Helmets, Goggles, or other garment designed to protect the wearer's body or High pressure water coursing through a potentially aging and corroding hydrant could cause a failure, injuring the firefighter operating the hydrant or bystanders.
In most jurisdictions it is illegal to park a car within a certain distance of a fire hydrant. In North America the distances are commonly 3 to 5 m or 10 to 15 ft, often indicated by yellow or red paint on the curb. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit In the UK, yellow lines are used to keep cars from parking over underground hydrants. Parking restrictions are sometimes ignored (especially in cities where available street parking is scarce), however these laws are usually enforced. The rationale is that hydrants need to be visible and accessible in an emergency.
Other uses
To prevent casual use or misuse, the hydrant requires special tools to be opened, usually a large wrench with a pentagon-shaped socket. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Vandals sometimes cause monetary loss by wasting water when they open hydrants. Such vandalism can also reduce municipal water pressure and impair firefighters' efforts to extinguish fires. Sometimes those simply seeking to play in the water remove the caps and open the valve, providing residents a place to play and cool off in summer. However, this is usually discouraged as residents have been struck by passing automobiles while playing in the street in the water spray. In spite of this, some US communities provide low flow sprinkler heads to enable residents to use the hydrants to cool off during hot weather, while gaining some control on water usage.
In most US areas, contractors who need temporary water may purchase permits to use hydrants. The permit will generally require a Hydrant Meter, a gate valve and sometimes a clapper valve (if not designed into the hydrant already) to prevent back-flow into the hydrant. A water meter is a device used to measure the volume of water usage A check valve, clack valve, non-return valve or one-way valve is a Mechanical device, a Valve, which normally allows Fluid Additionally, residents who wish to use the hydrant to fill their in-ground swimming pool are commonly permitted to do so provided they pay for the water and agree to allow firefighters to draft from their pool in the case of an emergency. A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or The term drafting water refers to the use of suction to move a liquid such as water from a vessel or body of water below the intake of a Suction Pump.
Municipal services, such as street sweepers and tank trucks, may also be allowed to use hydrants to fill their water tanks. For the Semi-automatic shotgun known as the Street Sweeper, see Armsel Striker. Often sewer maintenance trucks need water to flush out sewer lines, and fill their tanks on site from a hydrant. If necessary, the municipal workers will record the amount of water they used, or use a meter.
Construction
In areas subject to freezing temperatures, only a portion of the hydrant is above ground. The valve is located below the frost line and connected via a riser to the above-ground portion. The frost line —also known as frost depth or freezing depth —is most commonly the depth that the Groundwater in Soil is expected A valve rod extends from the valve itself up through a seal at the top of the hydrant, where it can be operated with the proper wrench. A wrench or spanner is a Tool used to provide a Mechanical advantage in applying Torque to turn bolts, nuts or This design is known as a "dry barrel" hydrant, in that the barrel, or vertical body of the hydrant, is normally dry. A drain valve underground opens when the water valve is completely closed; this allows all water to drain from the hydrant body to prevent the hydrant from freezing.
In warm areas, hydrants are used with one or more valves in the above-ground portion. Unlike cold-weather hydrants, it is possible to turn the water supply on and off to each port. This style is known as a "wet barrel" hydrant.
Both wet- and dry- barrel hydrants typically have multiple outlets. Wet barrel hydrant outlets are typically individually controlled, while a single stem operates all the outlets of a dry barrel hydrant simultaneously. Thus, wet barrel hydrants allow single outlets to be opened, requiring somewhat more effort but simultaneously allowing more flexibility.
A typical U. S. dry-barrel hydrant has two smaller outlets and one larger outlet. The larger outlet is often a Storz connection if the local fire department has standardized on hose using Storz fittings for large diameter supply line. For the beer see Storz Brewing Company. Storz is a type of Hose coupling invented by Carl August Guido Storz in 1882 comprised The larger outlet is known as a "steamer" connection, and a hydrant with such an outlet may be referred to as a "steamer hydrant" although this usage is becoming archaic. Likewise, an older hydrant without a steamer connection may be referred to as a "village hydrant. "
Appearance
Hydrant coloring may be due either to purely practical criteria or more artistic. In America, the AWWA and NFPA recommend hydrants be colored chrome yellow for rapid identification apart from the bonnet and nozzle caps which should be coded according to their available flow. Class AA hydrants (>1500gpm) should have their nozzle caps and bonnet colored light blue, Class A hydrants (1000-1499gpm), green, Class B hydrants (500-999gpm), orange, and Class C hydrants (0-499gpm), red. This aids arriving firefighters in determining how much water is available and whether to call for additional resources, or locate another hydrant. Other codings can be and frequently are used, some of greater complexity, incorporating pressure information, others more simplistic. In Ottawa, hydrant colors communicate different messages to firefighters; for example, if the inside of the hydrant is corroded so much that the interior diameter is too narrow for good pressure, it will be painted in a specific scheme to indicate to firefighters to move on to the next one. Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. In many localities, a white or purple top indicates that the hydrant provides non-potable water. Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water is termed potable water whether it is used for drinking or not Where artistic and/or aesthetic considerations are paramount, hydrants can be extremely varied, or more subdued. In both instances this is usually at the cost of reduced practicality.
In Germany, most hydrants are located below ground (Unterflurhydrant) and are accessed by a Standrohr which provides the connections for the hoses.
Signage
In the UK, hydrants are located in the ground. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Yellow "H" hydrant signs indicate the location of the hydrants, and are similar to the blue signs in Finland. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Mounted on a small post or nearby wall etc, the two numbers indicate the size of the water main in millimetres (top number) and the distance in metres from the sign (lower number). The Millimetre ( American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to Older signs may use Imperial units. Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act of 1824
In areas of the United States without winter snow cover, blue reflectors embedded in the street are used to allow rapid identification of hydrants at night. A raised pavement marker is a safety device used on Roads. These devices are usually made with plastic ceramic or occasionally metal and come in a variety In areas with snow cover, tall signs or flags are used so that hydrants can be located even if covered with snow. In rural areas tall narrow posts painted with visible colours such as red are attached to the hydrants to allow them to be located during heavy snowfall periods. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time
In Australia, Hydrant signage varies, with several types displayed across the country. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Most Australian hydrants are underground, being of a ballcock system, and a standpipe with a central plunger is used to open the valve. Due to this, hydrant signage is essential, due to their concealed nature.
- Painted markers - Usually a white or yellow (sometimes reflective paint) triangle or arrow painted on the road, pointing towards the side of the side of the road the hydrant will be found on. These are most common in old areas, or on new roads where more advanced signs have not been installed. These are almost always coupled with a secondary form of signage.
- Hydrant Marker Plates - Found on power poles, fences, or street-signs, these are a comprehensive and effective system of identification. The plate consists of several codes; H (Potable water Hydrant), RH (Recycled/Non Potable), P (Pathway, where the hydrant cover can be found), R (Roadway). The plate is vertically oriented, around 8cm wide, and 15 cm high. Found on this plate, from top to bottom, are the following features:
- The codes listed above, Potable/Non-potable at the top, Path/Roadway on the bottom of the plate.
- Below this, a number giving the distance to the hydrant (in meters), then a second number below that giving the size (in millimeters) of the water main.
- A black line across the center of the plate indicated the hydrant is found on the opposite side of the road to which the plate is affixed.
- Plates for recycled water have a purple background, as well as the RH code, normal potable hydrants are white, with the H code.
- Road reflectors or 'Catseyes' - Almost exclusively blue, these are placed on the center line of the road, usually with little indication on which side of the road the hydrant lies. They are visible for several hundred meters at night in heavy rain, further in clear conditions.
Inspection and maintenance
In most areas fire hydrants require annual inspections and maintenance - they normally only have a one year warranty, but some have 5 year warranties. These inspections are generally performed by the local municipalities but they often do not inspect hydrants that are identified as private. Private hydrants are usually located on larger properties to adequately protect large buildings in case of a fire and in order to comply with the fire code. Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a Fire that may result in death injury or property damage alert those in a structure Some companies are contracted out to inspect private fire hydrants unless the municipality has undertaken that task.
Fire Hydrant manufacturers recommend lubricating the head mechanism and restoring the head gaskets and o-rings annually in order that the fire hydrant perform the service expected of them. Lubrication is generally done with a food grade non-petroleum lubricant to avoid contamination of the distribution system.
Occasionally a stone or foreign object will mar the seat gasket. In this case, most hydrants have a special seat wrench that allows removal of the seat to replace the gasket or other broken parts without removing the hydrant from the ground. Hydrants extensions are also available for raising a hydrant if the grade around the hydrant changes. Without extending the height, the wrenches to remove caps would not clear and the break flanges for traffic models would not be located correctly in case they were hit. Hydrant repair kits are also available to repair sacrificial parts designed to break when hit by a vehicle.
Many departments use the hydrants for flushing out water line sediments. When doing so, they often use a hydrant diffuser, which is a device that diffuses the water so that it doesn't damage property and is less dangerous to bystanders than a solid stream. Some diffusers also dechlorinate the water to avoid ground contamination. Hydrants are also sometimes used as entry or exit points for pipe cleaning pigs. Pigging in the maintenance of pipelines refers to the practice of using Pipeline inspection gauges or 'pigs' to perform various operations on a pipeline without
Historical inventions and innovations
The inventor of the injected fire hydrant was James Henry Greathead. James Henry Greathead ( 6 August 1844 - 21 October[[ 896]] was an Engineer renowned for his work on the London Underground railway
Non-pressurized (dry) hydrants
In rural areas where municipal water systems are not available, dry hydrants are used to supply water for fighting fires. A dry hydrant is analogous to a standpipe. A standpipe is a type of rigid Water Piping which is built into multi-story buildings in a vertical position to which Fire hoses can be connected allowing manual A dry hydrant is usually an unpressurized, permanently installed pipe that has one end below the water level of a lake or pond. This end usually has a strainer to prevent debris from entering the pipe. The other end is above ground and has a standard fire hose connector. When needed, a pumper fire engine will pump water from the lake or pond using suction.
Other types
- Water wells are also sometimes classified as fire hydrants if they can supply enough water volume and pressure.
- Standpipes are connections for firehoses within a building and serve the same purpose as fire hydrants in larger structures. A standpipe is a type of rigid Water Piping which is built into multi-story buildings in a vertical position to which Fire hoses can be connected allowing manual Standpipes may be "dry" or "wet" (permanently filled with water).
See also
References
- U.S. Patent 909 -- Issued to John Jorden on September 8, 1838 for ". Active fire protection (AFP is an integral part of Fire protection. A fire extinguisher is an Active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires often in emergency situations Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of Fires ref>NFPA Fire Protection Handbook pg A fire sprinkler is the part of a Fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected such as when a predetermined temperature has For the beer see Storz Brewing Company. Storz is a type of Hose coupling invented by Carl August Guido Storz in 1882 comprised A hydrant wrench is a tool used to remove Fire hydrant caps and open the valve of the hydrant Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common . . a new and useful improvement in Fire-Plugs and Hydrants. . . ". This is an early wooden bodied hydrant, the earliest hydrant patent extant; the patent office itself burned to the ground in 1836, taking with it all prior hydrant patents. A patent office is a Governmental or Intergovernmental organization which controls the issue of Patents List of patent offices For a
- U.S. Patent 37,466 -- Issued to Richard Stileman on January 20, 1863. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common An early iron hydrant, believed the first patented hydrant with the larger size steamer port to supply steam fire engines. Manufactured and marketed as the Stileman hydrant. See also Stileman page at FireHydrant.org.
- U.S. Patent 80,143 -- Issued to Zebulon Erastus Coffin on July 21, 1868. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1868 ( MDCCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap This is a cast iron hydrant very similar to modern fire hydrants, it was produced by Boston Machine Co. See also Boston Machine page at FireHydrant.org.
- U.S. Patent 94,749 -- Issued to Birdsill Holly on September 14, 1869. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1869 ( MDCCCLXIX) is a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Birdsill Holly himself makes no claim in his patent text that he invented the fire hydrant. What is more, his improvements are relatively minor, and today, obsolete. See also Holly page at FireHydrant.org.
- Wohleber, Curt. "The Fire Hydrant". In The American Heritage of Invention & Technology. Winter 2002. Retrieved December 25, 2005. Provides a history with dates of fire hydrant development.
Notes
- ^ Shaw, Eyre Massey Fire Protection, a Complete Manual of the Organization, Machinery, Discipline, and General Workings of the Fire Brigade of London 1876. Pages 24-26. Retrieved February 26, 2007 from Google Book Search. Google Book Search is a tool from Google that searches the full text of books that Google scans OCRs, and stores in its digital database Description, illustration, and operation of London style wooden fire plugs.
- ^ Baker, Moses Nelson Manual of the American Water-works 1888. Page 210. Retrieved October 31, 2007 from Google Book Search. Google Book Search is a tool from Google that searches the full text of books that Google scans OCRs, and stores in its digital database Iron fire-plugs first introduced in Philadelphia.
External links
Dictionary
fire hydrant
-noun
- A device used by firefighters to obtain water from the main. It consists of a barrel, connections for hose and a valve assembly. There are two common types, wet barrel and dry barrel. Hydrants designed to reduce water theft are called custodial hydrants.
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