FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM

Manoj Kumar Bhujel

Senior Fire Officer
Aerodrome Rescue & Firefighting Division
Tribhuvan International Airport
COURSE OF STUDY

• What is Fire Hydrant System?

• Types of Fire Hydrant
• How do Fire Hydrant work ?
• Limitations of Fire Hydrant
 WHAT IS FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM?
• A Fire Hydrant 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.
• Being one of the oldest but yet the most effective
and common fire fighting system solution, a well
designed and a well laid out Hydrant System forms
the backbone of the entire fire fighting system.
• A fire hydrant is a pipe that allows water to flow
from a water main with the control of a valve in
order to put out a fire. It throw water with great
pressure.
 TYPES OF FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM

There are two types of pressurized fire hydrants :

1. Wet-barrel
2. Dry-barrel
TYPES OF FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM…

1. Wet-barrel –
In a wet-barrel design, the hydrant is
connected directly to the pressurized water
source. The upper section, or barrel, of the
hydrant is always filled with water, and
each outlet has its own valve with a stem
that sticks out the side of the barrel.
TYPES OF FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM…

2. Dry-barrel –
In a dry-barrel design, the hydrant is
separated from the pressurized water source
by a main valve in the lower section of the
hydrant below ground. The upper section
remains dry until the main valve is opened by
means of a long stem that extends up through
the top, or bonnet, of the hydrant. There are
no valves on the outlets. Dry-barrel hydrants
are usually used where winter temperatures
fall below 32° F (0° C) to prevent hydrant from
freezing.
TYPES OF FIRE HYDRANT SYSTEM…
 HOW DO FIRE HYDRANT WORK ?
Fire hydrants are connected to a large water supply through
underground pipes. When firefighters arrive on the scene, they
connect a hose to the side of the hydrant. Once the hose is
connected, a special wrench with a pentagon-shaped socket is
used to turn the nut on the top of the hydrant. This unique tool is
not widely available, so only authorized people, like firefighters,
can use hydrants. Once the nut is turned, it opens a valve deep
underground that allows water to start to flow into the hydrant.
 WHY ARE SOME FIRE HYDRANTS DIFFERENT
COLORS?
The two most common colors for fire hydrants are bright shades of
red and yellow. These colors are used because they stand out,
which makes hydrants easier to find in emergencies. In some
places, the tops of fire hydrants are painted different colors to let
firefighters know how many gallons per minute (GPM) a hydrant is
able to deliver. The higher the GPM, the better the hydrant will be
at fighting bigger fires. Blue usually marks the highest GPM, and
red the lowest!
 LIMITATIONS OF FIRE HYDRANT
There are few limitations of fire hydrant :
1. Special equipment are require to open fire hydrant.
2. This need to be handle by trained person.
3. It has to be manually activated.
4. The flow of Fire Hydrant System is so strong that, there are two
men required to hold the water hose.
5. Fire Hydrant System, may cause damage to the instruments or
machines.
 FIRE HYDRANT
In Summary:
There are two basic types of fire hydrants, wet barrel and dry
barrel. Both are attached to the water main, the same water main
that supplies water to homes in the community. The wet barrel fire
hydrant has a valve opposite the opening. Open the valve and water
is available for use. With the dry barrel fire hydrant the valve is located
several feet below the ground. These hydrants are used in areas
where it can freeze. In this case, the valve stem is in the top of the
hydrant. When you open the valve water travels from below the
ground, up the barrel and is available to all of the outlets at the same
time. When you shut down a dry barrel fire hydrant there is another
valve at the bottom of the barrel that opens and drains the
water...protecting the hydrant from freezing.
THANK
YOU !