HOSE AND HOSE FITTINGS

Hose
A hose is a flexible tube which is used to convey fluids from point of supply to the point of delivery.
Generally hose may be divided into two (2) categories according to its main use.
1. Suction hose
2.Delivery hose
Suction hose

 Suction hose is employed on the inlet side of the portable pump where water passing through it
is either above or below atmospheric pressure.
 Used between the water supply and the pump, it is larger and more rigid than delivery hose.
 It should be sufficiently strong to withstand air pressure when a vacuum has been created at the
pump and strong enough to withstand maximum hydrant pressure.
 The diameter of the hose depends on the capacity of the pump
Delivery Hose

This type of hose is used between the pump outlet and the nozzle or branch where water passing
through it is at a pressure higher that of atmospheric pressure and is to control and extinguish fires.
These hose are usually constructed of rubber or woven fabric coverings and lined by either rubber or
plastic.
Delivery Hose are further divided into three categories:
(a) Percolating Hose
(b) Non-Percolating Hose
Percolating Hose: Percolating hose is mainly used for forest fire fighting applications. Percolating
hose is made from a jacket, which contains a proportion of yarns to provide wetting and wicking
properties, lined with a very thin lining, which will allow water to seep through without jetting. This
keeps outer jacket wet.
Non percolating Hose: In fire services, non percolating hoses are generally used for delivering water.
These consist of a reinforced jacket, made from polyester or nylon yarns. This type hose an inner
lining of vulcanized rubber fixed to the jacket by an adhesive. The use of non percolating hoses is
recommended as friction losses will be much lesser than that of percolating hoses.

Hose Reel Hose

 A fire hose reel is a cylindrical shaped spindle that is used to roll a hose up and store it.
 It can be made of variety of materials including either: metal, fiberglass, or plastic.
 Hose reels are designed to be mounted out of harm's way yet easily accessible in case of
emergencies.
 Hoses should be kept clear of passageways ladders and stairs.
 The length of a fully extended fire hose is 30 meters with a diameter of 19mm (outside
diameter), carried on a rotating drum.
 These appliances are designed to deliver, as a minimum, 0.33L of water per second.
 A control nozzle attached to the end of the hose enables the operator to control the direction
and flow of water to the fire.
 All fire hose reels come with a unique ball valve shut-off device, a plastic or solid brass hose
reel nozzle.
General Cleaning and Maintenance of Hose
General Cleaning and Maintenance of Hose includes:
1). Washing of Hose
The method used in washing fire hose depends on the type of hose. Rubber hoses require little more
than rinsing with clear water, although mild soap may be used if appearance is important. For woven
jacket hose, however, more care is required. If the dirt cannot be removed by brushing, the hose should
be washed and scrubbed with clear water.
When fire hose has been exposed to oil, it should be washed with a mild soap or detergent, making
sure that the oil is completely removed. The hose should then be rinsed thoroughly.
2). Drying Hose
The methods used for drying hose also depend on the type of hose. Rubber hoses jacket hose requires
thorough drying before being reloaded on the apparatus.
3). Storing Hose
After fire hose has been adequately brushed, washed and dried, it should be rolled and stored in
suitable racks. Hose racks should be located in a clean, well ventilated room

Causes and Prevention of Fire Hose Damage

The common types of damages that can happen to a fire hose:
1. Mechanical damage
2. Heat/Thermal damage
3. Organic damage
4. Chemical contact
Care of Hose
The following are general hints for the care of hose:

 New hose should never be allowed to remain in the cases in which it is received but should be
removed and coil loosened. Hose should be stored in a cool, dry well ventilated place.
 Hose which is unused for long periods should not be allowed to remain in the appliance but
removed and placed on racks.
 Rubber lined hose should have water passed through it from time to time to keep the lining in
good condition, after which it should be thoroughly drained and dried in a hose tower.
 Hose should never be bent or kept at too acute an angle, especially under water pressure, since
this causes a severe strain on the fibers and is a frequent cause of acute breakage, particularly if
the edge under strain is rubbed against a hard surface
Hose Ramp

 To facilitate crossing of vehicles over the charged delivery hoses, the ramps a placed over
them.
 The ramps are so constructed as to have an angle of inclination on both sides.
 Ramps can be made to accommodate one or more hoses. These are made with wood or steel.
HOSE FITTINGS

Valves
1). Ball Valve
2). Butterfly Valve

3). Globe Valve

4). Non return Valve

Landing Valve

The landing valve is considered a core part of the hose system that works as a manual stop valve
allowing you to completely control your firefighting system. The difference between a landing valve
and hydrant valve is that a Landing Valve ideally should be installed in all the floors of a building
whereas hydrant valve is installed in the ground floor.
Collecting Heads

It consists of a metal casting of aluminum or gun metal fitting with two, three, four or six inlets for
Delivery Hose and a single Female Suction Coupling for attaching to the suction inlet of a pump.
Each of the inlets is provided with a non return valve which consists of a metal casing and screwed
into the body of the collecting head.

Breechings
1). Dividing Breechings
2). Collecting Breechings
Dividing breeching is employed to meet those
cases where it is necessary to divide or breech a
line of hose under good pressure into two lines so
that two branches may be used.
A collecting breeching is employed in cases where
the pressure is not adequate and it is required to
step up the same by an additional feed.
Branch Pipe

These are mounted at the end of hose pipe. The purpose of a branch pipe is to increase the velocity of
water and may be defined as a metal fittings between hose and the nozzle that converts pressure
energy into velocity energy to provide the nozzle a solid jet of water for fire fighting.
Controlled branch pipes

1). Hand controlled branch

2). Diffuser branch