A fire hydrant protection system is use to supply water for preventing ‘A’ & ‘B’ type of fire. It is a pressurized Water piping network that enables the flow of water when any Hydrant valve or monitor being open. Fire hydrant system installation aims to provide water for the firemen to fight a fire.
Hydrant system consist of Water reservoir, Pumping System, Valves, pipe & fittings, Hydrants, monitors, Hose box, Hose Reel etc. Hydrant piping should be laying so strategically that it will cover all hazardous area under protection. An automatic pumping system is used to keep a fixed pressure in the piping network. Normally a jockey pump is used to makeup minor pressure loss of hydrant network due to leakage but during fire when a large volume of water is required, the main fire pump being active and supply adequate volume of water and pressure. The basic installation process of fire hydrant system is mentioned below.
Step 1 of installation
- Hydrants, Monitors, Hose, Hose box etc. must be installed as per standard Fire regulations like NFPA, OISD, TAC etc. as mentioned in tender.
Step 2 of installation
- Hydrants and Monitor must be installed in such a way that it can be accessed easily during fire.
Step 3 of installation
- All hydrants must be kept at the same level and should have the nozzles parallel with or at the right angle with the curb.
Step 4 of installation
- Load bearing capacity of soil should be sufficient to resist the vibration load of Hydrants and Monitor during water discharge.
After completing fire hydrant system installation, the fire hydrant should be moved from the fully closed position to the fully open position and back to ensure that there are no blockages. After this, the hydrant should undergo hydrostatic testing and required to be cleansed and examined for adequate drainage.
These are some of the basic steps required to learn before installing the fire hydrant system. With the help of these steps, the chance of failing in installing the fire hydrant system shall be minimized.