In a building, a fire hydrant system is a safety measure or emergency equipment required in some buildings that comprises a series of components that when assembled together provide a source of water to assist fire authorities in a fire.
Putting it another way, a fire hydrant system is a water supply with sufficient pressure and flow delivered through pipes throughout a building to strategically located network of valves for fire-fighting purposes.
In some circumstances, water from a reticulated fire hydrant system can also be shared with other safety measures such as automatic fire sprinkler systems or fire hose reels.
How Does Fire Hydrant Work:
Fire hydrants are usually painted a color, such as bright red or yellow, which helps firefighters to find them easily in case of an emergency. In some areas, local laws require that fire hydrants be painted particular colors depending upon how much water they are able to supply at a particular pressure. This helps firefighters to determine which fire hydrant is the best to use for a particular situation.
Considered an active fire protection device, fire hydrants allow firefighters to access a local water supply quickly. A fire truck will usually haul enough water to allow firefighters to begin to fight a fire while hoses are being connected to the nearest fire hydrant.
Firefighters usually have to use a special pentagonal wrench to remove the valve covers on a fire hydrant. Once the covers are removed, firefighters can attach hoses to the valves. They then open a valve that allows water to flow through the hydrant into the hoses.
Fire hydrants can typically supply a large volume of water. This water is pumped through hoses to the fire truck, where it is pressurized and divided into several streams to supply water to multiple fire hoses at once.
Most fire hydrants today that are used in areas that experience freezing temperatures are “dry-barrel” designs. In these hydrants, the valve is located underground below the freeze line. This means there is no water in the part above ground, thus preventing the hydrant from freezing in cold temperatures.