# Fire Hydrant Extension 12"



## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

First one I have ever done :thumbsup:
















Center of Steamer cap must be atleast 18" above ground, do you know why?


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Nice.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

So the wrench will spin.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

Matt said:


> So the wrench will spin.


funny, that fire plug was installed in 83 and now the fire dept wanted it raised.:blink:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

GREENPLUM said:


> Center of Steamer cap must be atleast 18" above ground, do you know why


I'd say offhand the length of the wrench used for removing the cap would be the most obvious reason...

Another would be that many fire departments install a valve on the steamer connection that allows water to flow from the steamer connection through a hose to the fire scene.

An engine arriving later can then hook up to the steamer connection and pump that same line without ever shutting off the flow of water on that line...


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

You forgot to put a protective coating on your extension

Now go back and dig it back up


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

OldSchool said:


> You forgot to put a protective coating on your extension
> 
> Now go back and dig it back up


 
The Fire Dept paints them, I asked before I finished the job.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

GREENPLUM said:


> The Fire Dept paints them, I asked before I finished the job.


Tell them to bring a shovel and a paint brush


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

OldSchool said:


> Tell them to bring a shovel and a paint brush


 
ill head back first thing in the morn, I hope the pipe hasnt rotted away :laughing:


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

GREENPLUM said:


> ill head back first thing in the morn, I hope the pipe hasnt rotted away :laughing:


if you catch it first thing you might be able to save it :laughing:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

The one we used was called a Humat Valve...

Hooked up to the hydrant steamer connection with the hydrant opened water would flow through the connection on the lower right side at hydrant pressure.

The next engine in would tie their intake to the steamer connection on the humat valve and open the valve on the humat steamer connection supplying the pump.

They would then run a line from the pump discharge to the connection on the lower left side of the humat valve and start pumping the line.

When the pressure was increased above the hydrant pressure a clapper valve closes and the lower section is then pumped at higher pressures.

When the fire is knocked and the flow requirements are lower that second engine can then disconnect and leave again without any interruption in flow.

We also gated the side connections on the hydrant so those could be used as well...

Lines attached there would have to be interrupted...


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## 3/4 MIP (Dec 1, 2009)

Besides Plumber, I'm also a Volunteer Firefighter, POC/POP. We don't have anything that racey, just old Hydrant buddies (gate valve).

Did go on a call the other night where a civic missed a turn and took out one of our Hydrants. Lucky for her the shear system worked as advertised.

3/4


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

3/4 MIP said:


> Besides Plumber, I'm also a Volunteer Firefighter, POC/POP. We don't have anything that racey, just old Hydrant buddies (gate valve).
> 
> Did go on a call the other night where a civic missed a turn and took out one of our Hydrants. Lucky for her the shear system worked as advertised.
> 
> 3/4


 
So in movies when a person plows over a fire hydrant, the water doesn't shoot up in air 40 feet, like Hollywood has us believe?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> So in movies when a person plows over a fire hydrant, the water doesn't shoot up in air 40 feet, like Hollywood has us believe?


Maybe about 4' if anything by the ones I have seen that broke off where they flowed...

Still it was a lot of water flowing, but no it takes a nozzle to get distance...


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Fun fact:
fire hydrants are painted in a color coding system per gpm of flow. In some cities........


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## Miguel (Aug 10, 2009)

One thing that amazed me is that they don't have a standard FH thread! Here they're different depending on where the hydrant is installed. Found this out when I ordered one and the guy asks what kind of thread, Ontario or Manitoba? :blink:
"Er, uh, Ontario I guess...", I answered and then he asks if it's being installed in Thunder Bay because they have their own thread!
WTF???

I kinda thought that it would be a national standard if not an international one.


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## dayexco (Oct 12, 2009)

most fire hydrants in a frost area situation, have the valve at the base of the hydrant. the operating nut on top of course, operates the vavle, and most hydrants have a "breakaway", typically near the ground line. in areas where frost isn't an issue, if hit and not protected by a gate valve in front of it...you're on your own, you're going to get wet. most of the hollywood hydrant hits do actually spew water into the air like that....alas, where i live, the breakaway gives, you don't even have to dig em up to repair them


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

This one is a geyser.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Matt said:


> Fun fact:
> fire hydrants are painted in a color coding system per gpm of flow. In some cities........


Yep! We painted the nut on top....
Red, Yellow, Green, Blue...


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Miguel said:


> One thing that amazed me is that they don't have a standard FH thread! Here they're different depending on where the hydrant is installed. Found this out when I ordered one and the guy asks what kind of thread, Ontario or Manitoba? :blink:
> "Er, uh, Ontario I guess...", I answered and then he asks if it's being installed in Thunder Bay because they have their own thread!
> WTF???
> 
> I kinda thought that it would be a national standard if not an international one.


Yes, we had a town next to us that was served by a different water company and they used a different thread so we carried adapters for when we responded for mutual aid calls.

Years ago it was a real headache but when large diameter hoses became popular and Stortz fittings became normal it got a lot easier...:thumbup:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Ron said:


> This one is a geyser.
> 
> YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.


The houses in that neighborhood do have PRV's...:thumbup:

I'm not saying they never spray like Hollywood but it is unusual...

If they color coded hydrants there it would be a blue one...:laughing:


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Redwood said:


> The houses in that neighborhood do have PRV's...:thumbup:
> 
> I'm not saying they never spray like Hollywood but it is unusual...
> 
> If they color coded hydrants there it would be a blue one...:laughing:


Unusual .....are ya sure?:whistling2:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

TheMaster said:


> Unusual .....are ya sure?:whistling2:
> 
> YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.


Yea go down the street and run the one over on your corner...
Seeing as you don't have mountains in the neighborhood chances are you see what I'm talking about...:laughing:


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Redwood said:


> Yea go down the street and run the one over on your corner...
> Seeing as you don't have mountains in the neighborhood chances are you see what I'm talking about...:laughing:


Yes I will bring that up to the water department......"Well boys I've found out the cause behind our low pressure problem.....No Mountains":whistling2::laughing:
Thanks for saving the world...or a piece of it. Redwood u my hero.:thumbup:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Actually TM I'm thinking here that those shooters we see just might be because the hydrants are wet barrels with an elbow real shallow below the ground making a nice clean ramp for the geyser which I personally don't see around here.

Ours would be the dry barrel type so they don't freeze and the break if they don't do the breakaway would be 4-6' underground coming up through the hole in the ground where the hydrant was...

So yes all we see here is about a 4' max geyser...

TM have you been tea bagged yet today?:laughing:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

*Cool information*



Redwood said:


> The one we used was called a Humat Valve...
> 
> Hooked up to the hydrant steamer connection with the hydrant opened water would flow through the connection on the lower right side at hydrant pressure.
> 
> ...


 


Hey thanks Redwood for the info regarding fire hydrants. Question, have you ever installed fire standpipes? NFPA 14 covers standpipes. The reason I ask is because down here in FL the state master's exam had questions on it from NFPA 14. The scope of a plumber's license includes fire standpipes.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Hey thanks Redwood for the info regarding fire hydrants. Question, have you ever installed fire standpipes? NFPA 14 covers standpipes. The reason I ask is because down here in FL the state master's exam had questions on it from NFPA 14. The scope of a plumber's license includes fire standpipes.


No I haven't installed any standpipes its something us service plumbers don't see and The licensing here is separate.

I have been involved with testing systems with the fire department checking flow rates and pressures on new installations with the fire marshal.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)




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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

I though you were going back the next day to paint it or did the fire department paint it :laughing:



GREENPLUM said:


>


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## slowforthecones (Apr 20, 2009)

This link gives a good explantion about how fire hydrants work in San Francisco, Ca. It also explains why hydrants are colored.

http://www.firenuggets.com/murray.htm


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## DIZ (Nov 17, 2010)

The average height of humans is always increasing. I think this is a case of being proactive rather than reactive.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

slowforthecones said:


> This link gives a good explantion about how fire hydrants work in San Francisco, Ca. It also explains why hydrants are colored.
> 
> http://www.firenuggets.com/murray.htm


Nice Link thanks for putting it up... :thumbup:

Damn! Lower Zone Hydrants at 328 PSI... 12,000 GPM... 

Sounds like they don't even need pumpers...
Just a Pressure Reducing Valve...:laughing:


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## slowforthecones (Apr 20, 2009)

Yeah given the geographic make up of San Francisco, California.... the tanks are built by excavating into the hillside at high elevations and using a series of pumps in conjunction with gravity to run.


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