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A fire hydrant, sometimes known as a firecock, is a location where firemen may connect to a water supply. It’s a part of active fire suppression. Since at least the 18th century, underground fire hydrants have been employed throughout Europe and Asia. Above-ground pillar-type hydrants were invented in the nineteenth century.

Water for firefighting had to be maintained in buckets and cauldrons ready for use by ‘bucket-brigades’ or carried with a horse-drawn fire-pump before there were piped mains supply. As wooden mains water systems were being erected in the 16th century, firemen dug down the pipes and drilled a hole for water to fill a “wet well” for the buckets or pumps. The hydrant had to be filled and then plugged, thus the phrase ‘fireplug’ in the United States. A marking would be placed where a ‘plug’ had previously been put, allowing firemen to locate holes that had already been made. Pre-drilled holes and plugs were added to later wooden systems. Permanent subterranean access points for fire fighters were added when cast-iron pipes replaced wood pipes. Some nations cover these areas with access covers, while others install fixed above-ground hydrants; Frederick Graff, then the head engineer of the Philadelphia Water Works, patented the first cast iron hydrants in 1801. Since then, invention has focused on issues such as tampering, freezing, connectivity, and dependability, among others.

The user connects a hose to the fire hydrant, then opens the hydrant’s valve to provide a powerful flow of water, on the order of 350 kPa (50 pounds per square inch gauge (psig); this pressure varies by region and is dependent on various factors, including the size and location of the attached water main). This user may connect this hose to a fire engine, which can enhance the water pressure and perhaps split it into many streams using a strong pump. A threaded connection, an immediate “fast connector,” or a Storz connector can all be used to attach the hose. A user should avoid opening or closing a fire hydrant too rapidly to avoid water hammer, which can damage neighboring pipes and equipment. The water within a charged hose line makes it very heavy, and high water pressure makes it rigid and impossible to perform a tight turn. When a fire hydrant is unobstructed, this isn’t an issue because there’s enough area to place the hose properly.

The majority of fire hydrant valves aren’t designed to control the water flow; instead, they’re meant to be switched fully on or fully off. Most dry-barrel hydrants include a valving design that allows the drain valve to be open while the hydrant is not in full operation. As a result, partial-opening usage might result in significant flow directly into the soil surrounding the hydrant, causing severe scouring over time. Individual outputs can be controlled by gate or butterfly valves installed directly on the hydrant orifices, allowing for equipment connections to be changed without shutting off the flow to other orifices. To handle the huge center “steamer” orifices on many US hydrants, these valves can be up to 12 inches in diameter. Before utilizing a hydrant, it is a good idea to place valves on all orifices because the protective covers are unreliable and can cause serious damage if they fail.

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