Steps to Maintain A Fire Hydrant System

A fire hydrant system is considered to be an efficient device when it comes to handle a fire, and hence, it’s important to keep a fire hydrant system in a sound condition, so that it can perform all the functions properly as and when needed. No matter whether you are responsible for keeping a business premise secure or you are in charge of the safety of an entire society, you must be careful enough about the maintenance of the fire hydrant systems. Do you see hydrants that are outdated and old and left in an inoperable condition? If yes, this is the high time to take care of these systems and maintain these properly. Not keeping the fire hydrants of your community in a sound condition may turn out to be fatal at times. Here are some important information that will help you maintain a fire hydrant system properly –

• Paint it properly – Hydrants that have been installed before2009, should be painted in such colours that will make these visible under adverse weather conditions and light. In case the hydrants have been installed after 2009, you need to follow the process of coating. Since 2010, the manufacturers of fire hydrants system started to coat these with a double polyurethane enamel paint. This is applied on the hydrants following a hydrostatic process as it ensures a durable and long lasting finish. This paint is quite hard and is resistant to light. In fact, these paints can’t be recoated. In order to recoat these, one needs to clean and sand the surface and remove the glossy appearance. 
• Check the functionality – In order to keep the fire hydrants in a functional condition, it’s important to check the flow of the system. Make sure you open and close the auxiliary gate valves of the hydrant at regular intervals. This will help provide a reliable source of water as and when needed. By checking the flow of water, you will also get an indication of the total amount of flow and pressure available in each of the hydrants. This information is extremely beneficial for the local fire authority and the water service planners. 

These are the two most important tasks that you should perform in order to keep a fire hydrant in a sound condition. There are certain things that you should keep in mind while performing the flow test of a fire hydrant. Here are the things that you must do –

• First off, choose a safe and vast area where the water can flow directly. This is important as the water that flows out of a hydrant can damage the vegetation, landscapes, structures and the private properties of the area. 
• Establish a fixed schedule for testing the fire hydrants every year. 
• Open and close the valves of the hydrant to prevent water hammer. This can also cause breaks in the water mains.  

Since it’s quite costly to replace fire hydrants, it’s crucial to follow a proper maintenance system and follow the exact schedule of check-ups. This ensure proper functioning of these equipment, when needed most.

(Article Source: http://www.loopdesk.com/article/9729/how-can-you-maintain-a-fire-hydrant-system-properly )