In some places, the tops of fire hydrants are painted different colours to let firefighters know how many gallons per minute, or GPM, a hydrant is able to deliver. The higher the GPM, the better the hydrant will be at fighting bigger fires. Blue usually marks the highest GPM, and red the lowest!
Why are some fire hydrants blue and silver?
The colors denote how much water a particular hydrant can provide in gallons per minute (GPM). ... Jackson Energy Authority hydrants follow the recommended NFPA Color Coding for flow and the adopted chrome silver for hydrant body color.
What is the range of a blue fire hydrant?
Orange: 500-1,000 GPM, for a 4-story house that's 50 ft by 50 ft and 40 ft tall. Green: 1000-1500 GPM, for a 4-story house that's 61 by 61 and 40 ft tall. Blue: 1500 GPM or more, for a 4-story house that's 70 by 70 feet and 40 ft tall.30 nov 2017
What do white fire hydrants mean?
White to show the hydrant is a Public system hydrant. Yellow for a Private hydrant connected to a public water system. Red for a special operations hydrant, meaning it's for special purposes and situations only. Violet to suggest that the water is non-potable.28 dic 2020
What color can I paint my fire hydrant?
As shown in the table to the right, hydrant bodies can be painted different colors to signify the system supplying the water: chrome yellow for a municipal system, red for a private system, and violet for a non-potable/reclaimed water system.
The hydrant outlets usually have male National Standard Threads (NST) to mate with fire hose couplings. The smaller outlets, sometimes called the hose nozzles or connections, are 2.5-inch NST. The larger out-lets, sometimes called the steamer nozzles or connections, are 4-inch or 4.5-inch NST.
What does a green cap on a fire hydrant mean?
The tops of hydrants are painted in colors to indicate how much flow they can produce in gallons per minute (gpm). Blue – over 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm) Green – 1000 to 1,499 gpm. Orange – 500 to 999 gpm. Red – less than 500 gpm.
Why is a fire hydrant called a plug?
From the 16th century, as wooden mains water systems were installed, firefighters would dig down the pipes and drill a hole for water to fill a “wet well” for the buckets or pumps. This had to be filled and plugged afterwards, hence the common US term for a hydrant, 'fireplug'.
How do you maintain a fire hydrant?
- Remove one nozzle/pumper cap and, using a listening device, check for main valve leakage.
- Using a plumb-bob, check the barrel for water or ice. ...
- Replace the nozzle/pumper cap, leaving it loose enough for air to escape. ...
- Open the hydrant fully, checking for ease of operation.
Can you put a fence around a fire hydrant?
Fire code requires fences, walls, hedges, or similar obstructions must be a minimum of 3 feet from any fire hydrant.
Why do they put plastic bags over fire hydrants?
The plastic bags protect the hydrants during winter months from salt and de-icing chemicals used on the roadways, which can have a corrosive effect. Public works first began bagging hydrants last year.