logo
logo
Sign in

What Is A Fire Hydrant Flow Test?

avatar
AUFire Protection
What Is A Fire Hydrant Flow Test?

At times of a fire emergency, reliable water sources can be the deciding factor between life and death. The Fire protection association outlines various standards to make sure the hydrant work efficiently in a situation of dire need.

The hydrant flow or pressure tests help in determining the reliability of the hydrant’s pressure and rate of flow at any point of the water distribution system. It is mandatory to get the fire hydrants tested often as per the standards as a fire brigade depends on hydrants than any other fire-fighting equipment.

In this post, you will come to the importance of the fire hydrant flow test and its process.

Conducting a Hydrant Pressure Test

Before starting the test, a professional requires various pieces of equipment such as a hand-held pitot gauge. The hand-held pitot gauge is the instrument used to make the pressure and rate-of-flow readings. A hydrant wrench is used to access the hydrant and carry out the test. 

  • Determine the area of the test by selecting a hydrant that's downstream of and closest to the water supply line from the building to take pressure readings
  • Next, choose a hydrant that is further downstream as a secondary hydrant to take pitot readings. 
  • Unscrew the nozzle cap of the pressure hydrant and attach the pressure gauge to the outlet. 
  • Open the hydrant valve completely and first measure the static pressure reading. Make sure that the water is not flowing
  • Now, open the valve of the flowing hydrant. Beware of the traffic and obstacles nearby; you can also make use of a diffuser. 
  • After 30 seconds make sure that the flow has become steady. You can confirm it by a stable pressure needle. Now record the residual pressure through the pressure gauge of the hydrant. 
  • Next, use a Pitot gauge to measure the discharge rate of the hydrant. 
  • Once the readings are taken, close the hydrant slowly and check for any leaks and make sure that the hydrants are back to working condition.
  • Time to checking of the fire hydrant is a must to ensure efficient working of fire hydrants.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned method will help you know how professionals conduct fire hydrant flow test. With the help of a fire hydrant pressure test, make sure the fire hydrants are in accordance with the Australian fire safety standards. 

collect
0
avatar
AUFire Protection
guide
Zupyak is the world’s largest content marketing community, with over 400 000 members and 3 million articles. Explore and get your content discovered.
Read more