Did you know that in the state of Texas alone, 20,595 structure fires happened in 2010? That was a 4% increase from the previous year.
And in 2015, Texas was one of 3 states that had the most deaths by fire. This statistic is sad, expensive, and often avoidable.
If you own a building, this article’s for you. Regular maintenance of your fire safety system is imperative to saving lives. And money. This process includes inspecting your fire alarm, hydrant, and sprinklers.
Fires occur for many reasons: from careless candles to chemical reactions. The point is: accidents happen. So, if they happen to you, it’s imperative that you’re up to code. A nearby, functioning fire hydrant can truly mark the difference between life and death.
Here’s everything you need to know about fire hydrant repair and maintenance. Read on so you can guarantee that help is there when you need it.
Why Should You Repair a Hydrant?
Fire hydrant repair shouldn’t fall by the wayside. Instead, it should be a top priority.
While built and specifically designed to withstand the years, hydrants still inevitably find themselves subject to wear and tear. Over time, it’s only natural that the condition of the hydrant will begin to deteriorate.
Without regular maintenance and repair, other concerns can arise. Hydrants’ operating nuts, nozzle threads, and hydrant seats can all become victims to physical damage from municipal water purveyors’ and inexperienced contractors’ human error. Typically, this takes the form of over-tightening the hydrant, which can lead to these damages and worse, damage to the main valve or seat ring. Regular maintenance can catch these issues before they manifest into serious, and costly, problems.
Even better, regular maintenance and repair can ensure that no issues occur during the precious seconds firefighters have to fight a fire on your property.
What Does Repair Consist Of?
Maintenance can take the form of any of the following:
- Repairing any worn or damaged parts
- Replacing old parts before damage occurs
- Replacing the O-rings on hydrant’s seat ring
- Removing the main valve assembly and tightening the lower valve plate nut, securing it with a SS lock washer
On top of consistent maintenance, a hydrant needs to stay oiled, too.
Are There Preventative Measures You Can Take?
There are inspections you can perform on a regular basis to check the condition of your fire hydrant. A few options are:
- With the pumper caps in place, open the hydrant fully and pressurize it to check for leak.
- Perform full flow tests (which checks the water source).
- Clean and apply approved lubricant to caps and nozzles/pumpers.
- Apply additional paint if necessary.
- Document your findings.
You can give your fire hydrant a rough up-and-down yourself, but nothing compares to a professional inspection. At the least, this should occur once a year, but biannually or more is recommended.
Not staying updated on your inspection tags subjects you to fines and in the case that a fire should occur with expired tags, the lawsuits would only pile up.
How Much Does Fire Hydrant Repair Cost?
Although fire hydrants are not cheap, they’re a worthy investment. They also cost much less than the reality of being without one should you need it.
Depending on where your hydrant will be, you may or may not need construction done to place it. Any work like this will cost extra. Putting in a fire hydrant includes the price of the hydrant, the installation, and parts.
Contact your local fire safety company for a quote.
Be Ready
Are you working on a to-do list for your building? Packing your calendar with inspections? Then make sure your fire hydrant’s repair is somewhere on the schedule.
Since 2006, the number of fires, deaths, injuries, and money lost [in commercial properties] has decreased. It’s because more managers and building owners are making fire safety a priority. We hope that raising awareness will continue to put a dent in this tragic number.
Don’t stop with the hydrant. Fire sprinklers are also necessary to the safety of the building’s inhabitants, as well as working fire alarm systems.
If you want to learn more about how fire safety saves lives, contact the professionals.