How was the fire hydrant invented?

What are Fire Hydrants?

The history of fire hydrants, also known as a standpipes, are located along various points on a water mains network. A hydrant standpipe allows the flow of water from the main to feed an attached firefighter’s hose to put out a fire.

Above-ground fire hydrants got their start in the 1800s, but underground hydrants were in operation in Asia and Europe as far back as the 1700s.

Fire hydrants may be referred to by other common names, such as “fire plug” or “Johnny pump” depending on the locality. In the old days, before fire hydrants were invented, firefighters had no choice but to use bucket brigades or hand pumps to deliver water for putting out fires. 

The Modern Hydrant

Nowadays, firefighters connect their fire hose to the hydrant and opens a valve to release water from the water main to the hose. Hydrants can be fitted with various kinds of valves so that they can be connected to a desired to water source, either pressurized or not.

Most fire hydrants are designed to accommodate a rate of flow of no less than 950 ltr per minute.

There are generally two kinds of hydrants: the dry barrel and the wet barrel. The wet barrel hydrant contains a constant supply of water, while a valve needs to be released to let water flow.

The principal advantage of a dry barrel hydrant is that it avoids the situation where the water supply can get frozen in colder climates. Some wet barrel hydrants are made of bronze in place of iron, or they may be given a rust-resistive coating on the inside.

What’s in a Name?

The barrel of a fire hydrant is what gives its “standpipe” name. Some hydrants may be rounded, while others be more angular.

The outlets are usually made of bronze to ward off corrosion in this vital part that connects to firefighter hoses, but the caps may be of other metal.

Hydrant standpipes are generally manufactured to work with both key and bar or ball valves. They may be available in fixed or swivel heads, and equipped with single or dual-head discharge couplings.

The double or dual-headed standpipes are attached to a common base section, but can be installed as a single head by inserting a blank plug into one of the outlets.

In cases where the standpipe will be tapping a drinking water main, then the practice is to insert a one-way or no-return check valve to prevent contamination of the main water from unsafe water that can flow back from the hose into water system.

For further information regarding your fire hydrant needs, contact one of our expert team at Complete Pumps and Fire today!

Yours in Fire Safety

Alex

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Firefighting has been around for as long as humans have lived in towns, villages, and cities. From fire cauldrons and cisterns that supplied bucket brigades to the modern hydrants that are more brightly colored, this brief history of the fire hydrant explains how fire plugs transformed into the modern, cast iron versions we see today.

Why Are Hydrants Sometimes Called Fire Plugs

Back when city water mains were made of hollow logs, volunteer firefighters would dig down to the main and bore a hole in the pipe, releasing water into the that they would then pump out to use on a fire. Once the fire was out and the water no longer needed, the firefighters would close the hole with a wooden plug.

The city of London replaced water mains after the catastrophic fire of 1666, using pipes with pre-drilled holes and fire plugs that reached above ground level. By the next century, cities began to replace the wood plugs with valves. Portable standpipes could be inserted into the valve plugs. This kind of ground-level valve and standpipe attachment is still in use in many European countries and the UK.

The First Patent on a Fire Hydrant

Credit for the first pillar-style fire hydrant belongs to Frederick Graff, who was the chief engineer of Philadelphia’s waterworks. His invention, which dates back to about 1801, stood above ground with a hose and valve combination at the top. These standpipes were often covered with wood, and the space within the wood was filled with sawdust or manure as a form of insulation. Unfortunately, the pipes had water in them at all times, in what was called a wet barrel design, and were still susceptible to freezing in the winter despite these crude efforts at insulation.

The patent office burned down in 1836, so there is no way of knowing if Graff was ever awarded a patent. In 1838, a Baltimore man named John Jordan received a patent on a design that used an extra valve at the bottom of the pipe, so it could drain completely after use and avoid freezing.

Although Philadelphia had cast iron hydrant covers by 1811, the history of the fire hydrant still continued to evolve. In the mid-19th century, the cast iron fire hydrant as we now know it became available. Called the Matthews hydrant, this model had a spring mechanism that opened a drain valve when the hydrant was shut off after fighting a fire to prevent freezing.

Modern hydrants come in both the dry Matthews style and, in areas where freezing isn’t an issue, a wet barrel style that is always fully charged with water. Hydrants are painted different colors to indicate whether they are on public or private property, the flow rate of the water that will come out of the hydrant, and whether the hydrant is working or defunct.

In New York City, a fire hydrant installation company must be licensed to perform that type of work. The installation must comply with city regulations and pass inspection from the Department of Environmental Protection. When a new hydrant is installed, a DEP inspector is present throughout the project.