Tech in the field: fire hydrants

You’ll probably see them so often that you won’t even notice they’re there. Fireplaces are one of those things that aren’t fun until you need them, but they are very important. Sometimes you hear it referred to as Firefox, which makes us wonder what a plug-in is all about. Maybe because it’s where you plug your hose in? Turns out, no. The real story is much stranger. Just to mention, did you know there are even “dry” fireplaces?

Apparently, in the 16th century, water channels were made of wood. When a fire broke out, a team would dig through the cobblestones and cut a hole to expose the wooden core. For this Well for filling or pouring buckets. Of course, after the fire, you have to repair the original and it is made with a plug. The city keeps a log of the plugs so in the future, if there is a fire nearby, they can “pull” them instead of making a new hole.

Eventually, the main office will often have plugs that go in, depending on the situation. With metal pipes, it was not so easy, so that’s when we got the modern fire extinguisher. In some parts of the world, you hear firecrackers instead of firecrackers.

We don’t know if it’s true, but apparently fire brigades were paid by insurance companies at one time and often competed to put out fires and thus get paid. When a fire breaks out, they send the worst man forward to protect the hydrant from competing fire companies. As he was often not very attractive, this is thought to be the origin of the phrase “plug ugly”.

Modern times

So, although it is useful and technical, how much can it be to burn water tanks? Turns out, a little. Each country and even region has slightly different ways of doing things, often depending on the climate. For example, in areas where freezing is a problem, the valves are underground below the frost line. Others have the whole thing above ground or below ground.

The cast iron hydrant was first patented in 1801 by Frederick Graff of the Philadelphia Water Works. Interestingly, due to the burning of the Patent Office in 1836, no copies of the patent exist.

In addition to weather-related improvements, the device also had to withstand tampering. There is usually a special drive on the valve that takes a special key or in some countries a cover that you have to remove before you can get into the proper hydrant.

The old cast iron fireplaces looked nothing like what we think of them today. And, as you can see below, the exact details vary greatly from country to country. Even the US has always been a firecracker in our hearts.

Finding water reservoirs can be a problem at night or in the snow, so there are various ways to show them, from reflectors on the road (notice them the next time you pass a water drain) to flags or poles. Marker.

in pressure and dry hydrates

Normally, the fire line has water under supply pressure. In some countries, you can tell how much pressure by the color of the hydraulic cap. Body color can also indicate something. Or there are additional documents. For example, in the United Kingdom, the violet body indicates non-potable water, and external signs often indicate the amount of water.

Even if drainage is not underground, ice can be a problem when trying to find a water supply in a hurry. Code for America has developed an app that cities can use to ask citizens to adopt a fire prevention plan, which means they agree to clean up after a snowstorm.

However, there are also dry reservoirs. These are not pressurized and are usually just a pipe with one end below the lake water level. A fire truck can inject water into the truck’s tanks by contacting Dry Hydrate.

We heard about the biggest firefight in South Carolina, but we were disappointed that it wasn’t working properly.

Banner image: “Fire Hydrant, November 15, 2016” by Maggie Osterberg