Fire Hydrants

Fire Hydrants

Fire hydrants are an integral part of our national fire safety infrastructure. They are utilised by the fire brigade to access water from the local mains supply.

Primarily located in public footways or highways they are typically installed, owned and maintained by water companies or local fire authorities. However, when fire hydrants are located on private or commercial property the maintenance responsibility lies with you.

Underground fire hydrants require regular inspection and maintenance in accordance with BS 9990. This ensures they will work in an emergency situation allowing the fire brigade to connect their hoses in the vicinity of the fire to access water more easily.

Fire Hydrant Testing

BS 9990 requires hydrants to undergo an annual test and inspection, as well as an inspection by a competent and qualified person every six months.

The maintenance and testing of private fire hydrants is the responsibility of the owners/occupiers on whose land they are installed – they will not be maintained by either the water company or the fire service. These hydrants are generally located on large sites such as hospitals, military establishments and industrial estates, but may also be installed to provide cover for specific at-risk properties.

The person responsible for the fire hydrant should make periodic inspections of all hydrants on a weekly or monthly basis. Of special concern are fire hydrants which are located on private water mains and are not the responsibility of the local water company or the fire and rescue service.

During the inspection and test, the condition of the following should be checked and noted for remedial action if necessary:

• Pits
• Frames
• Covers
• Surface paving around the edge of frames
• Depth of outlet below the frame (this should be no greater than 300mm)
• Method of indication by means of hydrant indicator plate.

Our engineers ensure that any production of water from hydrants will not be carried out when water is likely to freeze and cause a slip hazard. They also guarantee that correct signage is displayed and placed on the road to face oncoming traffic, ensuring the necessary warnings are given to other personnel in the area. All engineers wear high visibility clothing when inspecting or testing hydrants and treat safety as a high priority.

After each inspection or test, our engineers ensure that the hydrant pit is left empty and clean. This is then photographed for our customer’s records, giving peace of mind and and assurance of the quality of our work. Our engineers also make sure that the hydrant cover plate is refitted securely over the pit.

Fire Hydrants
Fire hydrant flow testing
Hydrant maintenance
Hydrant servicing
Hydrant testing