Dry Hydrants

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Permalink Reply by Adam Gannaway on August 20, 2009 at 6:40pm

We check are dry hydrants in spring time. We do both ways some times we flush them and sometimes not. Depends on who goes out to check them. Everyone has there own way of doing it. We don't really have a sop on checking dry hydrants. We should have one in place but we don't. We should check them more often than what we do, because when that time comes to use them you will know its operating like it should. Great topic don't here much about this issue. Thanks for the discussion.

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Permalink Reply by Todd McKee on August 21, 2009 at 6:39pm

Hey Adam! Thank you, Which way do you prefer to get draft from a dry hydrant?

Todd Mckee

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Permalink Reply by Adam Gannaway on August 21, 2009 at 9:33pm

I would prefer to flush it out first. That way you can get an derbrie away from the pipe. Then you should get a good prime. I test one, one time and could not get it to draft. So we used an 1.5 hand line and flushed it out. Then we tried it again and got a good draft off it. Also after your done drafting pond or lake water be sure to wash your hard suction hoses out and run clean water through your pump. To sum it all up flush it first I think it works better. It might take a few extra seconds to do it, but I think the out come on flushing will be better. Thanks and stay safe.

Todd McKee said:

Hey Adam! Thank you, Which way do you prefer to get draft from a dry hydrant?

Todd Mckee

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Permalink Reply by Todd McKee on August 21, 2009 at 10:42pm

Adam:

I usually just dump my 1/4 to 1/2 if my tank water to flush it. This helps in a few ways; 1) it clears the debris faster than taking a hose line to flush 2) While the water is still in the tube I start to prime, this seems to help with removing air as the water replaces air. The only issue is that you have to get the water to move in a difference direction. Have you tired this?
Todd

Adam Gannaway said:

I would prefer to flush it out first. That way you can get an derbrie away from the pipe. Then you should get a good prime. I test one, one time and could not get it to draft. So we used an 1.5 hand line and flushed it out. Then we tried it again and got a good draft off it. Also after your done drafting pond or lake water be sure to wash your hard suction hoses out and run clean water through your pump. To sum it all up flush it first I think it works better. It might take a few extra seconds to do it, but I think the out come on flushing will be better. Thanks and stay safe.

Todd McKee said:

Hey Adam! Thank you, Which way do you prefer to get draft from a dry hydrant?

Todd Mckee

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Permalink Reply by Adam Gannaway on August 22, 2009 at 6:19am

I have not tried that. Do you use the tanker or pumper to do that? The only way I've done it is with the 1.5.

Todd McKee said:

Adam:

I usually just dump my 1/4 to 1/2 if my tank water to flush it. This helps in a few ways; 1) it clears the debris faster than taking a hose line to flush 2) While the water is still in the tube I start to prime, this seems to help with removing air as the water replaces air. The only issue is that you have to get the water to move in a difference direction. Have you tired this?
Todd

Adam Gannaway said:

I would prefer to flush it out first. That way you can get an derbrie away from the pipe. Then you should get a good prime. I test one, one time and could not get it to draft. So we used an 1.5 hand line and flushed it out. Then we tried it again and got a good draft off it. Also after your done drafting pond or lake water be sure to wash your hard suction hoses out and run clean water through your pump. To sum it all up flush it first I think it works better. It might take a few extra seconds to do it, but I think the out come on flushing will be better. Thanks and stay safe.

Todd McKee said:

Hey Adam! Thank you, Which way do you prefer to get draft from a dry hydrant?

Todd Mckee

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Permalink Reply by Todd McKee on August 22, 2009 at 11:46am

I use a pumper! It is a fast and easy technique that works well once you get used to it.

Todd

Adam Gannaway said:

I have not tried that. Do you use the tanker or pumper to do that? The only way I've done it is with the 1.5.

Todd McKee said:

Adam:

I usually just dump my 1/4 to 1/2 if my tank water to flush it. This helps in a few ways; 1) it clears the debris faster than taking a hose line to flush 2) While the water is still in the tube I start to prime, this seems to help with removing air as the water replaces air. The only issue is that you have to get the water to move in a difference direction. Have you tired this?
Todd

Adam Gannaway said:

I would prefer to flush it out first. That way you can get an derbrie away from the pipe. Then you should get a good prime. I test one, one time and could not get it to draft. So we used an 1.5 hand line and flushed it out. Then we tried it again and got a good draft off it. Also after your done drafting pond or lake water be sure to wash your hard suction hoses out and run clean water through your pump. To sum it all up flush it first I think it works better. It might take a few extra seconds to do it, but I think the out come on flushing will be better. Thanks and stay safe.

Todd McKee said:

Hey Adam! Thank you, Which way do you prefer to get draft from a dry hydrant?

Todd Mckee

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Buechel on August 23, 2009 at 3:16pm

We flush our dry hydrants twice per year. Once in spring after the ice melts, and once in fall. When we operate off of a dry hydrant, we do a straight prime. We only have two dry hydrants that have problems with silt fouling, so the vast majority of incidents/trainings we can pull a prime and get water. We will (usually) only use tank water to "back prime" a dry hydrant in training, due to the urgency of water needs for an actual incident.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Brown on August 26, 2009 at 1:43pm

We always stress at least a 1/4 of the tank be used to backflush before drafting. We would like to complete a flow test twice annually, however we often only get one a year.

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Permalink Reply by FF Timothy Kelly on August 31, 2009 at 3:29pm

Recently spoke with another captain about this same subject. He reccommended that you flush the hydrant with 1/4-1/2 your tank. Then let it sit for 24 hours to allow the debris blown off to settle before you return and draft. His reasoning was that it decreased the amount of debris pulled through your pump. He felt if you draft after flushing the water around the fill opening will be full of debris and drafted into the pump.

We also just build a new dry hydrant with a 6"intake and a 2" pipe immediatedly attatched and slightly angled across the top of the opening. This dry hydrant allows you to flow an 1 1/2 down toward the fill opening before trying to draft. We will see how it works when we test it next spring.

Capt. Tim Kelly
Princeton MA Fire/EMS

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