A fire hydrant, faucet or fire hydrant is a water intake designed to provide a considerable flow in the event of a fire. Water can be obtained from the urban supply network or from a tank, using a pump.

Contenido

Hay dos tipos principales de bocas de incendio.

Exterior fire hydrant

They are located in the vicinity of buildings and are where firefighters can attach their hoses. They can be aerial or buried; In the first case it is a post with its sockets (normally more than one) and in the second, they are located in a box, with a cast iron lid, below the level of the sidewalk pavement.

interior fire hydrant

Also called equipped fire hydrant (BIE), it is located in places in buildings that also have the necessary equipment to make it work (pump room). A BIE is usually in a cabinet, where there is a water inlet with a shut-off valve or theater type valve and a pressure gauge to check the status of the supply at any time.

It has a hose with mandrel joints, folded (folder) or coiled (reeler), with its exit mouth (lance and nozzle). The hoses can be ø25mm (1"), ø45mm (1¾") and ø65mm (2½") (nominal diameter), which allow high water flow rates: 1.6 and 3.3 liters per second, respectively. The ø25mm hose can be used individually, but the 45 and 65 mm hoses must be used with the help of another person. When the valve is activated and opened, it is advisable to hold the lance or hose nozzle to prevent it from starting to lurch due to pressure, as this could injure someone. The nozzle can be adjustable, to allow the output in the form of a full jet or mist. The cabinet where they are located is usually closed with a glass, with the inscription: "Break in case of fire", because anyone must be able to break it in case of fire, to use it.

dry column

Aunque no lo es exactamente, puede considerarse otro tipo de boca de incendio. Es de uso exclusivo para los bomberos. El sistema consiste en una tubería vacía (seca) que recorre el edificio en toda su altura (suele ser obligatoria en edificios que tiene una altura mayor de 20 o 30 m) y tiene ramificaciones hacia armarios con bocas de incendio en cada piso o cada dos pisos, a las cuales los bomberos conectan sus mangueras. A diferencia de los sistemas anteriores, la tubería no lleva agua; esta se introduce en la columna por una boca especial que hay en la fachada del edificio, donde los bomberos pueden conectar la manguera desde un hidrante, desde un camión cisterna o desde un hidrante (sin presión suficiente), pasando por una bomba del camión de bomberos, hasta la boca de la columna seca. Este sistema sirve para evitar desplegar muchos metros de manguera de forma innecesaria y, lo más importante, tener que subir rollos de manguera grandes hasta el piso (alto) donde sean necesarios.