Importance of Choosing the Right Fire Fighting Hoses

Fire hoses have come a long way since their inception about 250 years ago. First made from long strips of leather with their inherent defects, these hoses incorporate high technologies into lightweight, strong, highly functional construction. It is important to choose the latest hoses especially when one considers use in high rise buildings. 

Fire hoses

Fire hoses are available in different types: 

• Type 1:Fire fighting hose with a bare construction
• Type 2:Fire hose with an external coating to serve as protection
• Type 3:Hoses with synthetic polymer coat or impregnated construction for better wear resistance so necessary when hoses must be dragged over obstacles.

Hoses may be classified according to whether they are the collapsible type, non-collapsible type, single jacket, double jacket or rubber single jacket type. The whole idea is to incorporate maximum utilization of the hose during any emergency. 

Importance of Selecting the Right Hose for Fire Fighting 

The hose is the conduit through which water is delivered to fight fire. There can be no compromises on the quality of fire hoses. Important considerations apply when selecting hoses for this application:

Fire hoses

• Flow rate: This is influenced by the diameter of the hose and its internal surface. A coated, smooth surface and larger diameter allow higher flow rate.
• Kinks: Smaller and loose material will make the hose prone to kinks. Hoses used in fire fighting may snap around. Better, multi-layer hoses, even in lengths as long as 1000 feet will not develop kinks.
• Friction loss: This is an important parameter when long hoses are used in high rise fire fighting application. Smoothness of the inner bore contributes to lowest friction translating to higher delivery and the least pressure drop. Diameter of the hose also determines frictional losses.
• Outer jacket: The outer jacket may increase thickness and weight but it also plays an important role in protecting the hose, allowing for higher water pressure and burst resistance feature as well as durability. 

Fire fighting hoses should be flexible to maneuver: try to opt for hoses that are sturdy and thick 

Fire hoses

• Ease of use and maneuvrability: A balance has to be struck depending on the end use of the hose in fire fighting applications. While a70 mm hose may deliver maximum volume of water, it also becomes heavy and difficult to maneuver over longer distances, requiring a team of 3 or more to handle it. On the other hand,38 mm hoses may be easy to handle but exhibit higher frictional loss and reduced delivery volumes. In some cases, higher volume delivery is preferable to higher pressure where larger diameters are better suited to the task.
• Wall thickness and material of construction: Modern manufacturers use lightweight polymer woven and reinforced or braided hoses with appropriate polymeric coatings that make it easy for firefighters to handle extended lengths of large diameter hoses. The multilayer laminated hose may be thinner today but it is inherently more flexible, less resistant to kinks, easier to handle and roll or unroll and superior in performance in critical fire-fighting situations.
• Testing: Quality manufacturers of hoses test hoses to 600 psi (working conditions may be around 200 psi) or even 800 psi while fire departments pass hoses that can withstand 400 psi. Apart from pressure checks the hoses are visually inspected for cracks and holes and they also undergo ageing, abrasion and adhesion tests. 

The hose plays a pivotal role in fire fighting. Compromising on quality and cost can only be self-defeating when saving lives and property depend on the all important water carrying pipeline.