Installing fire hydrant

[Farmer Bob]

We are currently building a new shed which requires 45,000 litre firefighting tanks. Was thinking it may be easier and cheaper to fit a fire hydrant as the main is next to the road beside steading.
Problem I can see is the main which supplies us and the village looks to be only 25mm.( It's exposed at the moment for repairs.) I would have thought this wouldn't supply enough water for a hydrant? Although there is a hydrant off this line further down the road though sadly too far away for us to use.
Anyone done this successfully? What are the limiting factors e.g. main supply size/ flow? What are the rough costs?
Thanks.

 

[Bongodog]

Surely they are asking for the firefighting tank due to the main being inadequate ? 25mm is little better than a domestic supply, the hydrant itself is 64mm diameter.

 

[Farmer Bob]

Surely they are asking for the firefighting tank due to the main being inadequate ? 25mm is little better than a domestic supply, the hydrant itself is 64mm diameter.

New buildings over a certain size need to be within 100 m of hydrant or water tanks capable of supplying 45,000 litres of water. I agree that 25 mm pipe won't feed a bigger pipe with anything like the required flow, though it's odd that this same pipe does feed a hydrant 300 m further down the road?

 

[Doing it for the kids]

You could find a 45k water tank for maybe £10k might be easier to do that.

Not sure I would want to rely on a 25mm pipe to put out anything of value!

 

[Agri Design]

@Farmer Bob By far the cheapest and easiest way to provide the appropriate water storage is to us the following, £1,515.00 ex vat
https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/agri.../49000-litre-galvanised-steel-water-tank.html

You should contact the fire brigade to check if they require as large a tank they sometimes allow you to us a smaller one.

Regards
David
Agri Design

 

[Farmer Bob]

I think that's what we'll end up doing. Just looking at all possibilities, thought someone might have been able to shed some light on if a hydrant is do-able.

 

[Farmer Bob]

Thanks for the link @Agri Design If we go for a tank would like to use it for spray water too. Might as well get the use out of it if it's going to be here.

 

[Agri Design]

@Farmer Bob Its do-able but cost prohibitive. In theory you should have a hydrants distributed around the building so that every external elevation of the building is within 60m from a hydrant, I don't have a current cost for them but last time I priced it all up the hydrants were well over 4 time the cost of the above linked tank.

The tank should always have 45m3 of water in it but the larger tanks aren't much more money that way you could have 3/4 of the tank for fire the rest for sprayer for example..
David
Agri Design

 

[MickMoor]

@Farmer Bob By far the cheapest and easiest way to provide the appropriate water storage is to us the following, £1,515.00 ex vat
https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/agri.../49000-litre-galvanised-steel-water-tank.html

You should contact the fire brigade to check if they require as large a tank they sometimes allow you to us a smaller one.

Regards
David
Agri Design

Don't forget you stll havre to install it and then fit the liner and cover (such fun!). I would check with the local fire brigade what outlet they recommend, and also where they would prefer it to be sited. Last one I did, they weren't keen on squeezing past the potential fire to connect their hoses.

 

[Agri Design]

Don't forget you stll havre to install it and then fit the liner and cover (such fun!). I would check with the local fire brigade what outlet they recommend, and also where they would prefer it to be sited. Last one I did, they weren't keen on squeezing past the potential fire to connect their hoses.

There is a whole section in the Scottish building regs that cove the access of appliances and water supplies, Sections 2.13.3 Alternative water supply & 2.12.2 Vehicle access routes, and in Scotalnd farm buildings come under these regulations. Most of the fire brigades up here are happy to suck out over the top of the tank but best to check.

David
Agri Design

 

[KennyO]

@Agri Design perhaps you could advise on a similar problem I have. Trying to get a warrant for a new building and they are not excepting the existing hydrant we have for the new shed. Existing Hydrant is approx 80m from new building at its closest point.

Building control are suggesting we need a new hydrant or a 45,000lt tank.

@Farmer Bob what solution did you use in the end.

 

[Turra farmer]

We are currently building a new shed which requires 45,000 litre firefighting tanks. Was thinking it may be easier and cheaper to fit a fire hydrant as the main is next to the road beside steading.
Problem I can see is the main which supplies us and the village looks to be only 25mm.( It's exposed at the moment for repairs.) I would have thought this wouldn't supply enough water for a hydrant? Although there is a hydrant off this line further down the road though sadly too far away for us to use.
Anyone done this successfully? What are the limiting factors e.g. main supply size/ flow? What are the rough costs?
Thanks.

Dig a pond and put a handstanding int next to it

 

[Farmer Bob]

I ended up buying two new 25,000 litre tanks connected together. Going to connect them up to the mains at some point. One has fire brigade coupling and the other sprayer coupling so we can use if need be. For us the hydrant looked to be a dearer option and also needed to get on with the building warrant.
Have heard of someone needing to put in two hydrants as one was apparently not enough.

 

[KennyO]

Dig a pond and put a handstanding int next to it

I am tempted to do that and definitely would if we were building at other end of steading next to wood.

Going to look into a tank cause i need to get on with warrant and cant be arsed agrueing with them. Might do similar to @Farmer Bob and use it for sprayer fill. Would allow us to make a better sprayer filling site.

 

[Frodo2]

I took the tank option and got building warrant and I do make sure it has water in it. I do however wonder how much use it would be in a fire and a proper hydrant might give more piece of mind. Also no maintenance costs (albeit they are small).

 

[KennyO]

I took the tank option and got building warrant and I do make sure it has water in it. I do however wonder how much use it would be in a fire and a proper hydrant might give more piece of mind. Also no maintenance costs (albeit they are small).

There is a Hydrant at the other end of our steading, but within 100m, but apparently that is not good enough and we need a new hydrant or alternative supply. I am sure that the firefighters would pipe from existing hydrant before they used a tank supply but I may be wrong. Need to get warrant progressed to will probably just admit defeat and get a tank.

Judging from the response I got from Building Control we will need a new tank or hydrant for every new building that is over 280m2.

 

[Frodo2]

Seems a bit over the top when one we'll maintained hydrant would be preferable.

Is it a major expense to put in another hydrant?

Print of the statute for building warrants and point out to them that they have the power not to follow the rule book.

 

[Steevo]

@Agri Design perhaps you could advise on a similar problem I have. Trying to get a warrant for a new building and they are not excepting the existing hydrant we have for the new shed. Existing Hydrant is approx 80m from new building at its closest point.

Building control are suggesting we need a new hydrant or a 45,000lt tank.

@Farmer Bob what solution did you use in the end.

100m is the distance I think.

 

[Steevo]

There is a Hydrant at the other end of our steading, but within 100m, but apparently that is not good enough and we need a new hydrant or alternative supply. I am sure that the firefighters would pipe from existing hydrant before they used a tank supply but I may be wrong. Need to get warrant progressed to will probably just admit defeat and get a tank.

Judging from the response I got from Building Control we will need a new tank or hydrant for every new building that is over 280m2.

Best option is speak to the firefighters themselves. Have done so recently and found them very helpful indeed and very practical.

Apparently the flow rates for hydrants are only a guide anyway-if the water main outside your property can’t supply the 25l/sec required, then they can’t expect the required rate from you either.

 

[KennyO]

Seems a bit over the top when one we'll maintained hydrant would be preferable.

Is it a major expense to put in another hydrant?

Print of the statute for building warrants and point out to them that they have the power not to follow the rule book.

Have just looked at the Technical Handbook and it says 60m from every side of building in the 2017 version. Also states hydrant 6m from building. Damm sure if a shed full of straw is on fire they are not going to park their engine within 6m of building.

This cause may help

• any other means of providing a water supply for fire-fighting operations considered appropriate by the fire and rescue service.

will need to try and speak to local Fire Brigade and BS.