A Fire Hydrant Valve is a pipe fitting that help to regulate, direct or control the flow of fire suppressing agents by opening, closing or partially obstructing passageways in the hose connectors. Non-return valves stop the fire suppressing agent from flowing in the wrong direction.
With the hose attached to the fire hydrant, the valve can be opened to provide a powerful flow of water to extinguish a fire. Fire hydrant valves provides access to water supply for the purpose of fighting fires. The water supply may be pressurized or un-pressurized. Every hydrant has one or more outlet to which a hose may be connected.
Most fire hydrant valves are not designed to throttle the water flow; they are designed to be operated full-on or full-off. The arrangement of most dry-barrel hydrants is for the drain valve to be open at anything other than full operation. Usage at partial-opening can consequently result in considerable flow directly into the soil surrounding the hydrant, which, over time, can cause severe scouring. Where a hose has a closed nozzle valve, or connects to a fire truck or closed gate valve, one must always attach the hose to the hydrant before opening the hydrant’s main valve.
There are 5 different types of valves to choose from, see their specifications: