Testing fire hoses: order, timing, frequency

Fire hoses, which are in service with special units, ensure reliable operation in the event of emergency situations. They comply with the technical specifications and state standards. It is forbidden to operate copies that do not meet the safety requirements. In order to identify and eliminate failures and malfunctions that appear during operation, periodic tests of fire hoses are carried out.

By the way, they relate to equipment on which the effectiveness of fire fighting depends. Their serviceability is determined by inspection from the outside. The procedure is carried out daily upon delivery of the shift, after working with them by responsible specialists. Each of the sleeves is assigned an inventory number. The equipment is tested during commissioning and after certain periods during operation. The date and result of the manipulations are recorded in a special journal without fail.

Features of operation of the suction type of sleeves

Operation is the use of elements to carry out operational actions in emergency conditions, maintenance, accounting, repair, test procedures for fire hoses. Suction models are transported by fire engines in special pencil cases. In motorized pumps there are designated places for the location of this type of equipment. The sleeve is marked with information about the manufacturer, type of standard, internal bore diameter. In addition, its length, manufacturing time, and value of working pressure are listed here. The control equipment is imposed on the connection heads by annealed steel wire with a diameter of 1.9 to 2.6 mm or other anti-corrosion materials. After that, the equipment is tested for tightness in vacuum at hydraulic pressure.

It is forbidden to equip fire engines and motorized pumps with faulty and unverified elements. Determining suitability, fire hoses are tested. Lining materials in the form of tapes are provided for storage of equipment in pencil cases. Carefully remove the sleeves from the transportation site. A sharp drop to the ground due to the danger of getting a break or cracks is not allowed. In order not to form ice plugs in the winter during long-term operation, it is recommended to connect a discharge hose to a free pump nozzle and discharge part of the water back into the reservoir. When drawing up the suction line, sand or dirt is not allowed to enter the junction. In addition, you must not bend the hose, mechanically load and drag along the ground.

Repair work on the suction hoses

Sleeves are repaired if integrity is broken. Failure is revealed by testing fire hoses, the terms of which are strictly observed. Chips, cracks, deep scratches, crushing are visible on the equipment. If there is a relaxation of the tightening clamps to the suction heads, then they are strengthened with a wrench and a lock nut. Repair is carried out in two ways: by applying pieces in the form of patches on the outside of the sleeve using an adhesive composition or using the vulcanization method.

Operation of equipment in the form of pressure hoses

Pressure hoses must be transported in the car body in accordance with the instructions. Marking is applied no further than 15 cm from the outer end of the rolled hose. It contains information about the manufacturer, the internal working diameter, the length of the rolled section, the production time, standard and type.At the other free end is information about the manufacturer. The frequency of testing pressure fire hoses starts from the date of manufacture at the factory. This is evidenced by the accompanying passport. It describes:

• Date of issue;
• name and letter definition of technical conditions;
• party number indicators;
• number of places in it;
• the inner diameter of the equipment;
• total length of transferred pressure hoses;
• OTK stamp with a conclusion on validity.

For transportation, the sleeves are closed with special waterproof covers. When laying for an urgent supply of water to a burning object, they are not bent, they try to bypass burning places and surfaces filled with molten resins and chemicals. In flights of stairs they are passed between marches. For throwing over sharp partitions, special lining in the form of a saddle is used.

If the test of pressure fire hoses did not reveal any defects, but during fire extinguishing there was a leakage, then this is corrected by applying tape or corset clamps. They are removed after the end of the rescue operation, and the place of occurrence of the leak is marked with a chemical pencil. In winter, it is not permitted to roll up the pressure hose without bleeding off the water. If due to negligence freezing occurs along the entire length, then it is transported without excesses on trailers or sleighs.

Pressure hose repair

If hydraulic tests of fire hoses reveal non-compliance with standard requirements, then hoses are repaired. During operation at a burning facility, they often receive damage in the form of burnt areas, punctures, cracks, and gaps. All defects must be repaired by vulcanization with crude rubber. They are also patched with glue. In addition, integrity is restored by the use of chlorite tissue.

Storage technology for suction and pressure hoses

For storage for a certain period only completely dried sleeves arrive. In doing so, attention is paid to the following factors:

• Do not store fire hoses near ozone generating equipment.
• Do not place them near ultraviolet emitters.
• Stacked sleeves for storage protect from direct sunlight.
• Oils, gasoline, kerosene are not allowed on equipment. Contact with steam is forbidden.
• The suction type of hoses is stored on racks in parallel bundles up to 1 m high. At the same time, the temperature is observed: from 25 to 30 ºС.
• Pressure hoses wound into slides are stored upright. Special pallets are made under them to avoid friction with sharp edges. Sometimes, after improper storage, some elements do not stand the test of fire hoses.
• It is not allowed to store other objects on racks with hoses.

Fire Hose Test. Periodicity

The frequency directly depends on the application. Non-operational backup fire fighting equipment is tested after the expiration of the warranty storage time. Pressure hoses in production halls are inspected once every six months. Be sure to check the sleeves of the pressure and suction type after the detection of defects and their elimination. Specialized enterprises test. Inspection of fire hoses should not occur in violation of the timelines. They are established taking into account the methodological recommendations drawn up by the Ministry of Emergencies in November 2007.

External study of fire hoses

External verification of all types of sleeves is carried out at least once every 30 days. And also after use to eliminate fire. The terms of testing fire extinguishers and fire hoses stored in reserve, from the point of view of external inspection, are determined by the frequency of at least once a year.External monitoring is carried out in order to detect damage to the outer walls, gaps, chips, cracks and other defects.

The check is carried out at a temperature of +15 ... + 35 ºС. Relative humidity should range from 46 to 75%. The whole batch is usually not checked. Only three randomly selected samples are examined. The peeling test is first performed after the second year of service of the hoses. The hose is filled with water and measured with a vacuum gauge. Sometimes it is possible to determine the detachment of the inner ball only for the second time. Refilling with liquid using a pump will show a high degree of vacuum.

Leak test

Fire hoses are tested for water passing through the walls of the hoses using hoses that, after repair, did not pass the visual inspection. In addition, instances that are in operation about once every six months are sent for monitoring. The reserve stock of fire equipment stored in the warehouse is subject to hydraulic verification after the end of the warranty period.

Hydraulic Test Procedure

For the entire duration of the tests and after their completion, the walls of the sleeves should not have gaps, swelling of the layers, gaps. The metal braid is in a holistic and non-deformable state. Sleeves that do not pass the pressure test are rejected. The procedure is as follows:

• The test is carried out with excess working pressure. One end of the hose is connected to the pressure pipe. The second - cover with a plug with a tap for bleeding air.
• The valve is not closed until the fluid completely fills the hose.
• Over 10 minutes there is an increase in pressure. It is measured and maintained in the volume that is recommended by the standards for testing hoses of a given diameter and type.

The pressure type hoses operated on mobile cars are tested at a pressure of 1 MPA. But that is not all. For those working options that high-pressure vehicles are equipped with, the test load is raised to 3 MPA. For flax and jute sleeves, this figure is 0.3-0.4 MPA for 5 minutes. After the test, the sleeves are inspected. The second grade allows for the presence of fistulas along the length of not more than 2 cm. The first does not provide for them at all.

Sleeves that have been tested without damage are dried. And they make passports for new hoses and transfer them to work without disturbing the order. The test periods for fire hoses are reviewed and adjusted after each repair and maintenance. Twice a year, they perform inspections during seasonal monitoring of all equipment.

Rolling fire hoses and fitting heads

To keep the hoses in working condition, not only fire hoses are tested. The frequency of equipment rolling is determined by conducting operations over a period of 3 to 12 months. Each quarter (3 months) rewind sleeves located for work in cars. The fire hoses contained in the room are rolled once a year. This check is often combined with hydraulic monitoring. The frequency of testing fire hoses is once a year for water loss. In this case, the coupling of the connecting suction heads is made when the hose is put into operation. The hydraulic test according to the plan, which showed a leak, indicates the need to reconnect it and subject it to a new test.

Hose Maintenance

To maintain the fire hoses in good condition, a set of preventive maintenance measures is carried out. An inspection is carried out, after which the defective items are sent for repair. For storage, preventive maintenance and simultaneous repair, hose posts (bases) are created. Or it is done in parts. Fire hoses brought here are subject to dimensional control at the entrance.The marking and stamp of the labor control department is checked.

The hoses that arrived at the base from a fire in winter are thawed without fail in a warm room until they are completely defrosted. Hoses may be omitted in hot water tanks. In the same bath, the soiled sleeves are soaked from pollution. After thawing and soaking, they are sent to the sink. All types of pressure hoses must be cleaned in a special machine. The hose through the inlet window is charged into the machine, mounted on the edge of the bath. After setting the marks in the working position, close the casing of the device and bring it into action by pressing a button. Sometimes it is recommended to repeat the procedure for complete cleansing.

Rolling the sleeve into a single or double wheel is carried out after complete drying. Sometimes it is produced in a mechanized way using a special device. In it, the beginning of the sleeve is put on the lower coil. And he wound in one layer to the middle. It is placed in the connector of the upper coil, after which the roll goes a second layer.

Sleeve repair by vulcanization method

For the operation, a vulcanizing apparatus is required. Using this method, linen and rubber surfaces of fire hoses with transverse or longitudinal sections are repaired. To carry out repairs, the following tools are required:

• hard brush;
• hammer, scissors, sharp knife;
• 5 wood lining;
• glue brush;
• gasoline, glue;
• wide-eye needles and harsh threads.

The procedure is as follows. First, the gap is sewn with harsh threads. In this case, the stitches are superimposed crosswise. The beginning of the seam is located at least 2 cm from the edge of the cut. There should be about 8 mm between the stitches. After tying the knot with a hammer, tap the seam, aligning it. The patch is made from the surface of the old sleeve. Its size exceeds the cut by 6 cm in length and by 5 in width. Flax patches are not processed, and the rubber layer is removed on rubberized patches. The glued surface is dried and cleaned of dust.

To prepare the adhesive mass, crude rubber is dissolved in gasoline in a ratio of 3: 1. Then stand for about a day, mix. Add the same amount of gasoline and stand for another 3 hours. Then mix - and the glue is ready. The incision site and around it are degreased with any solvent. The glue is applied up to 7 times, carefully drying each layer on the sleeve and patch. The last ball is not dried, but the surfaces are joined and pressed evenly, easily tapping with a hammer. After that, the glued area is placed in the vulcanization equipment, fixed with a clamp and kept at a temperature of up to 140 ºС for about 40 minutes.