What are the functions of indoor fire hydrants?

Indoor fire hydrants are important fixed firefighting facilities within buildings, primarily used for initial firefighting. An indoor fire hydrant system consists of a fire water source, fire water supply facilities, fire water supply network, indoor fire hydrant equipment, and control equipment. It rapidly delivers fire water to the scene when a fire breaks out, slowing the spread of fire and protecting life and property.

1. Rapidly Extinguish Initial Fires
Instant Fire Extinguishment: Fire hydrants provide a steady water source and spray pressure, allowing on-site personnel (such as property management, security, or trained personnel) to quickly extinguish fires in their early stages and prevent their spread.
Controlling Fires: Fire hydrants can be used to suppress fires before the arrival of firefighters, buying time for evacuation.

2. Ensuring Safe Evacuation
Protecting Escape Routes: Fire hydrants can spray water to cool or clear smoke, ensuring the relative safety of escape routes (such as stairways and corridors) and reducing the threat of dense smoke and high temperatures to evacuees. Auxiliary Smoke Exhaust: High-pressure water mist can dilute smoke to a certain extent and improve visibility.

3. Integrate with Professional Firefighting Systems
Linked with Automatic Alarm Systems: In some modern buildings, fire hydrants are connected to automatic fire alarm systems, which, when triggered, directly activate fire pumps for pressurized water supply.
Assisting Fire Brigade Operations: Upon arrival, firefighters can quickly connect fire hoses using the pre-installed connections on indoor fire hydrants, eliminating reliance on external water sources.

4. Wide Range of Applications
Building Types: Widely used in various buildings, including residential buildings, shopping malls, office buildings, and factories, especially high-rise buildings (due to the limited height of external fire truck water supply).
Fire Types: Suitable for extinguishing fires involving solid materials (such as wood and paper) and liquids (such as oil, but note that water is prohibited in certain locations).

5. Legal and Safety Regulations
Mandatory Installation: According to regulations such as the "Code for Fire Protection Design of Buildings" (GB 50016), certain buildings must be equipped with indoor fire hydrant systems.
Regular Inspection: Fire hydrants must maintain normal water pressure and proper equipment to ensure they are always operational.

Key components and functions：

Precautions for Using Indoor Fire Hydrants：

Indoor fire hydrants are important tools for fighting early-stage fires, but improper operation may affect the fire extinguishing effect or even cause danger. The following are key precautions when using them:

(1) Precautions before use
Confirm the type of fire
Applicable fires: solid materials (such as wood, paper) or liquid fires (such as oil, please note that some oil fires may require foam fire extinguishers).
Prohibited scenarios:
Electrical equipment fires (the power must be turned off first, otherwise there may be electric shock or explosion).
Chemical fires (such as metallic sodium and potassium will react violently with water).

Check the status of the equipment:
Make sure the fire hydrant box is unobstructed and the glass door can be broken open quickly.
Check whether the hose and water gun are intact and not damaged, and whether the valve is flexible and not rusted.

Alarm and evacuation:
Press the manual alarm button next to the fire hydrant before use to start the fire pump and notify the fire control room.
Make sure that the on-site personnel have begun to evacuate to avoid affecting the fire extinguishing operation.

(2) Operation steps and safety points
Connect the equipment correctly: Take out the hose, spread it out straight to avoid kinking, connect one end to the fire hydrant outlet, and connect the other end to the water gun. Make sure the interface clip is secure to prevent high-pressure water from washing off.
Open the valve and control the water: Open the valve slowly (to avoid a sudden increase in water pressure causing the hose to swing and injure people).
The water gun is operated by at least two people: one person holds the water gun and points it at the root of the fire, and the other person assists in controlling the water gun.

Spraying skills：
Keep a safe distance (usually 3 to 5 meters) to avoid getting too close and being affected by high temperature or explosion.
Spraying method:
Solid fire: Use a direct current jet to impact the root of the flame.
Liquid fire or smoke area: Use a spray pattern to reduce heat radiation and smoke concentration.

(3) Potential risks and responses
Water pressure backlash: Sudden opening of the valve or damage to the hose may cause the hose to swing violently. The operator must stand firmly and hold the water gun tightly.
Hazard of electric shock: If there are live equipment at the fire scene, the power must be turned off before using water to extinguish the fire (preferably using a dry powder fire extinguisher).
Smoke and high temperature: Wear a smoke mask or a wet towel to cover your mouth and nose, and move forward in a low posture to avoid inhaling toxic smoke.

(4) Handling after use
Close the valve and drain the remaining water in the hose (to prevent freezing or mildew).
Dry the hose and rewind it, put it back in the box, and report the damaged parts for repair.
Cooperate with the fire department to record the fire situation and provide information on the operation process.