Hose Maintenance
DEPARTMENTS
Paul McFadden’s Volunteers Corner
In my last article, we discussed the care and maintenance of some hand tools. This month, I would like to continue with this thought and focus again on some of the more frequently used tools and their required maintenance.
Probably the most used tool in the fire service is hose. Years ago, hose was made from natural fibers and the butts were made of brass. This hose is still around in some departments, but, for the most part, it has been replaced with the newer synthetic hose having either plastic, aluminum, or other “space age” material butts.
The newer hose, although it doesn’t suffer from dry rot like the older hose, still requires care and maintenance if we expect it to function as it should. Again, the first step is purchasing; and buying cheap doesn’t always satisfy our needs.
It is common knowledge that most friction loss is caused by the turbulent action of the water passing through the hose. Therefore, we would not want to buy hose from a manufacturer who does not insure that the inner rubber lining of his hose is as smooth as possible and free from defects. Asking for literature that details the action of hose at different pump pressures will also help in your selection.
Synthetic hose is much lighter than its older counterpart, which is a big advantage especially when operating from standpipes or when having to carry hose into a building and up a number of flights.
The only problem I see with synthetic hose is the fact that many departments feel that since it doesn’t rot, it doesn’t require the same (or close to the same) maintenance as the natural fiber hose.
It is felt that synthetic hose can be repacked wet. Just by walking into a firehouse and breathing, you know if hose was repacked wet. Wet hose that is repacked and left in the hosebed will mildew. The synthetic fibers will not be attacked, but a slime will grow on the jacket and the hosebed will stink.
After an alarm or drill, where the hose has been soaked or, more accurately, where it was exposed to chemicals, acids, etc., the hose should be washed with mild soap and water, then left to dry before repacking. It’s a good idea to have a decent supply of spare hose on hand for replacement.
When we are repacking hose, make sure that it is not folded in the same place every time, as this will cause a permanent crease in the hose that, in turn, will increase friction loss and the propensity to burst.
Obviously, maintenance of the hose jacket is necessary, but it has been my experience that the least cared for parts of hose are the butts, both male and female. How many times have you seen someone dragging hose, allowing the butts to scrape the ground? This does wonders for the male end, and also allows sand and gravel to enter and bind the female swivel. I realize that some dirt is unavoidable, but to pull hose so that the butts are dragging is nothing more than a supervisory and training problem that can easily be rectified.
Most dirt can be removed by simply spraying the butt with a booster line. However, if the female end is loaded, try spinning it in a pail of soapy water.
One compartment on every apparatus should contain replacement washers for every size of hose carried. If this simple rule is followed, washer replacement will be a simple matter that can be carried out on the fireground.
Washers must not protrude into the waterway and they should be free from cracks and cuts. They also should be flexible. It only takes a second to replace a washer—if one is available. However, if the washers are locked up in a storage room in the firehouse, it’s more than likely that they will never be replaced.
One department had a great idea. They took a wire coat hanger, bent it into a circle, put the washers on it, and hung it on a D clip in a rear compartment of the apparatus. The washers didn’t get lost or scattered, and they were always available.
On the end of each attack hose, a nozzle is usually found. I say “usually” because I once saw a company stretch a line without one. Talk about embarrassment.
The nozzle also requires maintenance. All nozzles have washers, and, again, these cannot be forgotten during the inspection and repacking of hose.
A defective washer at the nozzle can be an almost disasterous problem if we use vari-stream type nozzles. Without trying to be dramatic, think of pushing into a fire building and having a stupid washer come apart and block the nozzle’s opening.
One might scoff and say “I’ve never seen that happen.” But we deal with both probability and possibility when entering a fire building. Anything we can do to reduce a potential problem is a plus.
Little things can wreak havoc on the fireground. I once witnessed the chauffeur of a pumper go through all the steps of checking a hydrant at a working fire. Two lines were stretched and in operation when, suddenly, the intake strainer became blocked by a Ziploc bag that had somehow remained in the water main. Talk about fire floor panic. Both lines lost water.
Nozzles, just like hose, should be checked, washed, and set in the proper attack pattern (straight stream), not only after use, but periodically when business is slow.
An old captain once told me, “Paul, firefighters get hurt because of two things. One, they have performed the same task so many times that they get careless; and two, an unexpected, unforeseen, and unexperienced situation occurs.”
We know that we cannot leave every battle unscarred. But attention to detail will reduce not the possibility, but, hopefully, the probability of error and injury.
