can I paint my hydrant?
- Thread starter DCarr2
- Start date
bob15
Well-known member
I would ask the Fire Chief.
Scott H in Wheaton
Well-known member
It's not YOUR hydrant, it is the city's hydrant.
If you ask them, they may paint it for you.
If they don't, and if you paint it the same color as all the others you will probably get away with it.
Go easy on plantings, don't want to block it or interfere with First Responders access to it.
If you ask them, they may paint it for you.
If they don't, and if you paint it the same color as all the others you will probably get away with it.
Go easy on plantings, don't want to block it or interfere with First Responders access to it.
Sawdustmaker
Well-known member
I remember during the Bicentennial year residents in my area were painting fire hydrants to look like Continental Soilders and other related images. Guess it is one of those situations where it is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
I am very aware of easy of access to my hydrant.
I was thinking of merigold flowers... after all, who expects their house to burn down...
I think ill leave it yellow like the rest of the hydrtants on my street, but accent it a little, with some paint, which will make it look better... if I get yelled at whatever... up the road 2 miles their hydrants are a nice red... frankly I want a red hydrant.. LOL
I was thinking of merigold flowers... after all, who expects their house to burn down...
I think ill leave it yellow like the rest of the hydrtants on my street, but accent it a little, with some paint, which will make it look better... if I get yelled at whatever... up the road 2 miles their hydrants are a nice red... frankly I want a red hydrant.. LOL
kd3pc
Well-known member
IN some parts of the country, the color has significance...flow rate, pressure and distance, etc.
I would not be painting them, unless you have written permission...Messing with "fire" stuff is often a federal offense.
I would not be painting them, unless you have written permission...Messing with "fire" stuff is often a federal offense.
As a retired Fire Chief ask your fire department. Even if the city owns them the fire department test them usually. Some are painted to indicate the flow rate of water that they provide. In a fire situation they know how much water to expect out of each color. In my town it didn't matter as they all were poor so we didn't care if someone painted them. Do not plant anything near them. It might prevent them from hooking up or finding it in the dark or a snow storm. Then your house or a neighbor's house might burn down and you would be at fault. Food for thought.
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Bluedodge
Well-known member
I think the hydrant's color is tied in with water pressure and GPM.
Yep - found some info here: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/01/fire-hydrant-colors-actually-mean-something/
Yep - found some info here: http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/01/fire-hydrant-colors-actually-mean-something/
PassnThru
Well-known member
Google search this - Fire hydrant color code
I was very surprised.
I was very surprised.
JuliusPepperwood
Well-known member
Sounds like a recon mission to me
rlitman
Well-known member
It can be in some places. By me, the colors vary with the fire districts. Each one has a unique color scheme.
Oh, and inactive (abandoned, etc) hydrants are NEVER painted in the same scheme as active ones. Nobody wants to hook up a hose to a dry tap.
TacoRunner
Member
As others have said , most every area has colors for a reason. The ones that are red are red for a reason , and yours is yellow for a reason ...Very important for the pump operator and the safety of his guys on the nozzle
JCQuick
Well-known member
yep that's the way it is here
Our first house we had a neighbor 2-3 doors down that painted scenes on the power bot and face on the hydrant and it look awesome. She didn't change the color of the top just the caps. I had a friend /co worker that was battalion chief for the area and he was fine with itdriftpin
Well-known member
We serviced every hydrant once a year, that included removing the port & steamer caps, inspecting them, flushing the hydrant (full-open, many turns) some oil on the gland nut, and painting them if they needed it. Yes, colors show gallons per minute flow rates.
The water dept used to do the maintenance, but when the fire/rescue crews do their own work, the engine company guys get to know their territory a bit better, and it gives them a chance to get out of the station, as 87% of the calls in my jurisdiction were for EMS calls. We ran cross-trained firefighters/EMS workers, since 1975, and advanced life support since 1976. I've been retired for awhile and was one of the first state-licensed paramedics in Florida, I have a two-digit license number, they're over halfway to seven figures now, as the numbering is cumulative.
Sometimes someone hits a hydrant, and takes-off, unless the hydrant leaks, you may not be aware of the vehicle impact, which could result in a dry hydrant just when you need one. Depending on the distance between hydrants, you might need another load of hose laid to you to establish a water supply beyond the 300 gallons most quads or quints carry these days.
We also used to cut the chains on the port caps to make it easier to remove the caps.
The water dept used to do the maintenance, but when the fire/rescue crews do their own work, the engine company guys get to know their territory a bit better, and it gives them a chance to get out of the station, as 87% of the calls in my jurisdiction were for EMS calls. We ran cross-trained firefighters/EMS workers, since 1975, and advanced life support since 1976. I've been retired for awhile and was one of the first state-licensed paramedics in Florida, I have a two-digit license number, they're over halfway to seven figures now, as the numbering is cumulative.
Sometimes someone hits a hydrant, and takes-off, unless the hydrant leaks, you may not be aware of the vehicle impact, which could result in a dry hydrant just when you need one. Depending on the distance between hydrants, you might need another load of hose laid to you to establish a water supply beyond the 300 gallons most quads or quints carry these days.
We also used to cut the chains on the port caps to make it easier to remove the caps.
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Don't take it upon yourself to paint the hydrant any color you want. Simply stop by the fire dept and ask about painting it, you're not rocking the boat.
We gave a woman a quart of paint the other day because she wanted to paint the hydrant in front of her house. We told her to bring back what she didn't use. She mentioned that she might paint a few more in the neighborhood. Our dept is fine with that and last year bought several gallons of paint for the local Scout troop to paint hydrants.
We gave a woman a quart of paint the other day because she wanted to paint the hydrant in front of her house. We told her to bring back what she didn't use. She mentioned that she might paint a few more in the neighborhood. Our dept is fine with that and last year bought several gallons of paint for the local Scout troop to paint hydrants.
RVDan
Well-known member
If it got painted, and nobody knew who did it...
Here, we can't . the colour indicates volume, pressure main size etc . we also have to keep them clear of plantings etc. winter time they ask residents to keep them clear, tho not mandatory
jwh
Well-known member
We had an Inspection Dinner many years ago. The emergency line rung, dispatcher told caller to call back on the business line. Dispatcher also paged the Chief, said: "Hank, the call on the business line is for you."
Turns out one of the local apartment complexes decided for a community project they'd paint the hydrants red, from the yellow they were painted. Caller was very proud of their accomplishment.
Chief said "Sir, they're yellow so we can see them at night, red blends in with the dark. Did you paint the reflective stripe over too?"
"Yes"
"The stripe is a color code for water main size."
"Oh. I guess we screwed up."
"I guess you did"
Not sure who did the repaint job, but the caller really got the wind knocked out of his sails!
John
Turns out one of the local apartment complexes decided for a community project they'd paint the hydrants red, from the yellow they were painted. Caller was very proud of their accomplishment.
Chief said "Sir, they're yellow so we can see them at night, red blends in with the dark. Did you paint the reflective stripe over too?"
"Yes"
"The stripe is a color code for water main size."
"Oh. I guess we screwed up."
"I guess you did"
Not sure who did the repaint job, but the caller really got the wind knocked out of his sails!
John
cdestuck
Well-known member
Better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. Do it. The worse they do is make you repainted it.
Blue XJ
Well-known member
I saved an amazing $3 per year on mine because of the one in my front yard.
Leaflessshadetree
Well-known member
As a firefighter please do not plant around it. A mud pit of flowers is difficult to walk through, work in and make it easy to loose tools (if even for a few seconds).
Repaint the same color is probably a safe move but check with your local officials.
Repaint the same color is probably a safe move but check with your local officials.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
No, the worst is the hydrant is misidentified and they can't put out a fire. More likely is they repaint it themselves and charge $50/hour for a firefighter and $80/hr for a supervisor on a 4 hr minimum to do the work.
In this case, no it's not. A fire hydrant is a life safety device and people's lives can depend on them.
There's not much worse feeling almost having a fire knocked down and running out of water or a fire getting away from you because you can't find a hydrant. During firefighting operations, when you need water, you need it now.
jwh
Well-known member
The house at the end of my street asked the local fire department if she could repaint it. They handed her a gallon of paint and asked her to bring back the extra.
Although I know for a fact it doesn't work. 2 years ago a small apartment building near by caught fire. They tried to run hoses from the nearest 3 hydrants. They didn't work so they started sending the tanker around trying the local hydrants for water. They ended up trying the one at the end of my street and it was dry. As far as I know they never fixed it either. I would be interested in knowing what liability the city has since the hydrants don't work. That apartment building might have been saved if one of the hydrants worked. I have several large fire extinguishers placed around my house and shop. I hope to never need to find out if they fixed the hydrants.
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Although I know for a fact it doesn't work. 2 years ago a small apartment building near by caught fire. They tried to run hoses from the nearest 3 hydrants. They didn't work so they started sending the tanker around trying the local hydrants for water. They ended up trying the one at the end of my street and it was dry. As far as I know they never fixed it either. I would be interested in knowing what liability the city has since the hydrants don't work. That apartment building might have been saved if one of the hydrants worked. I have several large fire extinguishers placed around my house and shop. I hope to never need to find out if they fixed the hydrants.
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rlitman
Well-known member
When I got my homeowner's policy, they asked the distance to a hydrant, and I looked into the hydrant discount. It turns out that they only care if your house is within 500' of a hydrant, or not. It makes no difference if the hydrant is on your property, or your neighbor's (closest hydrant to me is roughly 100' from my property line). And more importantly, most residential neighborhoods will not allow buildings to be erected without a hydrant within this radius. Because of this, developers often have to add hydrants as they put up houses in previously open spaces in order to get a C of O.
My office is one example. It's a new(ish, now) building, and the town required the installation of a hugely oversized water main (and monsterous 24" RPZ valve), in order to accommodate both the new hydrant, as well as the sprinkler system.
My insurer also wanted to know the distance from my house to the nearest fire department. IIRC, you need to be within 2.5 miles (or something like that) to get the better rates (I'm well within a mile).
Back to hydrants, by me, they send out interns with two colors of paint and two brushes in the summer and work their way around each district over the course of a few years painting.
johnnyradiant
Well-known member
I have two on the property I look after. We have to have them serviced every year and we have to paint them every second year. 36" of clear space all around and a min. height to their port is now filed in the unretrievable section of my vault. I know I exceed the height to their delight, but I also know our municipality has loads of their own hydrants that do not meet the height minimum, go figure. There is nothing as fun as having an inspector come by and grouse about a twig extending into the 36" zone by 2" rather than reach in a break it off a foot back himself.
I've seen the Scouts out doing the same, here in Salt Lake.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
Leave it. The colors indicate GPM and water main size.
Tommy
Tommy
Marctrees
Well-known member
jwh - What is an "Inspection Dinner" ??
Anything like a "Bachelor Party"?or "Groom's Dinner" ??
Was there like "Alien Probing" included??
OP post - What a Life to have nothing more serious to "worry" about.
Colon/rectal/ prostate cancer, etc.
Cheating Wife, cheating Husband, Drogas, children in major problems, etc, etc, list goes on.........
Life just ***** big time if your Hydrant is not a pleasant color.
If not a can of paint and brush, any handgun of any caliber w a single bullet properly positioned, will fix the problem.
Leave the hydrant alone and go create something is my advice. Marc
Anything like a "Bachelor Party"?or "Groom's Dinner" ??
Was there like "Alien Probing" included??
OP post - What a Life to have nothing more serious to "worry" about.
Colon/rectal/ prostate cancer, etc.
Cheating Wife, cheating Husband, Drogas, children in major problems, etc, etc, list goes on.........
Life just ***** big time if your Hydrant is not a pleasant color.
If not a can of paint and brush, any handgun of any caliber w a single bullet properly positioned, will fix the problem.
Leave the hydrant alone and go create something is my advice. Marc
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EOC_Jason
Well-known member
I remember seeing in an old neighborhood they painted a few hydrants black... They no longer met the minimum GPM and wern't to be used. A few weeks later they came back with some rings that went on the caps that effectively said the same thing...
I would ask the local fire department if you can repaint it, and if so how to go about it. A hydrant is part of a safety system, it's not there to look pretty...
I would ask the local fire department if you can repaint it, and if so how to go about it. A hydrant is part of a safety system, it's not there to look pretty...
Capt Chrysler
Well-known member
Color = Flow rate here in NE. My son helped on an Eagle project of painting them. FD gave the a map and the paint.
Capt. Chrysler
Capt. Chrysler
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Has anyone mentioned that color indicates flow rate yet?
scottmoyer
Well-known member
I remember them being painted like people when I was a kid in Indiana. They looked cool as you drove down the road and every hydrant was painted differently
tombell572
Well-known member
Mactrees-in New York state, law requires that volunteer fire departments must be inspected by their governing bodies annually. Village fire departments are inspected by the village mayor and board of trustees, city volunteer departments by the mayor and city council, Fire districts by their board of fire commissioners and incorporated fire companies by their board of trustees.
This is and old law dating back to at least the early 1900's and the inspection has become somewhat ceremonial in nature and is usually followed by a dinner or other social gathering.
Brilliant comments by the way-perhaps an **** probe would benefit you.
Tom B.
This is and old law dating back to at least the early 1900's and the inspection has become somewhat ceremonial in nature and is usually followed by a dinner or other social gathering.
Brilliant comments by the way-perhaps an **** probe would benefit you.
Tom B.
ptgarcia
Well-known member
Color doesn't indicate flow rate here. The local FD uses two colors: yellow for standard hydrant and purple for recycled water. I'm not with the FD but I can tell you they don't want you painting their hydrants. My friend had one in his front yard that he polished and it looked awesome!
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
A friend of mine....he and the city went around and around for years about the hydrant in front of his house. He would paint it, then the city would repaint it, then he'd paint it something else. To be honest, I don't know who won, because he moved into another house on his dads land. This had went on for 15 years or so.