Fire Hydrant Inspection

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards require that all public fire hydrants be inspected on an annual basis. Fire hydrants can be affected by a number of outside factors, including regular wear-and-tear, accidental damage, vandalism, or mechanical function. If your Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC area building’s fire hydrant needs inspection, call Guardian Fire Protection today. Our certified and trained technicians can ensure that your fire hydrant stays up to code and will be able to protect you and your business in the event of a fire.

Schedule your fire hydrant inspection in Maryland, DC, or Virginia today—contact us online or call (301) 861-0972.

Fire Hydrant Inspection Process

At Guardian Fire Protection, our fire hydrant inspection process is designed to ensure that your building’s fire hydrant meets all proper codes. There are three main steps in our process:

1. We start by opening your fire hydrant fully and letting it flow for at least a full minute. This clears all foreign material out of the fire hydrant and lets it run as smoothly as possible.
2. After stopping the flow we observe the fire hydrant and make sure it drains properly.
3. Finally, we lubricate all fire hydrant stems, threads, and caps to make sure they are in proper operating condition and will be easily accessible to the fire department.

Is your Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC building’s fire hydrant ready for inspection? Call Guardian Fire Protection today to make sure your hydrant is up to code and able to protect you in the event of a fire.

Why Are Fire Hydrant Inspections Important?

The purpose of a fire hydrant is to provide firefighters with a reliable source of water to tap into should a blaze break out in your building. This makes fire hydrants a vital part of the community’s fire protection system, yet it’s easy to overlook the importance of maintaining and repairing these fixtures. Here are the top reasons to make this an annual priority for your business:

• Verify safe operation: Common safety issues with fire hydrants include water leaks, missing parts, rusted bolts, broken couplings, loose nozzles, and other parts in need of repair or replacement. An inspection addresses these safety issues to ensure proper operation if it ever becomes necessary to tap into the hydrant for firefighting purposes.
• Ensure reliable performance: A flow test during a fire hydrant inspection determines if any issues exist that could interfere with the fixture’s ability to help fight a fire. Such issues might include seized operating nuts or caps, low flow caused by partially closed valves, and poorly lubricated parts. Even the fire hydrant’s location is an important consideration in terms of accessibility when firefighters arrive at the scene.
• Check the water flow: A flow test ensures adequate water pressure in all areas of the system. Places with significantly lower flow could have partially closed valves, a problem that can only be identified during a fire hydrant inspection.
• Remove sediment from the system: Dirt, rust, and other debris in your fire hydrant lines could affect performance. A system flush during a fire hydrant inspection clears this sediment from the system.
• Avoid liability issues: If your building succumbs to a fire and you haven’t kept up with annual fire hydrant inspections, you could be in for a nasty surprise when the neglected fire hydrant fails to serve its purpose. This could leave you liable for the damages to your building since your insurance company can cite neglect as a reason to deny coverage. Of course, the damage is also likely to be higher if firefighters can’t tap into the hydrant to help extinguish the fire, resulting in an expensive twofold setback for your business.

Call Guardian Fire Protection for Fire Hydrant Inspections

Guardian Fire Protection has over 40 years of experience providing complete fire protection services for businesses, organizations, government buildings, and restaurants in the Washington, DC area. Our number one focus is your safety—we want to make sure your employees, property, and valuables are safe from the dangers of potential fires.

The best thing about partnering with Guardian Fire Protection is that we are your single source solution for all fire protection services. Our experienced fire safety professionals specialize in all aspects of fire protection, including:

• Commercial kitchen fire suppression
• Fire sprinkler systems
• Fire alarm systems
• Fire suppression systems
• Fire extinguishers
• Emergency lighting
• And more!

Contact us online or by phone at 301-861-0972 to schedule your fire hydrant inspection.