Fire Hydrants – NSF 61

December 1, 2011Jeff Hebenstreit - UL

Issue

• Fire hydrants are not covered by the scope of NSF 61.

• These products are in contact with water in a distribution system as they are connected to the water main.

Types of Hydrants

• Wet barrel– Inner components wetted

• Dry barrel– For areas subject to freezing– Foot valve and elbow wetted when in closed

position

History

• Discussed at the 1995 JC Meeting

• Committee agreed to exclude these products– 1 negative vote

• First excluded in 1997 version of NSF 61

Proposal• Remove the scope restriction

• 1 Purpose, scope, and normative references• • 1.2.3 Fire hydrants are not covered by the scope of this Standard.• • 8 Mechanical devices• • 8.1 Coverage • • This section covers devices, components, and materials used therein, that are used

in treatment/ transmission/distribution systems, and are in contact with drinking water intended for human ingestion, drinking water treatment chemicals, or both. Examples are listed in Table 8.1. Point-of-use drinking water treatment devices and fire hydrants are not covered by the requirements in this section.

8.7 Other mechanical devices, components, and materials Samples for the testing of all other mechanical devices, components, and materials shall be selected according to the requirements of Annex B, sections B.2.3 and B.4.1. Extraction waters shall be selected according to Annex B, section B.2.5. Other mechanical product samples shall be conditioned as indicated in Annex B, section B.4.3. Following conditioning, the samples shall be exposed as indicated in Annex B, section B.4.4.2 and Table B8. Normalization shall be as specified in Annex B, sections B.8.3, B.8.4, and B.8.6, as applicable.

8.7.1 Fire hydrants

The evaluation and normalization of fire hydrants shall be based off of the products wetted surfaces while not in use for fire related uses and maintenance. For both wet barrel designs and base valve designs (dry barrel), the evaluation would only include those materials in contact with water when valve(s) are closed.

Proposal

B.8.6.1 Water main valves and fire hydrants

Water main valves and fire hydrants connected to water main ≥ 4” shall be normalized with the assumption of twenty products per mile of pipe. An example normalization calculation is provided in Table B11 for water main valves.

International Fire Code - Spacing

FIRE-FLOW REQUIREMENT(gpm)

MINIMUM NUMBER OF HYDRANTS

AVERAGE SPACING BETWEEN HYDRANTSa, b, c

(feet)

MAXIMUM DISTANCE FROM ANY POINT ON STREET OR

ROAD FRONTAGE TO A HYDRANTd

1,750 or less 1 500 2502,000-2,250 2 450 225

2,500 3 450 2253,000 3 400 225

3,500-4,000 4 350 2104,500-5,000 5 300 180

5,500 6 300 1806,000 6 250 150

6,500-7,000 7 250 1507,500 or more 8 or moree 200 120

TABLE C105.1 NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF FIRE HYDRANTS