In this article, we would like to mention two different kinds of water supply that the fire department use the most — the fire hydrant and landing valve. The former is what we can frequently see on the ground while the latter should be on every floor of a building where hydrants cannot be installed.
A fire hydrant is simply a valve-like device similar in function to your water tap that provides constant water flow when you open it. Firefighters connect their water hose to that big valve that provide pressurized water flow (normally at 65 psi) to fight a fire.
Hydrant systems typically refer to firewater systems for the purposes of municipal or industrial applications. The valves fitted on the hydrant stand posts, as part of the hydrant systems, are called hydrant valves.
To allow easy access for firefighters to extinguish the fire, landing valves are installed on risers of a building, where staircase landings are typically located. For this reason, landing valves can be regarded as all types of valves related to buildings.
The landing valve is considered a core part of the hose system that works as a manual stop valve allowing you to completely control your firefighting system. To activate the water flux of the firefighting system, you simply turn the landing valve handle counterclockwise.
Water pressure matters for high buildings. Therefore, an 11-store building is required to have a fire hydrant on the ground floor and one or two landing valves on each floor.
Fire hydrant valves and landing valves are similar in design, except that they are installed in different places. They are both robust, freeze-proof, and operable under fire testing regulations.
