Fire Hydrants are of two main types – Dry Barrel or Wet Barrel. As with any fire safety equipment, Wet Barrel inspections are vital to ensure their proper functioning and are usually conducted between once and twice a year. In many cases, companies plan inspection and maintenance simultaneously to avoid duplication of effort. We will review some essential aspects of Wet Barrel inspections.
- What do inspectors usually include in Wet Barrel inspections?
- What makes these Wet Barrel inspections so crucial in maintaining fire safety?
- Why is Fielda ideally suited for easy and efficient Wet Barrel inspections?
What do inspectors usually include: During Wet barrel inspections, auditors document basic information such as the location, make, type, size, and installation date. They have observations with notes on repairs, servicing, or parts replacement needed for action by the Water Distribution Superintendent. Inspections cover more visible items like the exterior condition, the minimum 3-foot clearance space around the hydrant, etc. They also conduct a thorough check on seat leakage, the outlet nozzle cap condition, the smoothness of stem action, etc. Inspectors look for rust, corrosion, damage, leaks, or cracks. They check for hard water residue on stem threads, spillage from outlet nozzle, and o-rings or gaskets under pressure. They also drain the hydrant to remove accumulated foreign material in the pipe and barrel.
What makes Wet Barrel Inspections so important: Wet Barrel hydrants are less common than dry hydrants. They contain water and can freeze or get blocked more efficiently, especially in colder climates. Inspections help manage this risk better. They must be conducted meticulously using Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by bodies such as the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Many hydrants also make operations cumbersome, and inspections can ensure proper proactive maintenance to lower costs, and teams function optimally. Fundamentally, wet barrel inspections ensure these water distribution nodes operate when needed and ensure the safety of life and property.
Advantages of Fielda’s Wet Barrel Inspection Checklists: Inspectors often carry documents, SOP manuals, inspection tools, and minor repair tools as well. Fielda takes a massive load off the inspection team by digitizing the entire data collection process. By eliminating paper and enabling simple digital form filling, Fielda makes inspections infinitely more convenient. Fielda’s intuitive user interface allows inspectors to leverage forms, checklists, and buttons for data capture in a few clicks. This saves time, reduces costs, and improves the productivity and morale of field staff. And the consolidation of inspection data gives operations teams the ability to act immediately on flagged issues.
Reach: Leverage Fielda’s offline data capture to gather inspection data in remote areas with no connectivity
Record: Use customizable forms to input observations in minutes with the ability to add supporting evidence from a mobile device
Rationalize: Lower costs through timely repairs, increase operational efficiency with Fielda’s analytics and reports
About Fielda: Fielda helps companies manage and maintain their assets and gain real-time oversight of all tasks, workflows, and projects to improve operational efficiency, enhance team productivity and impact the bottom line. Whether it’s installations, inspections, repairs, replacement of parts, servicing and maintenance, or routine audits, with Fielda’s mobile data collection, GIS-enabled technology, automated and custom workflows, and analytics, you can eliminate errors, enhance response time, ease workflow bottlenecks, and simplify your field operations.