Suction Hoses
Suction Hose is a specific type of fire hose used in drafting operations,when a fire engine uses a vacuum to draw water from a portable water tank, pool, or other static water source. It is built to withstand vacuum, rather than pressure, abrasion, and heat. In the United States, it is standard equipment according to the National Fire Protection Association standards for fire engines. It is used in both structural and wildland firefighting throughout the world, and is made in various diameters and connection types.
Usage
Suction hose, is a specific type of rigid fire hose used in drafting operations. When using this technique, the fire engine draws water for fire fighting from an unpressurized supply, such as a portable water tank, pool, or other static water source, instead of drawing water from a pressurized water supply, such as a fire hydrant. Under complete vacuum conditions, a pump can lift water 33.9 feet (10.3 m), but no pump on a fire apparatus is capable of producing a perfect vacuum.
Suction hose may also be used to connect a fire engine to a hydrant. This practice is common in Australia, but woven jacket fire hose is normally used for this purpose in the United States. Using suction hose in this manner requires that the fire engine be positioned carefully for the limited flexibility of the hose, and may require multiple firefighters due to the weight and bulk of the hose section.In certain circumstances, it may be possible to use suction hose to draft from a hydrant with adequate water supply but a low flow rate.
These hoses are built to withstand vacuum, rather than water pressure, abrasion, and heat. They are, therefore, constructed differently to the standard fire hose and have different end fittings. In the United States, they are standard equipment according to the National Fire Protection Association standards for fire engines. Since suction hose cannot be folded, it is typically mounted on the side of a fire engine, often opposite ground ladders.Such hose is used in both structural and wildland firefighting throughout the world.
Suction hose can also be used to extend the range of a water tender's dumping capability, if the fittings of the suction hose match those of the tender dumping water. This could be used to fill a portable dump tank not immediately adjacent to the water tender, from which another fire engine can draft. Since water movement during dumping relies on gravity, rather than mechanical pressurization, suction hose is useful for this task.