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- Mercy Wamuyu
- Safety Training
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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE OF FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT
GENERAL CHECK - UP FOR ALL PORTABLES
Dust
All equipment must be well dusted.
Paint
A standard color has to be maintained. A coat of paint is recommended and especially where equipment are kept in adverse weather conditions.
Rust
Rust and corrosion is an indication of equipment having become old and weak and may not withstand operating pressure. Great care must be observed on those weak points as these areas might have holes. In this case, the extinguisher must be condemned, removed from site and replaced with a new one.
Operating Instructions
All equipment’s must have a clear instruction label on the front side indicating how one is supposed to use the equipment in case of fire. Old torn labels must be replaced.
Wall Mounting
Loose hanging extinguishers are very dangerous and may cause injuries. Wall fixing brackets must be securely mounted.
Sealing
All extinguishers must be sealed after every certified service.
Safety pin / Cap / Clip
Every extinguisher must have a safety pin, clip or cap.
Maintenance procedure
Stored Pressure Extinguishers
This type of extinguisher is pressurized should not be opened in the field unless one has confirmed its empty and one has the refilling gear for it. Confirmation should be made by physically checking the pressure gauge. If it’s found non- operational, refilling should be done in the workshop. Check the gauge position; turn the cylinder upside down several times to check the condition of the powder. Extinguishers which are found to be faulty and therefore not refillable are condemned and used ones destroyed and replaced with new ones. For normal service, the general check-up procedure is followed for all extinguishers as well as checking the gauge to ensure it is in the correct location. The gauge is a circular glass faced instrument on the side of the grip valve, which has three levels starting from 0 to about 18 bars. It is red in color at the left side level. When the pointer is at this level, it means that the extinguisher is empty or under charged and therefore needs pressurizing. The middle level is green, which indicates the extinguisher is okay. The third position is red. At this point, the equipment is overcharged which is not recommended. On other extinguisher models you may find the gauges located on the cylinder body. If you find the cylinder empty and you are not carrying the filling gear, taking it to the workshop is advised.
Cartridge Type Extinguishers
Follow the general check-up for all extinguishers. Other procedures will involve opening the extinguisher to get access to the internal parts of the cylinder e.g. cartridge, which holds the pressurizing agent and siphon tube which releases the extinguishing agent. You will also note the level of the extinguishing agent. Check on the weight of the cartridge, which is normally indicated on the body as full, empty and content weight. An exchange with a charged one is required if content weight is 10% less. Water type cartridges are P.V.C. coated to rust and corrosion. Check whether the siphon tube and discharge hose are blocked by blowing through. Check that all the moving parts are free and well lubricated. Seals should also be in order. Broken or worn out seals should be replaced.
Foam Extinguishers
The service procedure for Foam extinguishers is the same one used for Water type. The major difference is the extra chemical added to the water in a 9Litre cylinder. The ratio of water to foam chemical is 8:1. There are various types of foam chemicals used in the field though the most common we have is AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam 6%) which is clear in color.
Dry powder Extinguishers
These come in various sizes; from 0.5Kg to 12Kg. Normal general service procedure should take place first. The extinguishing agent is a fine ground powder which comes out freely on discharge. Once exposed to the moisture or after several years without service, it tends to cake together and this makes it difficult to discharge as it will block the siphon tube and discharge hose. Caked powder should be completely replaced. In both pressurized and cartridge types, the most important thing is to ensure that the powder inside the cylinder runs freely. This is done by turning the cylinder several times upside down.
TROLLEYS
These are big extinguishers, which are on a wheeled carrier for ease of movement.
Cartridge Operated Trolley Extinguisher
The content weight is normally indicated on the container body. The expellant agent normally Co2 cylinder 2kgs or 5kgs is tied beside the extinguishant cylinder. This acts as the cartridge and the weight is also indicated as full, empty and content weight. Scale balance is used to establish weight. Always ensure that the powder content is free flow.
Pressurized Type Trolley Extinguisher
Follow general check-up procedure. Check gauge position. Turn equipment upside down. This can only be done by two people because of the weight.
Products
HOSE REEL SYSTEM
There are 2 common types;
i. Fixed Type
This is fitted in a fixed position and doesn’t move and it’s only suitable for areas which you do not need to rotate the plate.
ii. Swing Type
It’s fitted in areas where you need to shift the plate to the desired location. Swinging recessed is suitable for areas where the hose reel forms a part of a conform like recessed cabinets.
They all come in a standard plate comprising of hose tubing and nozzles in sizes of 1” or 3/4”and a length of 30m or 60m. The hose assists in fighting a fire at a safe distance area from a building before it spreads. The nozzle assists the water to come in high jet spray or both combined. A booster pump is connected to this system to give adequate pressure to the water. Minimum water throw should be at least 7 to 9m away from the location of the fire upwards.
Maintenance procedure
· Check the free movement of the reel and condition of control arm.
· Ensure that the rubber hose is not broken or worn out
· Check for leakages normally caused by worn-out ‘O’ rings which should be replaced.
· Ensure the nozzle is giving the three modes of jet, spray, and jet/spray.
· Confirm the gate valve is closing and opening.
Booster pumps
These are electrically operated machines for boosting pressure to the hose reel system. They normally operate automatically on reduction of a set pressure level. They start automatically once the hose reel valve is opened and stops once closed. If it fails to start, check whether the power supply is okay. Failure to this, check whether the pump has tripped and reset. If running but there is no pressure, pump has to be taken to workshop for further observation.
HYDRANT SYSTEM
These are large manual/ automatic systems, which provide large volume of water for fighting big fires. They are suitable where a fire may spread rapidly and require more water to put off.
A hydrant system comprises of piping, hydrant valves and pump installed as required on a particular site. Hydrant valves should be supplied with fire hoses and nozzles for delivering the water to required points.
Maintenance procedure
· On servicing, check free opening and closing of valve.
· Lubricate if necessary.
· Confirm the seals are not worn-out
· The fire hose should be run-out and checked for leakages
· The pump must be checked to ensure it is giving rated pressure
· Another aspect of hydrant system is that it can incorporate foam units to cater for fires involving different classes like liquids and other risks.
SPRINKLER SYSTEM/ FOAM SYSTEMS
These are fixed automatic fire fighting systems. They are installed and will operate only in the installed areas and for a particular risk. Most common sprinkler employs the ‘wet’ system where water is held at pressure inside the piping. The sprinkler head contains quartzite liquid filled bulb designed to break at a preset temperature.
Service of these systems involves checking pressure levels, motor operations, etc
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