Everything you need to know about Fire extinguishing valves in gas stations
Fire extinguishing valves in gas stations are mandatory and have been set and regulated by the Civil Defense Council. It is one of the sets of regulations governing the safety conditions in gas stations. You can read all the regulations here.
The Kingdom sets all the regulations that owners of various facilities may need to ensure the safety of lives and property. Today, we will dedicate our article to the regulations of safety conditions in gas stations that have been set and developed by the Civil Defense System Committees in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
List of safety conditions in fuel stations
Sources of fire extinguishing water and fire hydrants (fire extinguishing valves):
- Necessary precautions must be taken to secure fire extinguishing water at the appropriate pressure from the city’s fire network or from a special tank with a capacity of not less than (thirty thousand) gallons, which is established for this purpose at the station and is equipped with a self-priming fire pump with a capacity of (500) gallons per minute and a pressure of not less than (7 pounds) per square inch at the fire extinguishing valve outlets. This pump is installed in an isolated room at a distance of not less than (20) meters from the fuel pump or discharge area, with the necessary ventilation provided for it.
- It is necessary to install fire hydrants (fire extinguishing valves) whose number is estimated by the Civil Defense according to the size of the station and the diversity of its activities, and they must be of the type and diameter used in the Civil Defense centers in the Kingdom, with the provision of (two valves) for fire extinguishers at least in two different directions inside the station, and a distance of not less than (15) meters and not more than (30) meters separating them from the fuel pumps area and the discharge area in any case.
- The size of the water tank must be sufficient and appropriate to the station’s size.
- Water hoses must be provided and equipped with the necessary launchers, switches, manifolds, and distributors, and they must be placed in boxes prepared for this purpose at each fire valve.
Components and types of Fire extinguishing valves in general
Fire hydrants are installed on the sub-network lines to provide the water needed to extinguish the fire. At intervals ranging from 150 to 300 meters depending on the nature of the served area.
They are installed at road intersections in a clear, easily accessible location and away from obstacles that may disrupt their operation, with the necessary protection provided.
The fire hydrant connection extends from the sub-line to the location of the hydrant, and the hydrant is installed either above the ground surface or in a room in the building below the ground surface. In the first case, the height of the fire nozzle must not be less than 0.90 or according to the requirements of the Civil Defense. In the second case, a sign must be installed on the nearest wall to determine the highest location of the room.
The fire hydrant connection shall be 100 mm in diameter, and a lock valve shall be installed on it when connected to the sub-line to isolate it in case of maintenance.
The diameter of the hydrant nozzle must be 63 mm or according to the requirements of the Civil Defense.
The water pressure when operating the fire hydrant must not be less than 14 meters in the supply networks.
Types of fire extinguishing valves
Fire hydrants are divided according to two conditions:
Weather: They are divided into Well and Dry
In the case of Dry hydrants, the weather is cold and the temperature is below zero.
In the case of Well hydrants, the weather is normal.
Pressure: They are divided into Private and Public
In the case of Public hydrants, the pressure is low from 2 to 5 bars. They are installed on drinking water lines and are not used to extinguish the fire directly, but are used to feed the fire truck by pumping water into it at the required pressure.
In the case of Private hydrants, they are used in private facilities such as hospitals, power stations, and fuel stations. They are used to extinguish the fire directly and their pressure is from 7 bars and above.
Fire Hydrant Maintenance Should Not Be Overlooked
Fire hydrants are important infrastructure that must be operational at any given moment. Water utilities are usually responsible for keeping hydrants in good working order. So it is essential that utilities ensure proper hydrant function using a testing and maintenance program.
- Regular Maintenance and Inspection
- Test the hydrant
- Get regular lubrication
- Fire hydrants should be flushed
- Check for standing water
- Check traffic features
- Monitoring the height of the fire hydrants
- Check for leaks
- Check the hydrant outlet caps
- Keep maintenance records
You can learn more by reading our article on fire hydrant maintenance.
