Dry Fire Hydrant Repair & Maintenance #13 - Defective Head Replacement
 
By President Mark Davis
November 11, 2021
 

We recently completed a dry fire hydrant suction head replacement project in Carroll County, MD. The local FD reported a seized suction head cap. We investigated the 4-1/2" brass fitting and found that it was in fact seized. Applying heat, penetrating solvents, and good old big-boy muscle power did nothing to budge the cap. So.... we cut off the head and replaced it with a new, 6-inch NST male suction head which brought the system up to the current County standard.

Before installing the new head, we first installed a temporary head and took draft to make sure that the rest of the system worked....and it did. The new head was installed, the system was painted using UV- resistant spray paint, and a flow test was completed....1,000+ gpm.