What's On Your Engine #15 - Twin Those Lines
 
By President Mark Davis
March 14, 2024
 

Building on our last news story, "What's On Your Engine #14", one way to overcome the flow restriction of asmaller discharge when trying to support higher flows in an LDH line is to twin a couple of smaller lines into the larger line. A variety of appliances will work...you just need to get those lines combining into the single, larger line. The pumper shown in this photo from our 2018 seminar in Oconee County, SC did not have a "high-flow" discharge. The situation was overcome by using two, 2-1/2-inch discharges and feeding a 5" x 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" wye. The result was the ability to flow in excess of 1,000 gpm through that 5-inch LDH line....something that most likely was unachievable using a single, 2-1/2" discharge on that 1250 gpm pumper. If your pumper does not have a high-flow discharge, then figure out ahead of time how you are going to make one on the fire ground.