How Does a Fire Hose Work?

Introduction

Fire hoses are nothing more than very long, very thick hoses. Unlike regular hoses, which connect to a house's water supply, fire hoses are designed to connect to fire hydrants and to parts of a fire truck. The hydrants and mechanisms inside of the truck can provide the hose with much more water at a much higher force than a residential water source.

Emergency Water Systems

Emergency water systems are made up of large tanks or reservoirs located at very high altitudes. These sources of water connect to a grid of pipes that run underground all over populated areas. The pipes eventually lead to fire hydrants. The grid structure of the pipes is important, because if one pipe springs a leak, water can still travel to fire hydrants through a different path. Because the water sources are so high, gravity forces the water through the system very quickly when a hydrant nozzle is open.

Hydrants, Hoses, and Fire Trucks

Fire hydrants are essentially huge faucets with a lot of power. To connect a hose to the hydrant, firefighters must use a special pentagonal wrench to unscrew a nozzle on the hydrant. The water will then flow quickly through the pipes, the hydrant, and eventually the hose. In some cases, firefighters will connect the hose to the fire truck. Mechanisms in the fire truck can both strengthen the water power and reroute the water so that it can flow through several hoses at one time. Both of these enable a fire to be put out much more quickly.