How often should hydrants be inspected?
Hydrants should be inspected annually and after each use. Port caps should also be removed and the connections inspected for wear, rust, or obstructions, that could hamper the removal and corrective action taken immediately.

What action should be taken if a hydrant barrel contains water?
If a hydrant contains water, the drain valve shall be inspected for operation. If the water is because of poor drainage that is impractical to correct, approved measures should be taken to prevent freezing during winter conditions.

How is the water flow of a hydrant to be inspected?
The main valve of a hydrant should be opened and the hydrant operated with one port open and the water flow checked.

How are hydrants classified?
Hydrants should be classified in accordance with their rated capacities as follows: Class AA - rated capacity of 5680 litres/min (1500gpm) or greater; Class A - rated capacity of 3785 - 5675 litres/min (1000-1499 gpm); Class B - rated capacity of 1900-3789 litres/min (500-999 gpm); Class C - rated capacity of less than 1900 litres/min (500 gpm).

What colour should public hydrants be?
All barrels are to be chrome yellow except in cases where another colour has already been adopted.

What colour should tops and nozzle caps be?
The tops and nozzles should be painted to indicate capacity: 1) Class AA -Light Blue; Class A - green; Class B - Orange; Class C - Red. For rapid identification at night, the capacity colours should be a reflective-type paint.

What colour should private hydrants be marked?
Marking on private hydrants is at owner's discretion, When private hydrants are located on private streets, they should be painted red, or some other colour, to distinguish them form public hydrants.

Statistics obtained from the September/October 2003 edition of the Ontario Fire Service Messenger Additional statistics can also be obtained from the Ontario Fire Marshal web site.