They’re an iconic part of the streetscape - but it turns out there’s a lot more to the design of fire hydrants than you might think. Here’s what the colours mean and the other design features that make them work.
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@rocksteady2263 Жыл бұрын
As a former CFS volunteer, it always intrigues me to see how other places around the world find adaptions to their own challenges, this is really cool.
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
I do love seeing normal things done differently in different cities.
@bradwconnors Жыл бұрын
This is like 99PI come to life. I’m loving the different locations, unique stories and relaxed presentation style. You are sensational! I really hope your channel gets discovered by many many more people.
@AverageAufa Жыл бұрын
every time i watch ur videos, i always think all countries can share each others innovations
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Indeed! - There’s so much innovation in different places. Let’s borrow from the best.
@baystated Жыл бұрын
The nob at the top keeps was the water plugged at the main level below the frost line to help keep water from being inside the hydrant and freezing and plugging or cracking the hydrant. We clear the snow from around the hydrant to improve accessibility to them in winter. Every second matters, whether it is locating the hydrant or ease attaching hoses or opening the valves. My city also uses yellow bands on nearest power poles with a directional indicator pointed to its location. We also use antennas. It is fascinating how other places have similar and different systems.
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Good input - thanks for sharing.
@nhansen197 Жыл бұрын
Reflective street markers can be used where it snows. To avoid getting scraped off by plows a groove is cut in the pavement so that the marker can be recessed.
@krispyking2450 Жыл бұрын
straight too the point clear and shows u done ur research love it how do u only have 124k subscribers
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Really appreciate it! That’s what I go for.
@BatCaveOz Жыл бұрын
Thanks for clarifying the urban myth about Mrs. O'Leary. Sincerely, Mr. O'Leary (me)
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Pleasure
@scana1979 Жыл бұрын
In Melbourne Australia the L-type hydrant with the removable cover is still a common sight. Typically a red top with what used to be a white painted valve for normal water pressure mains. Older pillar type also have the red top for normal mains pressure. Occasionally you will see black top hydrants with valves painted yellow for larger high pressure mains similar to what you posted in the video. A more recent variation is a purple band painted if the supply is non-potable recycled water. Increasingly they are in the ground as a fire plug which you showed or a removable plastic cover in the road verge.
@francoisbelangerboisclair Жыл бұрын
In Montreal and Laval, fire hydrants are color coded too. The blue one are actually not fire hydrants! They are water intake own by the public transit. You can connect a red "normal" fire hydrant to a fire truck pump and connect it to a blue one. The water will be send underground to the subway tunnel fire fighting system. They mainly act as secondary intake system if they need more pressure or need to use an auxiliary source in case of a main water failure.
@maddyg3208 Жыл бұрын
There's an international chain of "O'Leary" pubs. Saw one recently in Singapore airport and was tempted to ask if they were related to the O'Leary family from Glenormiston (near Warrnambool). Didn't think my attempt at pretending to be a Western District grazier would cross cultural borders though
@SnoopReddogg Жыл бұрын
The old "Dad owns half the western district" line hasn't worked in years. God knows, I've tried many times, grossly overstating 800acres near Woorndoo that's was sold 30 years ago
@Balthorium Жыл бұрын
San Francisco has a complicated color code system that relates to where the water comes from. There are hidden underground water basins under certain intersections marked with a brick circle. The colors of the hydrants correlate to the reservoirs.
@jasongarufi8187 Жыл бұрын
Hi Julian thanks for another great video on the fire hydrant system of Chicago
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it
@theresabradley4716 Жыл бұрын
I never knew what the blue square on the telephone poles were for. Thanks, Julian. I always learn something from your videos!
@TheHobartAviationFan Жыл бұрын
As always learnt something when watching your video!
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Happy to help!
@tisme4866 Жыл бұрын
Huh, never actually thought about why we have the blue squares. Guess you learn something new every day.
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
I think my short on that is my most viewed piece of content ever.
@markfryer9880 Жыл бұрын
Don't forget the white triangles pointing to the hydrant!
@EladLerner Жыл бұрын
So much info i 4 minutes! Amazing
@entropyachieved750 Жыл бұрын
Wow you get around mate. Always interesting content
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
That’s the goal - big planet - lot’s to see.
@zacandmillie Жыл бұрын
I'm pleased to see you weren't mugged while there. Mayor Lightfoot would need to apologise if we lost you and your informative videos.
@timgooding2448 Жыл бұрын
You do get around Julian! Thanks for the vid mate.
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
That’s the goal! - Cheers, Tim :)
@Ggdivhjkjl Жыл бұрын
🎵 Late last night, while we were all in bed, O'Leary left her lantern in the shed And when the cow kicked in over, she winked her eye and said, "It's gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight" 🔥🔥🔥
@JosiahKeller Жыл бұрын
I've seen the blue reflectors all over Indianapolis since your other video. I reflexively look for a hydrant now whenever I see a reflector. 😅
@denehardy949 Жыл бұрын
I really enjoy the videos like this one that you do. There are so many interesting objects in this world that are part of our daily lives but we just don’t notice them. And many of them have great stories behind their designs . Awesome job!
@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606 Жыл бұрын
Ah so it makes sense that near schools and other similar structures there’s always yellow hydrants, or that’s at least what I’ve always noticed in my area
@secretaltruism4174 Жыл бұрын
Can you talk about Australian fire hydrants? I don't understand how they work and how they're accessed
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
I’ll investigate.
@granthogden4732Ай бұрын
I still like the fictional story of how Doctor who (or rather his sonic screwdriver) was the one who started the Chicago fire
@pynchon9 Жыл бұрын
Great content, every time. Thanks!
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Thanks, mate - glad you enjoyed it!
@notaplic8158 Жыл бұрын
Wait what did I miss? Aren't you the guy who talked about footpaths in Melbourne
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
That’s me. Off on US adventures.
@playlisttarmac Жыл бұрын
Hydrants in Perth Australia. A H painted on the road then on the nature strip a metal sheet where the hydrant is located.
@kittipet_ Жыл бұрын
Yep
@nikdog419 Жыл бұрын
Yellow strip? It should be marked with a red strip. A yellow strip means commercial delivery/pickup zone, red is no parking. (Blue is police/handicap, white is passenger loading zone). Actually for that matter, it is extremely odd for a yellow strip to be that close to a fire hydrant. The law stipulates something like a 20 foot (~6.6m) red strip centred off the hydrant. Makes me wonder if the International Brotherhood of Teamsters lobbied the city of Chicago for special delivery zones to better preform their work and reduce congestion.
@TCJones Жыл бұрын
I would if sf does colours too, as i saw a lot of white ones, but all the ones in sf also had names on, which i thought was the manufacturer.
@AlphaGeekgirl Жыл бұрын
Julian, did you speed up the audio?… Or am I getting slow?
@Michael_Chater Жыл бұрын
I think so too
@Hitsuji_Suji Жыл бұрын
Does anyone know if the color codes were the same back in the 30s-40s?
@nwefe Жыл бұрын
3:21 this transition is so awkward... great video though
@chasc0re Жыл бұрын
I LOVED this transition, so Juliancore
@heyitsgabs21 Жыл бұрын
never gonna be able to watch chicago fire the same
@John-ci8yk Жыл бұрын
Why in most cities are they called fire hydrants and in Philadelphia we called fire plugs? Thank you and thumbs up on the video.
@dfross87 Жыл бұрын
Originally there were no permanent outlets, and fire brigades would drill holes in the water mains. When the fire was out a plug would be installed and it's location marked so that next time, the fire brigade wouldn't have to drill another hole. Over time, water systems started including access points for fire fighting as part of the design of water mains, including a covered pit to save digging; later came street level access points similar in concept to the hydrants we see today. But the term fire plug relates back to those early days of drilling holes and banging in wooden plugs once the fire was out.
@alexiwheelbarrow Жыл бұрын
Omg. Chicago? Julian O'Shea Stewart Hicks crossover????
@AcadiaB Жыл бұрын
:O that's what the songs about
@EmonEconomist Жыл бұрын
Wait wait wait wait wait. That's where the song comes from? Late last night, when we were all in bed (bom bom bom) Old Lady Leary lit the lantern in the shed And when the cow kicked it over, she winked her eye and said It'll be a hot time, in the old town, tonight. (Fire! Fire! Fire!) The more you know... And while it seems the original story isn't true, it's still a handy reminder to be careful with lit lanterns!
@Ggdivhjkjl Жыл бұрын
Water! Water! Water!
@Lordoftheflamesissketchy Жыл бұрын
The Tas Fire Service uses differnt ones to these.
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Yep. Different by cities. These ones are iconic.
@justanotherguy8791 Жыл бұрын
Its not the pressure its the volume.
@cliffcorson4000 Жыл бұрын
The color coding isn't consistent as it used to be Many cities use different color schemes
@JohnDlugosz Жыл бұрын
Can't part within 3 meters of a fire hydrant: are you sure the Chicago law uses _meters_ ? I would expect it to say 9 or 10 *feet* .
@lachee3055 Жыл бұрын
3:20 just to get the point of video title
@sagargurung6200 Жыл бұрын
How do you think of making a video like this? Chicago hydrant, and you fly Chicago for it?
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
I was in Chicago when I made it. Def did not travel there just for this… :)
@AW-1909 Жыл бұрын
They're only worth about $20 and get stolen anyway, can't have shit in Chicago
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
I know - theft of public safety infratructure for such little gain. So bad.
@quantuminfinity4260 Жыл бұрын
0:35 This was later admitted by the person who wrote the story for the paper to be an entirely made up cause.
@robbiethemann Жыл бұрын
More like 'scapecow'
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
Reluctant like.
@halinaqi2194 Жыл бұрын
I cringed whenever he touched it lol
@riponrip4574 Жыл бұрын
Second🎉🎉🎉🎉
@drunkpaulocosta Жыл бұрын
So the hidden meaning was?
@BatCaveOz Жыл бұрын
The colour of the flange indicates how powerful a fire hydrant will be based on the volume of water the associated pipes can deliver.
@oggilein1 Жыл бұрын
The water pressure, it literally says it in the video Leave it to the youtube comments to set a new world record on ignorance
@laurencefraser Жыл бұрын
@@oggilein1 Mind you, it's not mentioned until the 'watch this video next' boxes start poping up over the screen, a point at which most videos are well done with actually telling you anything useful.
@reoproedros Жыл бұрын
can you speak a little faster please ?
@give_me_my_nick_back Жыл бұрын
Is it really worth it to put them every 100m?? I mean installing them and maintaining does cost money and when we are speaking about such a ridiculously high number, the costs grow quickly and moreover it wastes a space that could be used to park a car. I'd probably find a dozen of hydrants at very most in my entire city, we just don't have as many hydrants in here but I don't even feel like they are needed, whenever there is any fire, a dozen of firetrucks arrives from all the fire departments in like 15km range, each loaded with water, so there is no much need for more. During a huge factory fire close to my place they would just take shifts and refill from the river whenever some firetruck got empty.
@JulianOShea Жыл бұрын
You might find that there are lot more that aren’t visible or are within buildings. Once I started looking you find a lot more than are obviously visible (like that one in Melbourne in the road - you wouldn’t notice it). I’m not an expert on it - so couldn’t say, though.
@AlphaGeekgirl Жыл бұрын
Where I live, there is a hydrant about every 20m
@keithswindell6212 Жыл бұрын
I was a volunteer firefighter for over 20 years. Trucks hauling water is how it is done in rural areas that cannot afford to install hydrant systems. A tank, like a small swimming pool, is set up for the pumpers to draw from and each of the water hauling tankers has to back up to it and dump their load before trundling off to get more from the nearest pond or stream which could be several miles away. Tanker shuttles are slow and incredibly inefficient compared to using hydrants with a constant supply of water. Hydrants are valuable life and property saving apparatus, don't dismiss their value.
@give_me_my_nick_back Жыл бұрын
I have a feeling we might have a lot more fire stations over here, there is a fire station for every couple thousand residents so they usually have crazy number of redundant man power to do shifts bringing water. If there is a car crash they send out 3 fire tracks from 3 separate fire stations. It's highly unlikely you could go any further than 2km from a lake or river in my area.
@deadclawww3108 Жыл бұрын
7th
@rushisushi2130 Жыл бұрын
First
@riponrip4574 Жыл бұрын
🎉🎉🎉
@xex-jdmodz Жыл бұрын
him: unlike most cities in the world chicago uses a single style of hydrant thr uk:bruv have you never vidited our country we use the same style all accross our country 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣