Be sure to thank your wife for us. Not only a fire hydrant wrench but also get a Silcock key. Very cheap investment but it will allow you to access those closed spigots on commercial and office buildings. I keep one in each of our glove boxes. Amazon or any hardware store carry them.

 

In the UK that is called a Radiator Key, Coz if you hear a knocking sound in the radiators in your House you can slacken off the Valve on the end of a Radiator and Let the Air out of it and the knocking will stop,

If you have this problem then Start to Bleed the Air out as discribed below,

If you're bleeding more than one radiator, start with the one furthest away from your boiler. If you’re living in a two or more storey house, start with the downstairs radiators before repeating upstairs.

1. Make sure your heating is off and the radiators are cold.

2. Hold an old cloth, or a jug, under the bleed valve, and insert the bleed key.

3. Turn anti-clockwise until air starts escaping (you'll hear a hissing noise).

4. When water starts to escape, turn the key clockwise to re-tighten the valve.

5. Repeat on other radiators that need attention, making your way back towards the boiler.

6. Turn your heating back on and check if your radiators are now heating up correctly.

Hope that helps,

J.

 

Bought me a 4-way silcock key several years ago and carry it in my GHB. Ya' jus' never know.

 

You don't own a pipe wrench?

Don't want to use one regularly as you will damage the hydrant. But for a single use it will work fine. No need to buy a specialized tool for one specific potential use.

 

I left mine with the rest of my tools, to the ex. I was young and dumb. Just bought two. Tnx for the reminder.

 

My wife occasionally gives me a smack as well, but never with an idea. 😁

 

Just Remember, If you get home and find a que of dirty old men at you door just remember they read it here first,

 

While it seems like a good idea to be able to access water from a fire hydrant don't drink it with out treating it. First of all when you open a hydrant the stuff that comes out is dark brown and full of particulates. It sits in the pipes a long time. Ours only get flushed during the annual flow test or when a water line has been repaired.

Then there is that some jurisdictions charge the hydrant (and irrigation) lines with the outflow from the sewer treatment plant, or pump it straight from the city reservoir with no chlorine added.

Fore warned is fore armed.

 

Lot's of Fireman's forced entry and other Fireman's tools on Amazon, if you have the money. Judging from the prices it ain't Harbor Freight stuff.

 

I came into several of them when I bought a box of random tools at an auction
Kinda took it as a sign. One more thing to go in the tool kit.

 

I know the hydrants in my town are charged by the water system. Every time they flush the hydrants on my street, I have to flush my water lines. In my case, if water goes down, so will the hydrants (though there still may be some water that could be pulled from the pipes)

 

I have one in my front yard - a hydrant that is.

Not too far away (<1 mile) I have this

runs year around
- guess what my pans are?
The hydrant idea may work, for a while. Worth having a large pipe wrench handy - for sure...

 

I have one in my front yard - a hydrant that is.

Not too far away (<1 mile) I have this
View attachment 580913
runs year around
- guess what my pans are?
The hydrant idea may work, for a while. Worth having a large pipe wrench handy - for sure...

This is my side yard. No hydrants around for miles, but a large pipe wrench is always a good idea, and all my vehicles have silcock keys stashed in different places. I go to the big city of Wausau like three times a year. My luck, that would be when the fan gets its covering of s...

 

Remember to close what you open to reduce contamination and loss down the line due to syphon effect.

 

While it s a good idea is it legal in your area? Would the fire department or township be upset if you did that.

Not trying to put down your idea but I think that would be worth checking into. Also if other people in the area seeing you doing it they may want to come and get some too and you could have quite a crowd before long.

 

Mrs Sar,

In my area's 2 biggest metro areas, metro D.C. Swamp and Hampton Roads, fire hydrants are deemed critical. They will be monitored / guarded .