The installation location of indoor hydrants is directly related to whether firefighting and rescue work can be carried out quickly and effectively when a fire occurs. Its installation needs to comprehensively consider many factors such as building structure, personnel flow characteristics, fire risk distribution, and fire regulations to ensure that it can be quickly identified, easily accessible, and reliable firefighting conditions are available in emergency situations.
The public evacuation passages of buildings are the core areas for indoor hydrant installation. Such areas are usually the main paths for personnel flow, such as stairwells, corridors, halls, etc. When installing fire hydrants in stairwells, generally choose a location close to the entrance and exit of the floor so that personnel can take it along the way during the evacuation process, and it is also convenient for firefighters to carry equipment and quickly carry out firefighting operations. Corridors are passages connecting various rooms, and fire hydrants are usually set in obvious positions on the walls on both sides of the corridor, and a certain distance is maintained to ensure that fire hydrants can be quickly found at any position in the corridor when a fire occurs. Open spaces such as halls need to be reasonably arranged according to the area and layout, and usually choose easy-to-locate locations such as close to main entrances and exits or columns to avoid difficulties in finding due to excessive space.
The installation of indoor hydrants in crowded places requires special attention to accessibility and safety. For example, in places such as shopping malls, hospitals, and schools, due to the large flow of people and high risk of fire, fire hydrants should be set in places that are not blocked by obstacles, such as the entrance of the hall, the corner of the evacuation passage, etc., and no items should be piled around them. In the business area of the shopping mall, the fire hydrants may face the risk of being blocked by shelves and display cabinets. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly follow the requirements of the regulations to ensure that there is enough operating space in front of the fire hydrants, and set up signs in obvious positions to guide people to find them quickly in an emergency. In the ward building of the hospital, fire hydrants are mostly installed near the elevator hall and stairwell to facilitate timely use by medical staff and patients' families at the beginning of the fire, while avoiding affecting the movement of the beds and the smooth flow of emergency passages.
The layout of indoor hydrants in high-rise buildings needs to consider the convenience of vertical fire fighting. As the building height increases, the speed of fire spreading upward is fast, and the fire fighting in the high-rise part is more difficult. Therefore, the distribution of fire hydrants on each floor needs to be more even, and fire hydrants must be set up on special floors such as refuge floors and equipment floors so that firefighters can establish temporary fire fighting bases on the middle floors. Fire hydrants in high-rise residential buildings are usually installed in the elevator vestibule or public corridor to ensure that residents can use them without going too far into the public area in case of fire, and to avoid the use of fire hydrants being affected by the piles of debris in front of the residents' doors. For super-high-rise buildings, the zoning water supply of fire hydrants also needs to be considered, but the installation location still needs to follow the principle of easy access and firefighting operations.
The installation of indoor hydrants in industrial buildings and storage places should be combined with the production process and cargo storage characteristics. In factory workshops, fire hydrants are generally installed in open areas on both sides of the main passages and between equipment, avoiding dangerous areas such as high temperature, high pressure, and corrosion. At the same time, considering that large equipment may block the line of sight, it is necessary to set obvious warning signs at the location of the fire hydrants. In storage warehouses, the goods are stacked high and densely. Fire hydrants should be installed at both ends of the passage between the shelves or at the junction of the fire partitions to ensure that firefighters can quickly approach and launch firefighting operations, and to avoid the availability of fire hydrants affected by the collapse of goods. For industrial sites with explosion risks, the installation location of fire hydrants must also meet explosion-proof requirements, stay away from areas where explosions may occur, and ensure the safety of the fire-fighting facilities themselves.
The underground area of a building is also a key area for indoor hydrant installation. Underground garages, underground shopping malls and other places are usually closed and dimly lit. When a fire occurs, smoke spreads quickly, making it difficult to evacuate people and extinguish fires. Therefore, fire hydrants in underground areas should be set up in obvious locations such as garage entrances and exits, both sides of the driveway, and shopping mall evacuation passages, and equipped with sufficient lighting and signs to ensure that they can still be accurately identified in a smoky environment. Fire hydrants in underground garages should also consider the impact of vehicle parking, avoid setting them in inaccessible locations such as directly behind parking spaces, and ensure that there is enough space around the fire hydrants for the deployment of fire hoses and the passage of vehicles.
When installing indoor hydrants, coordination with other fire-fighting facilities also needs to be considered. For example, fire hydrants should be linked with fire alarm systems, automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing systems, etc. When a fire occurs, not only can the fire be extinguished directly through fire hydrants, but the fire control room and relevant personnel can also be notified in time through the alarm system. At the same time, fire hydrant boxes are usually equipped with fire extinguishers, fire hoses, water guns and other equipment. The placement and accessibility of these equipment will also affect the efficiency of fire extinguishing. Therefore, the opening method of the fire hydrant box should be designed to be fast and flexible, and the opening angle of the box door should be large enough to ensure that the equipment can be quickly taken out in an emergency.
In addition, the installation location of the indoor hydrant must also comply with relevant national and local fire protection standards. Different types of buildings (such as residential, public buildings, industrial buildings, etc.) have specific requirements for the installation spacing, installation height, and protection range of fire hydrants. For example, the installation height of the fire hydrant should generally make the center of the fire hydrant port about 1.1 meters from the ground to facilitate personnel operation; the setting spacing should be determined according to factors such as the fire resistance level and fire hazard of the building to ensure that any part is within the protection range of the fire hydrant. In the actual installation process, it is necessary to be planned and implemented by professional fire protection design and construction units to ensure that the location of the fire hydrant meets both the regulatory requirements and the actual use needs of the building, and maximizes its role in fire prevention and control.
