Fire Hose Reel is a piece of firefighting equipment used everywhere by organizations in case of fire accidents or for emergency purposes. It is mandatory for every building to have Fire Hose Reel equipment and installed at a strategic place where everyone can locate it in case of a fire emergency. Anyone buying this equipment should consider the company that manufactures it. This for quality and security purposes. The leading hose reel manufacturers, among which ReCoila one of them guarantee their customers quality Hose Reels. Companies can order their specific custom fire hose reel to suit their unique purposes. In this article, we will discuss the installation process and instructions for this equipment.

Installation Process

The height of the fire hose reel installation should be a distance of 1.5m to 1.8m from the floor to the center of the reel. The right range allows the smooth operation of the equipment by everybody regardless of their heights.

1. Before installing the Hose Reel, flush the supply water to eliminate small particles clogging it.
2. Draw about 600mm long center line vertically at a position where the hose reel fitment is required.
3. The height required should be checked well, and then draws a line horizontally corresponding to the position of the “Back Frame Top Mounting Strut” holes or the slots.
4. Measure the distance of mounting slots from the center and divide it into halves marking well on the horizontal line. For example, 90mm/2=45mm every side.
5. Now make two holes by drilling. That should be for the mounting strut at the top. And should also be correctly matching the size of the anchors used.
6. Now get the anchors and install them and make sure to leave significant gaps enough in between the wall and anchor bolts to be slotted in the “top mounting strut.”
7. Onto the anchor bolts installed, now mount the Hose Reel.
8. Now the Hose Reel in place, start marking the points for anchors to be mounted at the bottom so that they may correspond with the slots in the “bottom mounting strut.”
9. Make anchor holes and install the bottom anchors and place the hose reel into position.
10. Now connect the CP valve to the water supply (Note that you should not over tighten the connections of the pipes to the lid).
11. Unwind the reel and close the nozzle. Open the valve to put pressure on all components and see if there are any leaks in the connection. 
12. Close the CP valve and release the pressure. After that, rewind the hose and secure the nozzle with a seal.

Instructions for Use

Note that the Fire Hose Reel works by the cooling effect of water hence reducing heat below the temperature of ignition. One should consider the following instructions when using this equipment;

1. One should always read the plate for instructions written on it to ensure that you have gotten the correct extinguisher for the emergency you need to fight.
2. There are two operations you need to do on the equipment; (a) The Auto Reel should be pulled out of the hose for about 2m, and this automatically turns the water on. Then control the water discharge using the nozzle. (b) The Manual Reel was to open the water. You open the valve for inlet before locating the hose in the direction of the fire. Also, control the discharge using the nozzle.
3. A minimum of two people is required to use the fire hose reel.
4. Always be in a position where you can easily escape a severe fire.
5. The water jet should be applied to the bottom of the fire in short bursts (sweeping). When doing this, ensure you keep out of the smoke produced.
6. Warning!! Water supply to the hose reel is continuous; therefore, do not fight the fire if the size goes large for a long time.

Some FAQs related to fire hose reel

Now, let us address some frequently asked questions and their answers...

What is a fire hose reel used for?

A fire hose reel is an equipment used to fight fires. Homes, offices, and organizations install the equipment to guide against the occurrence of fire. Fire hose reels are then used to put out a fire when they occur in their earliest stages. They are made up of a non-kinking tubing material which extends up to a certain length.

What are the types of fire hose?

Technically, hoses are divided into main categories based on the way the hose is used. 

The suction hose: These types of hose function like the hose of the vacuum cleaner. It is used to suck in water from large water bodies like pools, rivers, lakes, wells, etc. The sucked in water is then taken to the fire point to fight it.

The delivery hose: The delivery hose helps to deliver pressurized water to the fire location. We have two types of delivery hoses, which are the percolating hoses and the non-percolating hoses.

What are the different sizes of a fire hose?

There are various sizes of the fire hose. They are supplied in multiple diameters. We have lightweight and single-jacket hoses provided in 0.75-inch, 1 inch, and 1.5 inches. They are typically used to suppress fires. There are also heavy-duty and double jacket hoses with sizes 1.5, 1.75, 2,3, and 2.5 inches. They operate in industrial applications. 

What is the maximum distance between the fire hose reels?

Like the hose system's different sizes, the fire hose reels come in different sizes and forms. The distances between the hose reels also vary greatly. Technically, the average distance between fire hose reels is between 30 and 35 meters.

In conclusion, where possible, anyone fighting a fire emergency should always ensure that he or she is wearing fire-resistant clothes in addition to using an excellent quality fire hose reel. This protects the individual from any contact with fire hence avoiding fire burns.