7.

HOSE REEL SYSTEM

7.1

DESCRIPTION

Hosereelsystemisintendedfortheoccupanttouseduringtheearlystagesofafireandcomprises
hose reel pumps, fire water storage tank, hose reel, pipe work and valves. A typical hose reel
installationisshowninFigure7.1.

7.2

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

7.2.1 Design Standards

Therequirementforhosereelsystemsisdetailedunderthe10thScheduleoftheUniformBuilding
Bylaws1984.Theapplicablestandardsforhosereelsystemsareasfollows:

M.S.1489Part1:HydrantSystems,HoseReelsandFoamInlets;
M.S.1447:Hosereelswithsemirigidhose;
M.S.1488:Semirigidhosesforfirstaidfixedinstallations.

7.2.2 Hose Reels

HosereelsshouldcomplywithM.S.1447andareusuallyplacedsuchthatallareasarewithin30
metrehosecoverageofeachhosereel.Onehosereelshouldbeprovidedforevery800sq.meters
ofusablefloorspace.Hosereelsareusuallylocatedinprominentpositionsateachfloorlevelalong
escaperoutesorbesidesexitdoorsorstaircases,preferablywithinrecessedclosets.
Eachhosereeloutletistodischargeaminimumof30l/minofwaterwithin6metersofallpartsof
thespaceprotected.TherubberhosesshouldbetoM.S.1488andaretypically30metersinlength
and25mmindiameter.Nozzlesshouldbeofthejetandsprayadjustabletypeofdifferentdiameters
but8mmisarecommendedsize.
Pipeworkforhosereelsystemisgenerally50mmnominaldiameterandthefeedtoindividualhose
reelshouldbenotlessthan25mmdiameter.Thepipeshouldbeofgalvanisedsteelmediumgrade
(ClassB)minimumforabovegroundpipingandheavygrade(ClassC)forundergroundpipes.The
pipesshallbepaintedwithprimerandfinishedwithredpaintorthehosereelpipemaybeidentified
withredbandspaintedatelbowsandtees.
7.2.3 Hose Reel Pumps
Thehosereelpumpsdrawwaterfromthefirewaterstoragetankandtwosetsofpumps,oneon
duty and the other on standby, are provided. The pump capacity is usually sized to deliver a flow
rateof120l/minatarunningpressureofnotlessthan2barsforanyfourhosereelsoperatingatthe
sametime.
Thestandbyhosereelpumpsetshouldbesuppliedwithpowerfromtheemergencygeneratorifthis
isavailable.Otherwise,thestandbypumpsetshouldbedieselenginedriven.Fuelsupplyshouldbe
adequate for minimum 1 hour of operation. Electrical cabling to supply power to the hose reel
pumpsshouldberuningalvanisedsteelconduitoralternatively,maybeoffireratedtypeofcable.
Batteriesforthedieselengineshouldbemaintenancefreetype.

Wherethetotalnumberofhosereelsinthebuildingdoesnotexceedfour(4),thestandbypumpset
maybeelectricallydrivenandneednotbeprovidewithemergencypower.
Thehosereelpumpsetsshouldbeprotectedfromtheweatherandawayfromlocationslikelytobe
flooded. Pump rooms may be located anywhere in the building or on the roof but should be
ventilatedbynaturalormechanicalmeansandprovidedwiththenecessarysignage.
7.2.4 Hose Reel Tanks
Thefirewaterstoragetankshouldbesizedbasedon2275litresforthefirsthosereeland
1137.5litresforeveryadditionalhosereeluptoamaximum9,100litresforeachsystem.
Thetankmaybeofpressedsteel,fibreglassreinforcedpolyester(FRP)orconcrete.Pressedsteel
tankswhereusedshouldbehotdippedgalvanizedandcoatedinternallywithbituminouspaintfor
corrosionprotection.Thetankshouldbecompartmentedandwaterlevelindicatorshouldbe
providedtoshowtheamountofwateravailable.Theexternalsurfaceofthetankshouldbepainted
redorwherethisisnotdesirable,aredbandofminimum200mmshouldbepaintedtoindicatethat
thisisafiretank.
Thehosereeltankshouldberefilledautomaticallyfromawatersupplypipeofminimum50mm
diametertoprovideaminimumflowrateof150l/min.
Althoughhosereeltanksareusuallyseparatedfromdomesticwaterstoragetanks,thetwocanbe
combined.Insuchcases,thetankcapacityshouldbethesumtotalofthewaterstorageforboth
domesticaswellasforhosereelsandthetapoffpointforthedomesticusemustbetheabovethe
tapofpointforthehosereelsystemsuchthattheminimumfirereserveforhosereelisalways
maintained.
7.2.5 Pump Starter Panels and Controls
PumpstarterpanelshouldbecompletewithindicatorlightsasshownintheFigure7.2.Ventilation
slotsshouldbeprovidedwithinsectscreentoprevententryofvermin.
Hosereelpumpsshallstartautomaticallyuponactuationofthepressureswitches.Usuallytwo
pressureswitchesareprovidedwiththefollowingsuggestedsettings:

Startingandstoppingthedutypumpsetat80%and100%ofsystempressurerespectively;
and
Startingandstoppingthestandbypumpsetat60%and100%ofsystempressure
respectively.

Fordieselpumpsets,theseshouldbecapableofautomaticstartingbutshouldonlybestopped
manually.
7.2.6 Gravity Feed Hose Reel System
Wherethetankislocatedontherooforupperfloorsandthestaticpressureisadequatetoachieve
therequirepressure,thehosereelsmaybefeddirectlyfromthehosereeltank.Ifpumpsare
requiredfortheupperfloors,abypasspipeisusuallyprovided.Whereexcessivepressureis
encountered,pressurereducingvalvesshouldbeinstalledwithamanualbypassincasethepressure
reducingvalvefails.

7.2.7 Hose Reel Systems Fed from Other Sources

Thehosereelsystemmaybetappedofffrompressurizedhydrantprovidedpressurereducingvalves
areincorporatedtoreducethepressuretotheappropriatelevel.However,hosereelsshallnotbe
tappedfromautomaticsprinklersystems.

7.3

DESIGN CHECKLIST

a.

n.

Designflowrateateachhosereelshallbe30l/minbasedonthetopmostfournumbersof
hosereelsinusesimultaneously.
Minimumdesignstaticpressureatentryofeachhosereel:__________bar.
Hosereeltype:__________.
Hoselength:__________meters.
Watersource:
Pumpsuctiontank.
Gravitytank.
Firewatermain.
Others:__________
Watertankcapacity:__________litres.
*(2,275litresforthefirsthosereel,eachadditionalhosereelrequireextra1,137.5litresup
to9,100litres).
Pressurereducingvalveset:
Yes.Pressurereducingrange:__________barto__________bar.
No.
Hosereelspacing:__________m.
Totalnumberofhosereel:__________nos.
Nozzlesareadjustableandspraytype.Size:__________mmnomdiameter.
Risersize(minimumnominalsize50mm):__________mm.
Pipematerial:__________.
Hosereelpump:
Ratedflowrate:__________litres/minat__________metrehead.
Pipenominalsize:Suction:__________mm;Delivery:__________mm.

7.4

VISUAL INSPECTION CHECKLIST

7.4.1
a.
b.

Visual Inspection of Water Supplies

Capacityofwateravailable
Compartmentationofwatertanks

7.4.2
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Visual Inspection Pipework

Typeofpipesused
Protectionofundergroundpipework
Paintingofpipework
Pipesupport
Pipesleeves
Fireseal

b.
c.
d.
e.

f.

g.

h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.

7.4.3
a.
b.

Visual Inspection of Hose Reels and Accessories

Isolatingvalveforhosereel
Physicalconditionofhosereeldrum,hose,nozzles,etc.

7.4.4
a.
b.

Visual Inspection of Pumps

Protectionofrotatingpartsofpumpsets
Mountingofpumps

7.5

TESTING AND COMMISSIONING CHECKLIST

7.5.1
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

Testing and Commissioning of Pipework

Pumpoperatingcurrentandvoltage
Pumpoperatingpressureandflowrate
PumpoperatingRPM
Pumpnotoverheating
Vibrationandnoiselevel
Testingofelectricalwiringsystem
Alternativepowersupplyforelectricpumps

7.5.2
a.
b.
7.5.3
a.

Testing and Commissioning of Pipework

Hydrostatictestingofpipework
Flushingofpipework
TestingandCommissioningofHoseReel
Hosereelperformancetest