Fire Hydrant Wrench

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Not much of a project compared to what some of you other guys do, but it at least helped justify buying a welder...I live in a rural area of California, which regularly burns down in the summer.  So we built a new fire-protection water system consisting of two 5000 gallon water tanks plumbed to a fire hydrant next to our driveway.  It's a real honest-to-God fire hydrant, so it has one of those bogus five-point nuts on the valve that are supposed to keep local juvenile delinquents from turning the thing on.  So I need a wrench and I'm too cheap to spend fifty bucks on one.

First, make up a kit:

Will this hold it together while welding?  One way to find out...

Well, that seemed to work:

Grind off the ugliness and attach a handle.  I was going to just weld on a junk half-inch drive socket instead of a handle, but then I discovered that I don't have one.  Anyway, grinder and paint are the amateur welder's best friends.  Until the last second, I thought I was actually going to complete a rattle-can paint job without getting paint all over my hands.  Who was I kidding?Tim


Reply:Nice…As one who also has a place that almost got burned down in the Dixie fire last year…we are on a lake and I have a 1” domestic service.  I installed a few wharf hydrants and a pump as well.  Part of the system is on the service…the rest on my pump. I would use whatever the hell I could to save my place (already and continuing to remove trees /clear areas around structures.During that install research…I reached out to the local FD and asked if or what they would use of mine down a 500’ driveway.  None was the answer…as they would not drive down there (even though the county required we install a drive to support an 80K lbs. fire truck…and a hammerhead turnaround for them as well (typical government crap, make you spend a bunch for something that will never get used.I was told that they would “pick up/use my install if it was ready for them to grab and use…including an auto start pump…Not sure if your system is for you or others to use…but maybe check that part out…just a FYI…
Reply:Nice, we didn't have one of those when we were juvenile delinquents and had to lug around a heavy pipe wrench, the aluminum ones weren't even invented yet.Miller Challenger 172Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC 225/150Miller Maxstar 150 STLVictor 100CVictor JourneymanOxweld OAHarris O/ASmith O/A little torchNo, that's not my car.
Reply:i would maybe add a strap bent over the handle and fully welded down over handle and socket. maybe even bend a piece to go around the outside as well where the nut goes. anything to make it stronger reallyjust that in an emergency you tend to be stronger than you think!!but what colour you painted it ? i'd go for dayglo orange. make it unmissable so it doesn't end up like a 10mm socket!!
Reply:Make certain you know if the valve turns clockwise or counter clockwise to open.   Not much fun snapping the valve stem off during an emergency.



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Reply:

Originally Posted by Tarmstrong

Not sure if your system is for you or others to use…but maybe check that part out…just a FYI…
Reply:

Originally Posted by bigb

Nice, we didn't have one of those when we were juvenile delinquents and had to lug around a heavy pipe wrench, the aluminum ones weren't even invented yet.