I don’t know, to be honest, but I can help you find out. The type of Fire Hose Reel you need comes down to a few factors, which we’ll get stuck into below. The main things you need to keep in mind are hose length and width, and then whether your reel is manual or automatic and fixed or swinging. Those last four buzzwords might not immediately make sense to you. Don’t worry, you’ll find out exactly what they mean if you stick around.
What are Fire Hose Reels Used for?
Fire hoses are a common fixture found across a range of commercial, industrial, and residential environments. Hoses exclusively use water, which in turn means their function is solely the suppression of Class A fires. This means that they are really only suitable for tackling fires that arise from flammable solids like wood and fabric.
Hoses should be installed in key locations where they are accessible and near vital routes. They can be used by qualified staff in a fire’s early stages, or by the fire brigade once they arrive.
Reels hold a fire hose in place. It’s a simple but essential role to play, and makes sure that the hose is protected, visible, and suitably accessible. Swift and obvious accessibility is imperative, shouldsomeone already present need to use the hose, or the fire brigade need to find and use it quickly. It also keeps the hose neat and tucked away when not in use, without making it slow to deploy.
The reels also offer different methods of deployment through the varieties that we offer. This starts with hose width. 19mm and 25mm are the most common options, and there’s not a huge difference between them. 25mm will output more water, and is only a little bit more expensive, but may not be the most reliable option if you have difficulties with low water pressure. The 19mm is a better choice when this is the case. It should also be noted that the reels themselves are basically the same size with either hose width.
Having a fire hose reel can actually be a legal requirement for your premises. So beyond all the reasons outlined above, it may be that you literally need to buy one. In that vein, you need to know which types are available.
Manual or Automatic, Fixed or Swinging?
Manual is probably what you first picture when you hear ‘fire hose reel’. They entail a gate valve attached to the wall that must be opened to allow the water to flow. This gives you control over the flow but is possibly less responsive than an automatic. If this reel were to be fixed, then it would be stuck in place wherever it has been installed. It should also have, nearby, a hose guide, which the end of the hose sits in and allows you to pull it in whichever direction you need without tugging against the reel.
An automatic hose is exactly what it sounds like, the water flow starts automatically. Now, it doesn’t do this without some interaction; otherwise, it would just be spilling water randomly with no accord. It uses an integrated valve which opens after you have unravelled the hose about three or four turns. This means that the water should begin flowing as soon as you have positioned the hose to tackle the flames. This can drastically reduce complications and response time to an emerging hazard.
Where a fixed reel sits on its built-in wall bracket, a swinging reel comes with a swivelling arm that must itself be attached to a bracket. The swivel allows the reel to be pulled and ‘swung’ out in the direction you need to go. This means the reel will accommodate the direct action of pulling the hose. This speeds up using a manual reel, as you can simply grab the hose and run after turning the valve. And it of course further streamlines use of an automatic.
I’m also happy to direct you to this article by the Fire & Safety Centre. It details some of the other types of hose reel out there, so you may find it useful.
So, Which One’s for Me?
If you look at our collection, you’ll find these four types are partially interchangeable with each other. As in, you could get a fixed automatic or a swinging manual reel and vice versa. But it’s good to know what the common uses for each individual type are; you can simply cross reference with your intended location to find what suits you best.
Manual hose reels are sometimes found in industrial settings, but they are most common in commercial and residential ones. While suitable for most places, they’re particularly useful where occupants may need to intervene quickly in an emerging fire hazard. In contrast, automatic reels are good for high-risk environments where a fast response by occupants is especially critical. This makes them popular for factories and warehouses, but you can still find them in large commercial properties.
The flexibility of swinging fire hose reels plays into where they are commonly used. The leeway provided by the swivel makes them a great fit for corridors, stairwells, and other tight areas. Anywhere the hose is likely to encounter obstacles is also fair game. Fixed reels enjoy the opposite conditions. They are best-suited to high-risk environments with large open spaces, such as warehouses and industrial sites. These are also places where covering your reel or storing it in a cabinet is a particularly good idea. These storage solutions are also recommended if you’re keeping any type of reel outside.
Hopefully you now have a good understanding of the types of fire hose reels available and what the recommended circumstances are for each of them. Remember, you can purchase every variation of fixed or swinging and manual or automatic, whatever suits your needs. But if you want a more physical idea of what you might be purchasing, then check out the video below. Thanks!
