LDH Storz replacing

[LVFD301]

I have some hydrant hoses, both are 5 inch LDH, one side of both are 4.5 NST, the other side is 5 or 6 NST.

What I want to do is replace the 4.5 inch fittings with 5 inch NST, so they will connect to the city hydrants that we often hook to. (17 miles from our area, but we do auto and mutual aid there)

Is this something that a dealer should be able to do, or is it a factory thing? Or cheaper to replace the entire hose?

[chiefengineer11]

I have some hydrant hoses, both are 5 inch LDH, one side of both are 4.5 NST, the other side is 5 or 6 NST.

What I want to do is replace the 4.5 inch fittings with 5 inch NST, so they will connect to the city hydrants that we often hook to. (17 miles from our area, but we do auto and mutual aid there)

Is this something that a dealer should be able to do, or is it a factory thing? Or cheaper to replace the entire hose?

In your photo 5488, that intermediate piece looks like an adaptor that was put there to allow the 4-1/2 coupling. If so, changing it to 5" should be a simple matter that many hose suppliers could do for you.

[LFD2203]

Many coupling manufacturers make bolt on coupling for woven jacket hose that you can put on youself with a hex wrench and torque wrench. But I can't remember seeing a coupling with a fitting of a different size than the hose. Worth asking. You should be able to make the 5" hoses work with just a 5" bolt on coupling. Otherwise, the most cost effective option may be a 5" storz x 4.5" NST (male) adapter for each pumper. My bet is that having a dealer replace a coupling would be relatively expensive compared to a bolt on coupling or an adapter.

[RFD21C]

If these soft sleeves work for on your hydrants in your area i would keep them as if. By the looks of the pictures it appears that it is 4 1/2" NST thread. Atleast in my area that is the most common size steamer thread on the hydrant. I would personally leave that alone and get and adapter to the city hydrants.

That is how we do it. We currently use 4" ALF thread on our hydrant steamers. Our auto-aid district uses 4 1/2" NST on their steamers. We simpilly have an adapter to mate up to their hydrants. That way we can use it on any of our supply hose. Same for the 2 1/2 inch hose.

I did learn something though. I never knew that hydrants had 5" NST threads on them. I only knew of 4" ALF and 4 1/2" NST threads.

[Jonnee]

Hydrant large outlets, aka steamer outlets, are 4" or 4.5".

http://www.enotes.com/how-products-encyclopedia/fire-hydrant

I think what the OP was saying was his soft sleeve may have been a 5 or 6 inch size.

RFD21C hit it, buy adapters.

[LVFD301]

I guess I am not making myself clear.

the 4 1/2 is useless to us. We have nothing that uses 4 1/2. The ONLY hydrants we hook to have 5 inch steamers.

I prefered not to use adapters, but will most likely have to go that route.

[firepundit]

If that is a Red Head coupling you should be able to remove the swivel part of the coupling and get a new one with the right threads. Otherwise, those are expansion ring couplings and can be replaced by anyone with the right size tooling and a hydraulic expander.

[neiowa]

I guess I am not making myself clear.

the 4 1/2 is useless to us. We have nothing that uses 4 1/2. The ONLY hydrants we hook to have 5 inch steamers.

I prefered not to use adapters, but will most likely have to go that route.

Kochek Double Jacket Couplings
SDJ550R - 5" Double Jacket Threaded Soft Suction Coupling x 5" RL
SDJ560R - 5" Double Jacket Threaded Soft Suction Coupling x 6" RL

Also available LH swivel

[kuh shise]

LVFD301: Our FD typically buys 5" ldh in 1000 ft lots with no couplings. We attach our own Storz, thus saving the coupling cost. The only piece of hose that is purchased "coupled" is the 25 ft. used to connect to the hydrant (4 1/2" NH). We recently had a rash of leakers found at the annual test, so we decided to take some of the bulk hose and cut our own. A local supplier was contacted to see if he could install the correct gasket and expansion ring using the old 4 1/2" coupling. We found out (both the FD and our local supplier) that no hose supplier wants to expose themselves to the liability of an improperly expanded coupling. We finally found a location with the correct expansion fixtures, but by the time we paid the charges and the shipping, we would have been cheaper throwing the hose away and buying new including the new couplings. We are now converting all our soft sleeve to Storz on both ends with adapters from Storz to 4 1/2 NH. It will be cheaper in the long run.

[Rescue101]

I guess I am not making myself clear.

the 4 1/2 is useless to us. We have nothing that uses 4 1/2. The ONLY hydrants we hook to have 5 inch steamers.

I prefered not to use adapters, but will most likely have to go that route.

ALL the hydrants around here are 4.5 inch. You SURE about the 5"? Yes,they will build a hydrant to whatever you need but everything around here is 4 and a half. T.C.