Fire prevention, some piece of mind...!

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robutacion

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Hi peoples,

Fire, has been always a concern of mine, not only at the wood storage paddock but also at home where we gathered a tremendous amount of wood, there are just no empty suitable places, wood is stored in every hole and place where it can be under cover.

The only prevention I can put into action at the open storage paddock, is to make sure, the grass is cut often and that, the boundary fence is free of grass, along the 8 meters wide strip, as the required fire brake. The road side is to one causing the most risk, were a thrown cigarette to the tall dry grass, is all it takes.

The wood is piled in rows where I can walk around and the grass there has been poisoned to prevent tall grasses to grow in between the logs however, the thought of a grass fire coming from the farm next door, is a real risk and one that will worry me every year, particularly around this time of the year, (hot/dry season)...!

At the house yard where I have the old sheds used as workshop, drying shed and lolly-shop shed, plus other areas covered up with roof sheeting, are always a concern to me in Summer. There is also the fact that, I use lots of very flammable products, such as petrol, acetone, resins, varnishes and many more so, I tend to be extremely careful with any open flames, sometimes necessary in some jobs.

Welding is also another worry of mine, far too much saw dust everywhere, the floor is dirt and a combination of lost of compacted sawdust so, a hot flare fro welding felling in some of those areas unnoticed, can stay smoldering for some time before ignites so, I always stay there, after I finish welding/grinding, looking for any possible smoke building anywhere.

I have installed 4 1kg chemical dust fire extinguishers in strategic spots in the working area and lolly-shop however, these few months I have had a few dreams about a fire and knowing that my dreams always mean something, I started to get the gear I needed to set up a petrol pump system, connected to a 5,000 litre water tank.

I got it finished last week, a few test did prove that the flat hose that come with the unit was useless in an emergency, these hose created far too many kinks and the water just can't get through until every one of those kinks is sorted, by then, would be nothing to save, it just takes too long before it can be used so, I spent another couple of hundred bucks, to buy a proper fire hose on a reel, the same ones you see everywhere in buildings.

I manage to created a small area under the house and near the water tank where I could put the petrol pump, I used some metal U channel to make a sliding runner, making it easy to get it out in a hurry, far enough to access all areas of the pump, including the start cable.

Everything is connected, the only required is to turn the water tap at the tank and the gravity feeds the suction 1"1/2 hose and bleeds the pump immediately so, the only thing I need to do is open the fuel tap and pull the starting cord. The hose, still on the reel, will feel with water as soon as the tap from the pump to the reel junction is turned on and from there, I can start walking with the hose nozzle end in my hands and adjust the required water flow depending upon the distance and the flames strenght. There are 36 meters of hose on that reel, enough to cover the back fence and a few meters over...!

The house bottom wood/boards skirt, already had an opening/door at the pump location, I will make a new door and I will need to replace the hole wood on that skirt, is all pretty rotten, particularly on the sides where they get most of the weather so, that will be done but the important stuff is done and that is what matters at the moment.

I hope that I never have to use it for real however, I will be running the full system every couple weeks in Summer time, to make sure everything is in perfect working order...! Unless Mr. Murphy come along and stuff me up on the day...!:mad:

Be safe,

Cheers
George
 

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bkersten

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2008
Messages
291
Location
Gettysburg, Pa. 17325
Do you have a local tax, yet, on collecting of rain water? :) That is a nice setup though. Not sure if I would leave a creased bend on the hose going to the pump like it shows in the 2nd pic in on the top from the left
 
Last edited:

robutacion

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2009
Messages
6,514
Location
Australia - SA Adelaide Hills
Do you have a local tax, yet, on collecting of rain water? :) That is a nice setup though. Not sure if I would leave a creased bend on the hose going to the pump like it shows in the 2nd pic in on the top from the left

Well spotted mate, that is indeed a short piece I cut for the 30 meter hose that came with the unit. I needed something very flexible there and the only thing I had what that flat hose, that and as I said, is totally useless, it won't be there very long as I ordered a equally flexible water hose that don't crease/kink.

The pump when extended will improve the crease on the hose, not totally but enough to let water pass through so, I know that, it will work if necessary, before the new hose gets here. Small towns don't normally have stuff that is out of the norm, you always have to order or drive a long distance to go to the city...!

I was trying to work out what you meant with the tax for the rainwater collection and , was then when I remembered to have read something about it, somewhere but not here. If you own the property, you can put as many water tanks of any size as you wish, most people around here have 2 or 3 an bigger than mine, I rent so, I have to accept what is in the house that in this case, had a small galvanized 1.500 litre water tank that was pretty rusted so, when the water started to come out everywhere, a new tank was required and I offer to install the new tank if they would supply a 5,000 one, any bigger and would be a bit of a problem with the septic tank access...!

Cheers
George
 
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