drafting from relief valve

[bellmont25]

Our department responses are %95 in rural non water supllied areas. Would you reccomend the use of a piston intake relief valve or butterfly valve when drafting from a portable dump tank. Thanks for your help

[Bones42]

Personally, no. I want as few things in the way when drafting so I would remove it. No need to have extra appliances that may or may not cause vaccum leaks.

[oldarffer]

I'm with Bones 42. We run 5" gated inlets on both sides of our pumps that have piston intake relive valves. We found it is virtually impossible to draft with these on as they cause HUGE vacuum leaks. Keep the intake valves well lubricated and spin them off when you get to a drafting situation.

[BB3939]

I am assuming that uneven demand for water and stopping altogether is your problem. Obviously either of your suggestions will work. When we first got ldh and had the piston intake valve on the truck we had an operator that would adapt the valve to suction thread and it worked fine. A few departments around us have butterfly valves. I find both cumbersom, and as the other posts say, 'extra' stuff that can cause a suction leak .... and more places to look for a problem if you are having a suction problem. Might I suggest a recirculation line to the dump tank. Securing a hand line with a rope to the dump tank (or whatever)will keep the draft operating till you need a larger flow. It dosent take much flow to keep up the draft till you need a larger flow. Just a suggestion

[AC1503]

Make sure that the gaskets for the Storz LDH fittings are for drafting. Normal pressure type gaskets leak badly at a draft.

[hvfdrgpemt]

Without a gate or piston relief valve, how are you going to switch from your booster tank to the drop tank, or vice versa. We use a Gate on the road side, and a piston reieif vavle on the ditch side. We can do it both ways, and have never experienced a problem at draft, and that is all we have...

We take off both valves twice a year, check the gaskets, and add a little oil to them to keep them plyable.

We use 6 inch suction on all our engines, and have pulled water from every source imaginable, and can if needed, draft from the great Atlantic Ocean.

Make sure everything is tight, but not too tight, and it should be fine.

Stay Safe, Stay Well

[ChiefDog]

I agree hvfdrgpemt. We have our 3 engines and soon our quint with the same setup you mention. LDH on the passenger side incase something gives way at hi-volume and keystone/butterfly on the driverside panel so that you are at the controls. Mostly for the safety factor and it is easier / quicker than switching things around on a fire scene.

[Bones42]

As part of our Pump Operator testing, we have them operate the pump with the relief valve removed and the intake open. We have found that very little water (if any) comes out the intake when they are flowing the handline correctly.

[hvfdrgpemt]

Bones, What size suction are you using? What size handline? I've watched our guys dump the whole 1000 gallon booster tank back into the dump tank because they weren't paying attention.

I'd like to know since it sounds like a great goal to shoot for in training, and we are going to be doing a lot of it this year, lots of green guys, and even some ladies in the ranks...

Any info is appreciated

By the way, it's over 32 degrees here in downeast maine, T SHIRT WEATHER!

Stay safe and stay warm