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Where exactly does a hydraulic calculation need to end?
When we run a hydrant flow test, there's a static/residual hydrant and a flow hydrant. I regularly run my hydraulic calculations from the building, through the service main, to a street main, and then up the tee'd branch that serves a hydrant so that my source point is exactly at the elevation of the static/residual hydrant. I do this so that I make sure to account for the proper elevation of the water supply. Most other hydraulic calculations I see will end wherever the building's service main intersects with the street's supply. Is this correct? Wouldn't that place the source at an elevation lower than what the hydrant indicated is available? Wondering what the proper way is that I should be precisely calculating systems. Thanks in advance. Posted anonymously for discussion. Discuss This | Submit Your Question | Subscribe
9 Comments
Brian Gerdwagen FPE
1/17/2020 10:22:05 am
The source of the hydraulic calculations should coincide with the flow test. If the public main was flowed, and it is circulating, ending the calc at the public main is fine. Otherwise, you need to prove back to the hydrant where you had the gauge. That is the point at which you measured the residual pressure at the flow rate from the flow hydrant.
I agree this is good practice, with one clarification; if you are in a situation that requires you to prove flow back to the flow test hydrants, I would place the hydraulic calculation source at the point where the static/residual pressure hydrant underground lateral connects with the larger underground supply main, and adjust the static and residual pressures for the elevation difference between the gauge and the ug main.
Wayne Ammons
1/17/2020 11:06:11 am
I think we posted at the exact same time Colin! I believe your good explanation is in line with what I was trying to say.
Alex
1/17/2020 10:36:23 am
I think your rationale is defensible. For example, if the tee to the test hydrant is at sea level and the point of connection to the site is 10 ft above sea level, the calculation would calculation would be neglecting 4.33 pounds of elevation loss.
Wayne Ammons
1/17/2020 10:59:44 am
I don’t have the opportunity today to look through some reference material to see if there is guidance in black and white, but for the purposes of calculating the sprinkler system, the flows and pressures available at the hydrant outlet itself will be available at the underground connection point for the hydrant, correct? To calculate all the way through the piping and fittings for the hydrant itself would be a more conservative approach, but unnecessary since the water for the sprinkler system is not being drawn from the hydrant outlet, it’s being drawn from the water main the hydrant connects to.
raymond
12/10/2021 12:17:32 pm
Does anyone have any NFPA references to show proof to plumbing engineer?
COLIN
12/10/2021 02:37:49 pm
Unfortunately, I'm not aware of anything in NFPA clearly indicating exactly where the source should be placed. But a plumbing engineer should be able to understand the concept of placing the source at the location where the pressure hydrant connects to the city main, with pressure adjusted for the difference in elevation between the hydrant and the underground main. This is the location where the flow is being measured when you perform a flow test. Leave a Reply. |
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