Australian summers are renowned for sunshine, beaches and bushfires. We’re all aware of the importance of having a bushfire survival plan , but have you ever considered upgrading your garden hoses to include a fire hose for home use?

While commercial buildings and public venues are required by law to have accessible fire fighting hoses, there’s no reason homeowners can’t have the same equipment to protect their family and property. Particularly those surrounded by trees, bushland or even grassy expanses.

How is a firehose different from a garden hose?

You might have seen the huge fire hoses that take several burly firefighters to handle and never thought about whether a fire hose kit would be suitable for your home. However, a popular choice for domestic and commercial fire fighting purposes is a 19mm hose that is lightweight, very easy to handle and quick to deploy where needed.

Most garden hoses are 12mm, but your standard tap fittings can be easily replaced to accommodate a 19mm fire hose. A fire hose reel can also be attached to a nearby structure to allow neat storage and quick rollout to where it’s needed. With a standard length of 36m, you should have no trouble getting water where you need it on most standard-sized house blocks.

Dedicated fire hoses are made from high quality, heavy-duty rubber designed not to kink. Especially in the hotter weather when garden hoses tend to become more supple and prone to kinks, knots and tangles.

At a glance:

Absolutely! In fact, this is a great way to become familiar with the weight and diameter of your hose. If you’re ever in a situation where you need to use it, you’ll know exactly how far it will reach and what flow rate to expect.

Plus, in addition to more fire protection equipment, you have the benefit of a hose that won’t constantly crimp, while delivering approximately one and a half times more water than your standard garden hose. That’s going to save a lot of time watering plants in the warmer weather!

Your water pressure will remain the same, but a larger diameter can reduce the amount of flow. To combat this, fire hoses are fitted with nozzles designed to maximise the flow.

Think about how the flow of water changes when you put your thumb over the end of a hose to halve the size of the opening. It may seem that the water pressure is changing because the water shoots out further, but the water pressure actually stays the same. It’s the water flow that changes in response to the size of the opening.

Fire hoses designed for domestic use have adjustable nozzles, just like your regular garden hose, so you can control the flow of water to suit your needs.

Get in touch with the team at Chiswick Plumbing to replace your garden hose with a dedicated fire hose, that meets Australian safety standards. We’ll be happy to arrange a time to replace your existing fittings and install a wall-mounted fire hose reel and hose ready for action.