Why do fire hydrants not freeze and burst in the winter? The water is theoretically above the freezing line, no?
In: Engineering
One I can answer!
They can and do freeze if there is water past the shutoff valve. We prevent this by systematically and regularly checking the water level of hydrants. If water is found, we turn on and then turn off the hydrant to make sure it is fully closed and not leaking. Then we pump out the water that remains in the space between the shutoff and the street. Hopefully, when they are checked two weeks later, they are still unfrozen and dry. I have tried to open a hydrant that was full and frozen and it was not fun. Fortunately another truck had a working hydrant.
It may work differently in different jurisdictions.
Source: am a firefighter
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