Title: Test hose function.
Course: Firefighting II (15152-II) > Section: Working with Hose Tools and Appliances

Testing should include the following steps:

1. Locate a safe area to perform the test.
2. Lay the entire hose in a straight run.
3. Connect the hose sections into lengths of up to 300 feet.
4. Connect the hose test-gate valves to each pumper discharge valve being used and open the valves.
5. Connect the hose segments to the test-gate valves.
6. Attach a rope hose tool or hose strap to each test length.
7. Attach a shutoff nozzle to the open end of each test segment.
8. Open nozzles for hose filling, holding nozzles over the hydrant discharge or pump.
9. Open the discharge.
10. Fill each hose line with water.
11. Close the nozzles once air has been purged from the test segments.
12. Mark the hose jacket with chalk to indicate where the couplings meet the hose.
13. Inspect the hose line for kinks and straighten, if necessary.
14. Inspect for leaking couplings.
15. Remove failed segments.
16. Close each hose test-gate valve.
17. Increase the pump pressure to the NFPA standard.
18. Monitor the connections as pressure increases, checking for leaks.
19. Reduce the pressure and close discharge valves when they reach zero.
20. Disengage the pump.
21. Break all the hose connections, draining water away from the test area.
22. Observe marks at the couplings to see if any couplings moved and tag those that moved or failed.
23. Log all results.

Process/Skill Questions:

- How often should hoses undergo testing?
- How much does a coupling need to move while a hose is in use to indicate the coupling may be loose or damaged?
- What are the primary indicators that a hose segment needs to be repaired or replaced?