Which Inline Valve is Best for Your Stacked Tips?
“We have a TFT deck gun on our engine that is currently set up to be turned on by a valve at the pump panel. This works great, except when staffing is low. Is there an inline valve you would recommend that could go between the deck gun and the stacked tips so that it could be turned on and off at the deck gun once opened at the pump panel?”
Placing an inline valve on your firefighting monitor is becoming more common in the fire service because it allows the firefighter operating the deck gun to easily control the water. It also simplifies shut down when you need to add or remove smooth bore tips on your stack.
The biggest concern here is preventing water hammer – which could happen if you use the wrong type of valve.
For this situation, we recommend one of two options:
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Use a common 2 ½” (64 mm) hydrant valve. Since these valves use a crank to open and close, it will minimize water hammer. It is important to check the size of the water way, so you do not restrict the water supply as it exits the monitor and enters your stacked tips.
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A detent valve is also common in this situation but has a smaller 2” (50 mm) waterway. This option will work for you, but you want to be sure to think through the size of your monitor, valve, and stacked tips when pairing the set.