Why do You Need an Intake Valve?
“Do I need an intake valve on my pump's inlet connection?”
One of the main reasons you want an intake valve on your apparatus is to gain control over water entering your pump. This is true for municipal and rural fire departments.
Let’s look at considerations for each side.
Municipal Departments
As a municipal department, you may deal with under pressurized sources and need a way to control the supply line into your intake valve. If you need to get air out of your line, your intake valve can evacuate through the bleeder attached to the intake valve. Once the air is bled out, you can open the intake to let water in.
If your department is dual pumping or working to multi-tap a hydrant, an intake valve gives your operator better control over the water coming into the apparatus.
Rural
In rural settings, an intake valve gives your operator control of incoming water. Using just a standard 6” steamer connection on your apparatus can limit the operator since there is no way to take the cap off without opening the pump open to atmosphere and losing prime.
When you specify a new intake valve, make sure it is designed for the type of operations you do. Many times your dealer or manufacturer can outfit valves to accept hard suction hose without adapters.