The purpose of this invention, FireFighter1, is to contribute to the prevention of homes and/or infrastructure loss to fires and/or wildfires. The field is specifically related to firefighting equipment. This invention relates to firefighting systems that connect to a pool or water pump, providing quick access to previously inaccessible water during fire emergencies. It is designed for easy storage; to be easily operable by the average property owner; with minimal weight, components and cost; while producing maximum effectiveness at fighting fires and/or creating defensible space. The invention uses common fire equipment parts used to fight fire, with equipment used in the installation of swimming pools and their pumping equipment, together to create FireFghter1. The unique folds in the preferred storage embodiment are key to the users not having technical issues with the hose kinking or hose getting knotted, in addition to providing the ability for the FireFighter1 hose to be stored close by and not permanently attached to pool pump equipment where it would experience wear from the ailments.
One prior art is described in the expired U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,021 (reference 2)
In this patent firefighting equipment was designed to connect to a pool pump with a 3-way valve and operate by the pressure of the pool pump circulating water. The device is heavy, overly restrictive for the everyday user, and not configured for rapid deployment or convenient storage. The rolled hose design takes significant time to unreel, requires extra components that stick and add weight, while not providing full concurrent access to both ends of the hose connection input and hose nozzle output end in close proximity to the water pump. This system does not provide a solution for accessing the pool water once water falls below the skimmer line. And additionally, the device is designed to be permanently installed with the pool pump where it is bulk and susceptible to damage. Our design is compact, light-weight, able to detach from the pump for safe storage and provides a system for redirecting water flow to the bottom of the pool to have full access to all the water available.
FireFighter1 is a firefighting system that can be attached to a high-pressure side of a swimming pool pump. It is designed to provide quick access to unused pool water resources and be easily, rapidly usable by the average pool owner during a fire emergency. The fire hose of the system is quickly connected to the high-pressure side of the user's pool pump and water pressure is diverted to the base of the pool, providing the ability to rapidly extract pool water, create a hydrant quality stream of water spraying 40+ feet and create defensible space and/or fight fire.
Image 1 is a top view of the FireFighter1 hose extended at the ideal 50% ratio to begin folds.
Image 2 is a front view of starting the first folds in protective housing.
Image 3 is a top/side view of the accordion folds completed by one half of the FireFighter1 hose.
Image 4 is a top view of the completely folded invention of FireFighter1 in its casing, 25 foot unit.
Image 5 is a top/front view of two (2) FireFighter1 units reflecting folds allowing for rapid deployment of hose, ability for hose nozzles to be accessible from output side and concurrently firehose connection to be readily accessible at input end of hose. Right unit is rolled in a double stack and can be kept in a casing or hung with a hose rack or reel for storage.
Image 6 is a top view of the completely folded invention of FireFighter1 in its casing, 50 foot unit.
Image 7 is a top/front view of the invention of FireFighter1 in its closed housing.
Image 8 is a front view of two (2) FireFighter1 units without a casing. Top unit is a 25′(twenty-five) foot FireFighter1 hose with connection to stay permanently installed with coupling on a 3-way diverter. Bottom unit is a 50′(fifty) foot FireFighter1 unit prepared with a quick-disconnect option.
Image 9 is a front perspective view of said 3-way diverter referred to in image 13, with coupling installed, available with a FireFighter1 unit on standby at pool pumps side.
Image 10 is a front view of a 100′ (100 foot) FireFightr1 hose hanging with the prong option.
Image 11 is a front view of said 3-way diverter referred to in image 13 with coupling installed and available. FireFighter1 is connected to pool pumps with a quick-connector.
Image 12 is a top view of a “typical” pool pump with 2.4 HP Pentair Pool Pump where in normal circumstances water flows directly from the high-pressure outlet of the pump to the input port on the filter. The pipe has a right-angle bend in it.
Image 13 is a front view of a “typical” pool pump with 2.4 HP Pentair Pool Pump where in normal circumstances water flows straight through the piping. Ideal for installation to minimize pressure drop.
Image 14 is a top view of the same said “typical” pool pump referred to in image 7, with 3-way diverter replacing the right-angle bend above pump output with the main water flow taking a right angle through the diverter. The remaining port coupling is customized to connect FireFighter1.
Image 15 is a front view of the same said “typical” pool pump referred to in image 13, with 3-way diverter installed so water normally goes through the two diverted ports at 18o degrees to each other, while the port at a 90-degree angle has a coupling that is customized to connect FireFighter1.
Image 16 is a top-down view into the pool skimmer pipe showing the input and output flow holes that are plugged with our “U” shaped union pictured, that plugs into those ports to redirect flow of water from skimmer to bottom of pool.
Image 17 is a front view of the fire hose outside of the housing, folded optimally every 6″.
FireFighter1 is a fire defense hose system designed to give near instant access to any available pool of water in the event of a fire emergency by using the pool pump, so a user can extract that water to combat fire and/or create defensible space. The fire hose defense system was designed with the user in mind, making the system easy to use, durable, cost effective and available for property owners wanting to contribute to fighting by fire with their own valuable water resource. The fire hose system is designed to utilize an existing water pump system and available pool of water to extract and spray water at high pressure, capable of sending a stream of water above multi-level structures. The high-pressure range also provides the ability to spray water at an active, closer fire, while still maintaining a safer distance.
The Optimal Fire Defense Hose System consists of:
The first prototypes of the FireFighter1 system were built with the hose wound on a reel, had many moving parts within the reel and for the hose to connect to the pump, in addition to not being aesthetically pleasing and expensive to construct. A few focus group experiments were conducted concluding that consumers loved the idea of the system, but felt the product was too big, too heavy, too expensive, difficult to operate and not something pool owners wanted sitting by their pool pump overall.
First corrective action was to remove the reel system, and eliminate as many components as possible. Next task in construction was to find parts that would
Multiple valves, fitting, components and couplings were experimented with. Multiple types of hoses were tested in rolled and folded storage configurations; experiments were done with hoses of different densities, different fabric types and different ply levels; the hose was used dry, and wet in storage tests, and repeatedly tested until the proper fire defense hose system in quality, weight, storability and functionality was found.
The manner in which the hose is stored is important to its practical use. Ideally, both ends of the hose should be available in close proximity to each other and to the pool pump. Then one person can rapidly affix the hose to the diverter valve, turn on the pump, grab the water-dispensing end of the hose and run with it to spray water. The configuration for storing and/or folding hose accordion style (Image 4) or double stacked (Image 6) meets the criteria of rapid hose deployment. A less optimal storage configuration is shown in Image 9 where the hose is folded accordion style and each fold is supported on a single rigid prong attached to a common framework. Such a configuration would mean dismounting the hose, while retaining the “accordion” by, for example, grabbing both ends of the folds and pushing in to maintain shape, from the prongs prior to connecting to the diverter valve.
Hayward & Pentair are large manufacturers producing the typical pool pumps available as reflected in Images 12, Image 13,
The 3-way water diverters reflected in Image 9, Image 11, Image 14,
The 3-way diverter valve, although optimal, can be replaced by a simple “T” connection and two on/off valves as shown in
Further in a less desirable and less expensive configuration, the two-way valve on the filter side of the “T” can be eliminated. Then, when the two-way value going to the hose is turned on, and the water pump is on, water has a choice to flow through the hose or the filter (
A housing for Firefighter1, as reflected in Images 4, Image 7, Image 9 and Image 11, provides the ability to leave the fire hose defense systems disconnected from this connection point and avoid possible destruction or damage due to weather or other environmental conditions. Additionally, it provides the ability for the hose to remain properly folded at the optimal 3″ to 18″ ratio for quickest use, as reflected in Images 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5 and Image 6. This simple design and connection configuration solved the problems of 1.) reducing the overall system weight with less components and lighter weighted materials 2.) cost effectiveness by being at a price range similar to that of other substantial household or property maintenance items 3.) complication, with minimal connection points eliminating areas at risk for leaking with a simplified system.
A coupling connects the FireFighter1 system to a 3-way diverter, which in turn is connected to the pool or water reservoir pump. For our intended use, the diverter is connected to the high-pressure output side of the pool water pump. When ready to use FireFighter1, make sure the pool float valve is in place or our custom “U” shaped connector diverting the flow of water from the skimmer to the bottom of the pool. Then, connect the hose to the diverter, or if already connected, turn the diverter valve to flow water from bottom of pool to FireFighter1, then turn the pool pump “on”. The pump output pressure provides a quick high-pressure stream of water, available almost immediately through the end nozzle of the fire hose. The unique and specific folds of the fire hose defense system provided a similar amount of time for said user to pull the hose out, to that of the opposite end filling with water. A fire hydrant quality stream of water exits the nozzle to fight fire and/or create defensible space with available pool water as the invention is intended to do.