NFPA 1962 Hose Testing Procedure – Everything you Need to Know for Success

Service testing hose can be a tedious and even dangerous task, but the risks of leaving a length of hose untested are even greater. You deserve to have complete confidence in your hose, most especially in the moments when having a safe and functioning hose really counts. In this article, we’ll break down the hose testing procedure outlined by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that ensures each hose is up to standard and able to be relied upon.

In NFPA 1962 Standard for the Care, Use, Inspection, Service Testing, and Replacement of Fire Hose, Couplings, Nozzles, and Fire Hose Appliances, the hose testing procedure for various kinds of hoses are detailed. The NFPA has come up hose testing procedures that most effectively reduce potential instances of injury, so following such procedures is of vital importance.

A hose testing procedure states that each length of hose should be tested at least once a year, with additional testing done after any

• Repairs or replacements
• Exposure to chemical spills
• Exposure to extreme temperatures

First and foremost, you’ll want to remove any hose manufactured before July 1987 from service.

For the hose you will be testing, determine which service test pressure is correct:

• For attack fire hose and forestry fire hose, test to a minimum of 300 psi (pounds per square inch)
• For supply fire hose, test to a minimum of 200 psi

Make sure to use the same service test pressure for all lengths of hose that are part of the same hose line.

A physical inspection of hose and couplings includes making sure that they do not exhibit any

• Abrasions
• Burns
• Chemical damage
• Cuts
• Debris
• Mildew
• Rot
• Vandalization
• Vermin

To complete a visual inspection, look into the hose’s interior on each end, checking for signs of liner delamination.

If a hose fails either the physical or visual inspection, remove it from service and repair as needed or condemn it.

Once you are ready to begin service testing, lay out each length of hose on a horizontal surface as straight as possible, testing no more than 300 ft of hose line at once. Be sure that your testing location allows for the hose testing apparatus—also referred to as the pressure source—to connect to a water source. Types of hose testing apparatuses include:

• Hose testing machines
• Stationary pumps
• Pumps on fire department apparatuses

If you are using a hose testing machine, thoroughly check its condition before each testing session and before using the machine after transporting it to a new location. Look for damage and do not use the machine until any damaged parts have been repaired or replaced. Perform a pressure leak integrity test to ensure that the pressurized outlet side of the machine does not have any leakage. Again, if any leaks are present, do not use the machine until leaky parts have been repaired or replaced.

Regardless of what kind of hose testing apparatus you are using, you’ll want to start your service test by making sure the test gauge you are using to read the test pressure has been calibrated within the past 12 months.

Most of the steps of testing are the same for all three apparatuses, though there are some key differences.

Hose testing machine: Connect the test layout to the outlet side of the water supply valve on the machine.

Pump: Connect the layout to the hose test valve and secure it 10–15 inches from the coupling with a belt tie-in or rope hose tool.

Next, attach a test cap with a bleeder valve or a non-twist shutoff nozzle to the far end of each hose in the layout. Open the test cap/nozzle and slowly increase the pressure to 40–50 psi. Once the layout is filled with water, remove all air from the hose before slowly closing the test cap/nozzle.

Hose testing machine: Close the the outlet water supply valve.

Pump: Close the hose test valve. Mark hose around its full circumference at each coupling or collar, as this will come in handy later.

Gradually increase pressure at a rate of no more than 15 psi per second until you reach service test pressure.

Hose testing machine: Maintain service test pressure for a stabilization period of at least 1 minute per 100 ft of hose in the test layout. Then, hold the pressure for 3 more minutes after the stabilization period.

Pump: Maintain service test pressure for 3 minutes.

During this time, inspect the hose for leaks from at least 15 ft away, off to the left side of the nearest hose line of the layout.

Hose testing machine: If the layout does not hold service test pressure for 3 minutes, end the test.

• Fail any length of rope that leaked
• Drain the layout
• Remove defective rope from the layout
• Run the test back until the layout can maintain service test pressure for 3 minutes

Pump: If a section of the hose leaks or bursts, end the test.

• Fail the leaking or burst sections

After 3 minutes at service test pressure,

Hose testing machine: Open each test cap/nozzle to drain the layout.

Pump:

• Shut down the pump
• Open the hose test valve
• Let pressure equalize with the source
• Close the pump discharge gates
• Open each test cap/nozzle to drain the layout

Check the couplings and collars you marked earlier to see if any slippage occurred after the hose was drained. If it did, the hose fails the test.

Any hose that bursts or leaks during testing or has any defective couplings should be tagged accordingly and removed from service. Once a hose and/or its couplings have been repaired or replaced, be sure to test the hose before putting it back in service.

Follow all of the steps outlined for attack, forestry, and supply fire hoses above, but test the booster hose to 110% of maximum working pressure. If you cannot determine the maximum working pressure, test it to 110% of normal highest working pressure.

To test a service testing suction hose, attach the dry-vacuum hose to a suction source and seal the free end with a transparent disk. Then, connect the hose to an accurate vacuum measuring instrument, develop a 22 in. mercury vacuum, and hold it for 10 minutes. During this time, inspect the inside of the hose through the transparent disk, keeping an eye out for any signs of physical damage or waterway lining collapse.

In order to ensure the safest possible testing environment,

DO

• Assign each hose its own ID number to record testing history
• Make sure all equipment is secure before the test
  • This includes nozzles, couplings, and the pressure-testing device
• Secure the hose directly in the back of the test cap/nozzle before increasing pressure to prevent the hose from whipping around
• Clear the area of anyone not needed to perform the test
• Stand at least 15 ft to the left of the nearest hose line
  • “Left” being whichever side is left when you are facing the free end of the pressure source
• Test in a test cage designed to absorb the energy of a burst hose
• Check hose for leakage at each coupling
• Only let trained personnel conduct tests

DON’T

• Stand in front of the end of the hose
• Stand to the right of the hose
• Stand closer than 15 ft to the hose
• Straddle the test layout
• Conduct a proof pressure test
  • These are only to be done at point of manufacture!

In addition to following all of the procedures outlined above, be sure to test nozzles at least as often as the hose they are attached to. Additionally, if you find that a hose needs to be removed from service for repair of condemnation, make sure to tag the hose with the reason for removal written on the tag. When you get a hose back from being repaired, check that the maintenance team recorded any and all work done on the hose’s permanent record. Remember that testing hose is the key to detecting failures before they occur, so be sure to follow the correct hose testing procedure and to test often!