What a hydrant repair usually fixes
Most hydrant problems show up during a flow test or right after a bump. Some are obvious. Others stay hidden until someone tries to open the valve in a hurry.
- Leaks at the barrel, the bonnet or the drain
- An operating nut that won't turn, or turns without opening the valve
- Outlet caps seized onto their threads, or caps and chains missing
- Bent or broken parts after a vehicle strike
- Low flow or a failed result on the yearly flow test
We find the cause first. A technician looks at the hydrant on site, works out whether worn parts can be replaced in place or the hydrant has to come off its riser, and explains what each option involves before any work starts.
Shut-off planning comes next. The section of private main feeding the hydrant has to be isolated, so we'll ask where your control valves are. If the same main also feeds your building's sprinkler system, plan for that protection to be out of service for the length of the repair.
Is it your hydrant to fix?
Ownership decides who pays. A hydrant on the public water system belongs to the water provider, which in San Pedro is the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), so a leaking street hydrant is a call to LADWP. A hydrant on your private fire main is yours. That's the work we do.
After a failed test in Los Angeles
San Pedro has been part of the City of Los Angeles since 1909. Your hydrant follows Los Angeles rules. NFPA 25 calls for private hydrants to be inspected and flow tested every year. Ask the LAFD Bureau of Fire Prevention and Public Safety which schedule it applies to your property.
Did a tester write up your hydrant? Send us the report. We'll read the listed deficiency and match it to a repair, and once the work is done the hydrant can go back for a retest through our annual fire hydrant testing in San Pedro.
Marine air and hydrant hardware
San Pedro faces the Pacific on its south side. Salt air works on exposed metal. Caps fuse to threads. Operating nuts stiffen. Paint flakes, and bare iron starts to rust.
On a repair near the water we usually clean and lubricate the threads and the operating nut, replace gaskets that have dried out, and touch up coating wherever bare metal shows through. Routine fire hydrant maintenance in San Pedro keeps these parts from seizing between tests.
Licensed for private fire service work
California work is done by Hedrick Fire Protection. Hedrick holds C-16 fire protection and C-10 electrical contractor licenses and is licensed by the California State Fire Marshal under Title 19 for inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems.
We come to sites in ZIP codes 90731 and 90732. Too damaged to repair? See fire hydrant installations in San Pedro, or browse all San Pedro fire protection services. Managing sites outside the Harbor area too? We also handle fire hydrant repair across Los Angeles County and fire hydrant repair in Orange County.
Questions about hydrant repair
Is your company located in San Pedro?
San Pedro is part of our service area. Our technicians come to your property in 90731 or 90732.
Who fixes a leaking hydrant on the street?
LADWP does. Public hydrants sit on the city water system, and the water provider maintains them.
How often should a private hydrant be tested?
Yearly, under NFPA 25. That covers an inspection and a flow test. Confirm the schedule for your property with the LAFD Bureau of Fire Prevention.
Can you repair a hydrant hit by a vehicle?
Yes. We check the damage on site and tell you whether parts can be replaced or the whole hydrant needs to come out.
For more information about fire hydrant repair in San Pedro, call us at (213) 568-0188 or email us at socal@1profire.com