Fire hydrant service in San Pedro

First, find out whose hydrant it is

Not every hydrant near your building is yours. Hydrants on the public water system are the water provider's responsibility, and in San Pedro that provider is the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). A hydrant on your side of the property line that runs off your own fire service main is usually a private hydrant. That one is on the owner.

Not sure which you have? Your site plan or the original fire service drawings will usually show where the public main stops and your private piping begins.

What we do for private hydrants

We work on private hydrants at street addresses in San Pedro ZIP codes 90731 and 90732. NFPA 25 calls for each private hydrant to be inspected and flow tested once a year.

• Annual fire hydrant testing in San Pedro: the yearly inspection and flow test, with the bonnet color checked against the flow classes in NFPA 291.
• Fire hydrant maintenance: lubricating the operating nut and threads, replacing cap gaskets and checking that the barrel drains.
• Fire hydrant repair: leaks, stuck stems, damaged caps and broken parts.
• Fire hydrant installation on private fire service mains, built to NFPA 24.

Salt air is hard on hydrant hardware

San Pedro faces the Pacific. Its hydrants sit outdoors all year in marine air, so caps, chains, bolts and operating nuts tend to corrode faster than they do inland, and a cap rusted in place can slow a fire crew down when it matters most. On coastal sites we look closely at threads, gaskets and paint. Seized caps get freed and greased. Corroded parts get flagged for repair.

New hydrants go through Los Angeles plan check

San Pedro has no city hall of its own. It has been a Los Angeles neighborhood since 1909, and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) handles fire response there. If a new private hydrant is part of a construction or remodel project, fire and life safety plan checks, permit approvals and field inspections go through LAFD Fire Development Services. Its offices are in Metro, West LA and Van Nuys. None is in the Harbor area, so build that into your schedule.

For an existing hydrant, ask the LAFD Bureau of Fire Prevention & Public Safety whether your annual test results have to be filed.

Who does the work

In California, 1 Pro Fire's 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.

Technicians come to your site. For a hydrant quote in San Pedro, call (213) 568-0188 or email socal@1profire.com

San Pedro fire hydrant questions

How often does a private hydrant need testing?

Once a year. NFPA 25 calls for an annual inspection and flow test of every private fire hydrant.

The hydrant at the curb is leaking. Can you fix it?

Usually not. Hydrants on the public system belong to LADWP's water system, so report the leak to LADWP. We work on hydrants fed by private fire service mains.

What do the bonnet colors mean?

Under NFPA 291, the bonnet color shows the hydrant's flow class. A flow test tells you whether the color still matches what the hydrant delivers.

Do new hydrants need a permit?

New construction and remodels in Los Angeles, San Pedro included, go through LAFD Fire Development Services for plan check, permits and field inspection. Confirm the details for your project with that office before work starts.