Hydrant wrench
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A hydrant wrench is a tool used to remove fire hydrant caps and open the valve of the hydrant. They are usually adjustable so as to fit different sized hydrant nuts.
In France
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Ensemble_cles_tricoises.jpg/300px-Ensemble_cles_tricoises.jpg)
In France, The wrench is called "Guillemin wrench" (French: clef Guillemin, pronounced [kle ɡijəmɛ̃]), but the firefighters call it "tricoise wrench" (clef tricoise, [kle tʁikwaz]). The curved part applies on the ring, and the hooked part clutches a notch.
Big tricoise wrenches are placed in fire trucks, and are mainly used to fasten the big hoses, e.g. ∅110 mm hoses to feed the pumper tank from the hydrant (∅100 mm for the clutch). Small tricoise are made of brass and hang at the fire belts; they are used to fasten the small hoses, e.g., ∅70mm to ∅22mm hoses (∅65mm to ∅20mm clutches).
The shape is sometimes adapted so it can be used as a tool for other purposes; it is then called "polycoise wrench" or "Deschamps wrench". These tools are used to
- Open GDF standard gas enclosures and EDF standard electrical enclosures (12mm female triangle wrench);
- Open fire hydrants (15.6mm female triangle);
- Open doors without knobs, ventilation accesses and closets containing firefighting equipment in some public locations (5×5mm to 8×8mm square female wrenches);
- Open dry risers (12.5×12.5mm square female wrench);
- Open bathroom and toilet doors (screwdriver); and
- Remove nuts and bolts (13, 17 and 19mm six-point wrenches).
In the United States
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Hydrant_wrench.png/300px-Hydrant_wrench.png)
The shape of a hydrant wrench is sometimes adapted so it can be used as a tool for other purposes, such as:
- Storz and spanner hose couplings
- Rocker lug couplings
- Water meter shutoff valves
- Gas cock valves
- Pentagonal nuts
- Square nuts.
See also
- Birdsill Holly, noted for his inventions related to city water system equipment and apparatus for fire protection, like the fire hydrant.
References
- ^ U.S. patent 8,740,254, "Apparatus and method for protecting Storz fire fighting hose couplings", filed 18 May 2010.