Editor-Kenneth E. Isman, P.E.

Issue# 274

Hose Stream Demands Part 1

Here at the NFSA, we answer more than 2600 technical questions from out
members each year through our Expert of the Day (EOD) service. We monitor
the subjects that people are asking about in order to determine subjects that
we should develop more training materials about. We figure that if multiple
people from different places ask similar questions, then that subject could use
some clarification.
The subject for this issue of e-TechNotes comes from this review process. We
ve noticed a number of questions in the last 30 days regarding hose stream
demands that indicate that we need to spend a little time discussing them to
clear up some misconceptions.

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The purpose of the hose stream demand is to make sure that the fire
department has the ability to put some hose in service when they arrive on the
scene of a fire without taking flow away from the fire sprinkler system inside the
building. Fire sprinkler systems dont always completely put out the fire on
their own. While the sprinklers control the fire, confining its damage to the area
or object of fire origin, we rely on the fire department for final extinguishment.
But we dont want the fire department to turn off the sprinklers, or to take flow
away from the sprinkler system that it needs while they do this final
extinguishment.
Therefore, when the water supply that the fire department is going to use for
their hose streams and the water supply for the sprinkler system are the same,
we add a small amount of flow to the fire sprinkler system calculations to
account for the water that the fire department will be using at the same time
that the sprinkler system is working. The amount of flow that we add depends
on the hazard classification of the building and the commodity being stored if it
is a warehouse.
In the 2013 edition of NFPA 13, the hose stream demands are summarized in
Table 11.2.3.1.2 for Light, Ordinary and Extra Hazard occupancies. Table
12.8.6.1 in the 2013 edition summarizes the hose stream demand for most
storage situations (special commodities still have the ability to have their own
demands listed in the storage chapters). For editions of NFPA 13 prior to
2013, there is a similar table in Chapter 11 but the hose stream demands for
storage were scattered throughout Chapters 12 through 21.
If the fire sprinkler system is fed from a different water supply than the one that
the fire department will be using, then no hose stream demand is required to be View older issues online at
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added to the sprinkler system calculations. For example, if the sprinkler
system is fed from a tank with a pump and there are no outlets on the tank that

the fire department can connect to and there are no private hydrants connected
to the tank or pump, then the hose stream demand is not required to be added
to the sprinkler system demand and the pump and tank can be sized for only
the sprinkler demand.
Total Inside and Outside Hose
The hose stream demand generally ranges from 100 gpm to 500 gpm. This is
the total amount that is intended to be available to the fire department both
inside and outside the building. For the fire department to use hose inside the
building, they either need a connection inside the building or they need to
connect the hose outside and drag it into the building. Since the hydraulic
calculations are only concerned with where the water needs to be added, we
will discuss inside hose connections as those outlets that are physically in
the building to be used for fire fighting and outside hose connections as the
public or private hydrants that the fire department will use outside of the
building.
The hose stream demand is always a flow that is added to the sprinkler system
demand at the appropriate connection at whatever pressure the sprinkler
system needs at that point. The hose stream demands do not guarantee that
the fire department will have any specific pressure. The fire department brings
their own pressure source with them (a fire truck with a pump on it). So, the
purpose of the hose stream demand is to make sure that the water supply can
deal with the extra flow demand.
Inside Hose Demand
Section 11.1.6.3 and section 12.8.4 provide the rules for inside hose demand.
In a building with no inside hose connections, the inside hose demand is 0
gpm. In a building with only one inside hose connection, the inside hose
demand is 50 gpm. In a building with two or more inside hose connections, the
inside hose demand is 100 gpm with 50 gpm added to each of the two most
demanding inside hose connection at the point where they connect to the
sprinkler system piping at whatever pressure is needed by the sprinkler system
at that point.
It is important to note here that the inside hose connections in question here
are not standpipes. A standpipe system that is designed in accordance with
NFPA 14, whether it is a Class I system with 2-1/2 inch connections or a Class
II system with 1-1/2 inch connection or a Class III system with both will have its
own water supply and its own calculations. These calculations will be
independent of the fire sprinkler system and the sprinkler demand does not
need to be added to the standpipe demand as long as the building is fully
sprinklered. If the building is partially sprinklered some of the sprinkler demand

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may be needed to be added to the standpipe demand, but that is the subject of
a whole different discussion.
It is not very common to find inside hose stations these days. Most buildings
are not required to have such connections. There was a time when NFPA 13
required inside hose connections in storage warehouses, but even that has
changed more recently. The 2013 edition of NFPA 13 only requires hose
connections in storage occupancies, where required by the authority having
jurisdiction (see section 12.2.1). In the vast majority of buildings that have no
inside hose connections, the inside hose demand will be 0 gpm.
There was one edition of NFPA 13 where the annex implied that the 50 gpm
inside hose demand should be added to the standpipe connections in a
building with a standpipe systems (see section A.11.1.5.6 in the 2007 edition
of NFPA 13). But this section was reviewed by the committee in the next
cycle and it was removed for the 2010 and subsequent editions. Since the
statement was in the annex rather than the body of the standard, it was never
legally enforceable and it contradicted the body of both NFPA 13 and NFPA 14
with respect to water supplies for combined sprinkler and standpipe systems.

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Outside Hose Demand

The Outside Hose Demand is calculated by taking the Total Hose Demand and
subtracting the Inside Hose Demand for the building. The following table
provides the Outside Hose Demand for a variety of occupancies.
Total Inside and
Outside Hose Demand

Inside Hose Demand

Outside Hose Demand

Light Hazard with no

hose connections

100

100

Light Hazard with 2 or

more inside hose
connections

100

100

Ordinary Hazard with

no hose connections

250

250

Ordinary Hazard with 2

or more hose
connections

250

100

150

Storage with control

mode density/area
sprinklers (2000 sq ft
design) and no hose
connections

500

500

Storage with control

mode density/area
sprinklers (2000 sq ft
design) and 2 or more
hose connections

500

100

400

Occupancy

Did You Know??

The outside hose demand is required to be added into the sprinkler system
demand at either the closest fire hydrant to the building or the place where the
sprinkler system connects to the water supply that has hydrants on it,
whichever is closest to the building. If the underground pipe going from the
public water supply to the sprinkler system in the building does not have private
hydrants on it, then the outside hose demand will usually be added at the point
where the underground connects to the public water supply. If there are private

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hydrants on the same underground as the sprinkler system, the outside hose
demand is typically added at the private hydrant closest to the building.
Summary
Hopefully, this has addressed many of the questions with respect to inside and
outside hose stream demands. The next issue of e-TechNotes (scheduled for
September 3, 2013) will continue this theme with a discussion of sizing pumps
and tanks with different hose stream demand situations.
NFSA Tuesday eTechNotes is c. 2013 National Fire Sprinkler Association, and is distributed to NFSA members on Tuesdays for which
no NFSA Technical Tuesday Online Seminar is scheduled. Statements and conclusions are based on the best judgment of the NFSA
Engineering staff, and are not the official position of the NFPA or its technical committees or those of other organizations except as
noted. Opinions expressed herein are not intended, and should not be relied upon, to provide professional consultation or services.
Please send comments to Kenneth E. Isman, P.E. isman@nfsa.org.