Aluminum and Polished Brass

• Some standpipes have an aluminum finish, while others have a polished brass finish. There are three types of aluminum finishes. Hardcoat aluminum finish is the most durable, sulfuric anodize is most common and chromic anodize is the typical finish for military and aircraft aluminum pieces. The polishing on polished brass helps prevent the metal on the standpipe from tarnishing, so it lasts longer and is more reliable.
  
  

Types of Standpipes

• According to Facilities Management, there are three classifications of standpipes. Class 1 standpipes have 2 1/2-inch hose connections and are most commonly used exclusively by firefighters. Class 2 standpipes have 1 1/2-inch hose connections and are often used by both firefighters and building residents. Class 3 standpipes have both size hose connections and are used by both firefighters and building residents or occupants. There are five additional types of standpipes within these three classifications. Automatic dry types uses air pressure to supply water, manual dry types supplies water through manual pumping, semiautomatic dry types use a manually-activated remote control to supply water, automatic wet types always contain water and can supply water at various pressures and manual wet types always contain water but pressure is controlled by manual pumping.
  
  

Standpipe Location

• Standpipes need to be located in areas firefighters can easily access. Local fire stations and building size and height play a part in determining where standpipes should be. In most cases, standpipes are located on every floor of buildings with multiple floors, or on floors that a fire truck cannot access. They are usually found in stairwells, as well as on the roof of buildings. They are designed in this way so firefighters can reach any area of the building with water using 100 feet of hose or less.
  
  

Other Requirements

• Standpipe finishes are often red, though different municipalities have different rules about the color of building standpipes. The finish must also be labelled with the standpipe type so firefighters know immediately how to operate it. The label should be in large, raised print. Also, caps on the standpipe need to be easy to remove by knocking it off. If a cap is on too tight, firefighters must waste precious time accessing the water.