Fol-Da-Tank

Supply Line Holders

large supply line holder, firefighter supply line

November 3, 2021  Supply Line Holders by Joel Wright

Supply line holders deliver water into our portable frame tanks.  They are especially useful when trucks cannot dump directly into a tank and also in tank relay operations where a series of tanks are connected together.

Their design is simple.  The supply line connects to the housing which is attached to the frame by a holder.  The fabricated holder has a spring loaded clamp to attach to the top rail and a detent pin to stabilize the unit on an upright.  When clamped on, the unit can withstand the forces from high water flows.  The supply line holder frees a firefighter for higher priority work rather than holding a hose.

People often ask why the small housings look so different from the large housings.  The first noticeable difference is size.  Small housings connect to 2-1/2 inch or 3 inch hose which is most often connected to a tanker truck.  Large housings connect to 4 inch or 5 inch hose – usually to a hydrant.  The flange connection on the large housing is the same casting used in our Float Dock Strainer.  This common part helps us maintain short lead times and cost.  We simply machine the flange to the required size.  The large housing is a box shape and has a cast handle on top enabling a single person to move the assembly.  The small housing is a tube shape and is best held at the elbow.  There is no need for a separate handle since it fits a human hand.

Another common question is why do the small supply line holders (3 inch and 3.5 inch) come in a double configuration.  When rural fire stations band together to share resources, the double supply line holder allows two tankers to supply a porta-tank or a series of connected tanks.  Two water sources are usually better than one.

If you want to know more about our supply line holders, give us a call at (800)637-TANK.

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