Why are fire hydrants red?

junkmailsucksalot

They're not all red. I've seen a lot of yellow fire hydrants... Red is just a traditional color... I'd have to assume the reason is to make them easy to spot... We don't need the firemen running around looking for the hydrant

ZfireZ

Not all of them is Red but they are brighter colors for the simple fact when you are lookin for one at night time trust they are hard enough to find when they are painted bright colors im a fireman and that is the reason for them to be red but not all is but they are a brighter colors.

Brian Da Dog

You'd be red if someone was pulling on your hose all day.

Vera

Same reason stop signs are red - to get your attention. If they were camouflaged wouldn't that be kind of pointless?

Bones

not all of them are some are yellow and some are even blue or green!!!

JAREAD

For the same reason Fire Engines are red. It is a color that stands out better and it is easier for the Firemen to spot it. In some areas they use yellow for both Fire Engines and Fire Plugs. It is not a universal rule.

Iam!!

Not all Fire Hydrants are red. Some are yellow. Some are blue.

Wattsie

In Britain they are yellow. Supposedly they show up better.

my_iq_135

Not all are red. But the reason is visability and the conection to a red fire truck. It was a tradition until towns began to use different colors. Now they can be any color at all and often are.

Quicksilver

Scientists used to think that red was the most quickly detected color by the human eye - thus most emergency vehicles and equipment were painted this color. More recent research indicated that greenish-yellow (predominantly yellow) is actually more readily visible. Thus, most emergency equipment has been converted.

TOM

so they are seasier to see

Bookworm619

Well, as you can see from the pictures above, fire trucks come in many colors. Back in the 1920's most cars and trucks were painted black. To make the fire trucks stand out more, they were painted red. In the 1960's, fire departments began experimenting with different colors that would make the fire trucks more visible in daylight as well as nightime. Hence the first instance of a 'lime green' color. Today, each fire department choses their own colors for their vehicles. Some departments have even gone to a dark blue color. And some others paint murals in the sides of their trucks.

Colors of the hydrants but soem happened in some states:

Red fire hydrants have a flow rate under 500 gallons per minute.

Yellow fire hydrants have a flow rate between 500 and 999 gallons per minute.

Green fire hydrants have a flow rate between 1000 and 1499 gallons per minute.

Blue or light blue fire hydrants have a flow rate of 1500 gallons per minute or higher.

theohioacademy

in like flint... I mean.. RED LIKE FIRE! As others have said, they are also different colors, red is just the most recognizable throughout America. Mostly everywhere else they are yellow! (Which is great, bc I'm colorblind (red-green) and they don't really stick out to me! LOL!) -JB

mizz candii

to get pplz attention and maybe bcuz fire is red too....

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