Hose reels and hydrants are not an alternative to sprinklers but a complement. Sprinklers operate automatically and early; hose reels and hydrants work through human intervention. The hose cabinet is for first-aid firefighting by occupants, the hydrant for the fire brigade attacking from outside.
Hose reels: who will use it?
The choice of cabinet follows who will use it:
| Type | User | Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Hose reel (semi-rigid hose) | Building occupant | One person can deploy it, flows without kinking; TS EN 671-1 |
| Lay-flat hose | Trained team / fire brigade | Higher flow, must be laid out first; TS EN 671-2 |
The practical distinction: an untrained occupant cannot lay out and use a flat hose alone. Where building occupants are expected to intervene, hose reels are preferred. BYKHY draws the same line: in buildings without trained staff or fire personnel, round semi-rigid hose cabinets must comply with TS EN 671-1 (Article 94/b-4), while lay-flat hose cabinets may be used in buildings that are obliged to keep trained firefighting staff (Article 94/b-6).
Siting rules
- Access. Cabinets are placed, as far as possible, near corridor exits and stair landings where they can easily be seen (Article 94/b-2).
- Coverage. Every point should be reachable from at least one cabinet within the hose length plus the effective jet range.
- Visibility. The front of the cabinet must be clear and its sign visible; this is the most commonly broken rule. According to the Ministry's BYKHY Guide, hose cabinets must not be concealed behind wall panels or other decorative elements for architectural or aesthetic reasons.
- Pressure. Nozzle pressure must be enough for an effective jet but not above what one person can control. Excess pressure is limited with a pressure reducing device; under BYKHY a pressure reducer is used where the pressure at the nozzle inlet exceeds 900 kPa (Articles 94/b-5, 94/b-6).
- Freezing. Supply pipework in cold spaces must be freeze protected.
The most remote cabinet is calculated. As with sprinklers, the hydraulically most demanding cabinet is chosen and the required nozzle pressure achieved there. How many cabinets are assumed to operate at once is a design assumption and must be stated in the report.
Hose cabinets and fire brigade outlets under BYKHY (Article 94)
The regulation groups internal installations under two headings: the fire brigade water outlet line (Article 94/a) and hose cabinets (Article 94/b). The numerical provisions:
| Provision | Value | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Where fire brigade outlets are required | High-rise buildings, and shopping centres, car parks and similar premises with a floor area over 1,000 m²; on a wet or dry fixed pipe system, in protected spaces such as an escape stair or fire lobby. Floors with a dimension over 60 m get hose cabinets and fire brigade outlets. | 94/a-1 |
| Where hose cabinets are required | High-rise buildings; manufacturing, workshop, storage, accommodation, healthcare, assembly and education buildings with a total enclosed floor area over 1,000 m²; enclosed car parks with a total area over 600 m²; boiler rooms with a thermal capacity over 350 kW | 94/b-1 |
| Spacing between cabinets | Max. 30 m on every floor and in every section separated by fire walls. Where the building is sprinklered and fire brigade outlets are provided on the floors, cabinets may be fed from the wet sprinkler branch line and the spacing may be increased to 45 m. | 94/b-2 |
| Round semi-rigid hose cabinet | TS EN 671-1; hose diameter 25 mm, length max. 30 m | 94/b-4 |
| Semi-rigid hose cabinet flow and pressure (without a fire brigade outlet inside) | 100 l/min, 400 kPa; pressure reducer if the nozzle inlet pressure exceeds 900 kPa | 94/b-5 |
| Lay-flat hose cabinet | In buildings obliged to keep trained firefighting staff; TS EN 671-2; nominal diameter max. 50 mm, length max. 20 m; 400 l/min, at least 400 kPa; pressure reducer if the nozzle inlet pressure exceeds 900 kPa | 94/b-6 |
Hydrant systems
A hydrant is an external take-off point for the fire brigade. Under BYKHY Article 95/6 the hydrants used in the system must be above-ground fire hydrants complying with the relevant Turkish Standards; an underground hydrant is not an option. The regulation mentions "underground" only for the isolating (line shut-off) valves installed at suitable points to ease hydrant renewal and maintenance (underground, above-ground or both). An above-ground hydrant is easy to find and quick to connect; it must be protected from vehicle impact.
| Provision | Value | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Design flow | At least 1,900 l/min; increased according to the building's hazard class | 95/2 |
| Outlet pressure | 700 kPa at the hydrant outlet | 95/2 |
| Spacing between hydrants | 50 m in very high-risk areas, 100 m in high-risk, 125 m in medium-risk, 150 m in low-risk areas | 95/3 |
| Distance from the building | Under normal conditions, on average 5 to 15 m from the protected building | 95/4 |
| Supply pipework | Without a ring main, smallest pipe diameter 100 mm, sized by hydraulic calculation | 95/5 |
| Hydrant type | Above-ground fire hydrant complying with the relevant Turkish Standards | 95/6 |
| When an external hydrant system is mandatory | In settlement areas planned separately from general settlement areas where the total footprint of the buildings exceeds 5,000 m²; and (sentence added by OG 20/11/2021-31665) in the areas covered by Article 7/12 (refineries, fossil-fuel power plants, energy generation plants of 500 MW installed capacity or more, and industrial facilities such as factories with a total enclosed area over 2,000 m², and their storage facilities/yards, built in or adjacent to forest areas) | 95/7 |
Three criteria govern hydrant siting: distance of access to the building, spacing between hydrants, and whether a fire appliance can actually get alongside (Article 95/1). The third is the one most often missed on site — the hydrant is in the right place but no appliance can reach it.
The fire brigade connection
This is the external inlet allowing an appliance to pump into the system; it should not be confused with the fire brigade outlets inside the building (Article 94/a). Under BYKHY Article 97/1, high-rise buildings, buildings with a footprint over 1,000 m² and buildings with a façade width over 75 m must have a fire brigade inlet of at least 100 mm nominal diameter on the water-based extinguishing systems. The inlet has two 65 mm Storz couplings and a check valve in the system, with devices that automatically drain the pipework between the check valve and the inlet. The distance from the fire appliance to the inlet may not exceed 18 m. What to check:
- Is the inlet at least 100 mm nominal diameter with two 65 mm Storz couplings, and compatible with the brigade's equipment (Article 97/1)?
- Is its position visible from the appliance standing point, and is the distance from the appliance to the inlet no more than 18 m (Article 97/1)?
- Is it labelled with the system it feeds?
- Do the check valve and automatic drain arrangement work?
- Is the cap fitted and the inlet clean inside?
Periodic testing
| Check | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Visual inspection | Cabinet front clear, hose wound correctly, nozzle in place |
| Flow and pressure test | Verifying nozzle pressure at the most remote point |
| Hose inspection | Cracking, abrasion, coupling tightness |
| Reel rotation | That the hose runs out without snagging |
| Hydrant operation | Valve opening and closing, drain functioning |
| Brigade connection | Inlet cleanliness, check valve, labelling |
Test intervals follow the relevant standard and the manufacturer's instructions; a test whose results are not recorded cannot be evidenced at inspection. Under BYKHY Article 94/b-7, the building owner, manager or responsible building officer must have the periodic maintenance of hose cabinets and hose reel systems set out in TS EN 671-3 carried out.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a hose reel and a lay-flat hose cabinet?
A hose reel can be deployed and used by one person and flows without kinking (TS EN 671-1). A lay-flat hose gives higher flow but must be laid out first and needs a trained user (TS EN 671-2). BYKHY sets a design flow of 100 l/min for semi-rigid hose cabinets (Article 94/b-5) and 400 l/min for lay-flat hose cabinets (Article 94/b-6).
Why is pressure limited at a hose reel?
Nozzle pressure must be enough for an effective jet but not above what one person can control. Excess pressure is limited with a pressure reducing device. Under BYKHY Articles 94/b-5 and 94/b-6, a pressure reducer is used where the pressure at the nozzle inlet exceeds 900 kPa.
What is most often missed in hydrant siting?
Whether a fire appliance can get alongside. A hydrant can be at the right distance and spacing and still be useless if no appliance can reach it.
Can underground hydrants be used in Turkey?
No. BYKHY Article 95/6 requires the hydrants used in the system to be above-ground fire hydrants complying with the relevant Turkish Standards. The regulation mentions underground only for the isolating (line shut-off) valves.
What is checked on a fire brigade connection?
An inlet of at least 100 mm nominal diameter with two 65 mm Storz couplings, an appliance standing point no more than 18 m from the inlet (BYKHY Article 97/1), visibility, labelling of the system it feeds, check valve and automatic drain operation, and the cap being fitted.
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Download MEP Calc on the App StoreThe Turkish Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings (BYKHY) · NFPA 13 (2025) · NFPA 14 · NFPA 101 · EN 12845:2015+A2:2026 · EN 671 series. For article numbers, thresholds and exemptions, the current regulation text published in the Official Gazette governs.
BYKHY: OG 19/12/2007-26735. Amendments: OG 09/09/2009-27344; OG 05/04/2012-28255; OG 09/07/2015-29411; Council of Ministers Decision 2017/10459 of 14/06/2017 (in force 29/06/2017); Decision 2018/11347 of 05/02/2018 (in force 15/03/2018); OG 04/11/2020-31294 (Presidential Decision 3167); OG 20/11/2021-31665 (Presidential Decision 4825); OG 01/07/2025-32943 (Presidential Decision 10026). Current text: mevzuat.gov.tr. Articles used: 7/12, 94/a-1, 94/b-1, 94/b-2, 94/b-4, 94/b-5, 94/b-6, 94/b-7, 95/1–95/7.