Bang - foosh! It's one of the worst sounds in waterworks, because it's the sound of one of your hydrants being taken out by construction equipment, a snow plow or a truck that didn't realize it was there. How do you make your hydrants more visible to help prevent damage? Our answer is hydrant markers. Here's some basic information to get you started:

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What are they?

Hydrant markers make your hydrants more visible to drivers, construction workers and other people operating equipment that can damage them. It attaches to the hydrant itself, not requiring any other support system. The markers that are used to increase visibility typically stick several feet up in the air, providing a visible marker that there's a hydrant below that point so the hydrant's location is obvious. Other hydrant tags and signs can be used to track a specific hydrant or show that it is out of order to prevent valve damage from an overzealous fireman who can't get the water flowing.

What kind do I need?

We have several types of hydrant markers. Some attach using a mounting bracket, while others fit onto the hydrant on the threads before the outlet nut. Signs and tags can be hung on the hydrant itself. Our Safety Orange Hydrant Markers provides high visibility and easy installation with a half round bent at the bottom to attach to the hydrant. Our 4' Spring Flag that includes a 4"x5" plastic flag provides high visibility combined with a spring to prevent damage from accidental bumps without causing a hazard from a bent rod. If you're concerned about vandalism to the flag or need superior visibility at night, our 4' Spring Flag with reflective bands will provide a great hydrant protection solution. If you need to replace the flag on the top of an existing steel marker post measuring between 1/4-1/2", our Universal Flag Kit makes the job easy.

Why should I order them now?

Right now, the weather is beautiful. Most municipalities and other organizations start to work on hydrant servicing and marking in the fall of the year, so that it can be in place for winter's plowing season. That means there's a huge surge in demand in the fall of the year, sometimes exceeding the available supply.

With municipalities still playing catch up on repairs that were left undone during the recession, there's a good chance that the markers you want for your hydrants may not be available if you wait until everyone else is ordering. That's why we're encouraging our customers to start the process now, to ensure they have the markers they need when they're needed.

Hydrant markers are a great tool to prevent hydrant damage and hours of extra labor. At New Concept Tools, we want to make sure you have the right tools for the job so you can get it done quickly and effectively. If you need better tools created specifically for your waterworks organization's needs, please feel free to contact us today.