Saw this going to a friend’s house- they bagged the fire hydrants….one thought was snow; but this is the first year apparently. And snow has been a mild issue this year compared to most.
Isn’t that what paint’s for? Seems like a lot of unnecessary plastic trash.
Salt resistant paint is industrial, and it’s expensive. Depending on the product, it can also be a two part system and need special preparation. And by expensive, I mean it can cost over a hundred dollars per gallon, if you aren’t getting a deal on it. That’s a big investment for a smaller town.
That seems like chump change for something that probably already costs over $1000, won’t take a gallon of paint, and is meant to last for decades.
I imagine a fire hydrant is pretty expensive as well. Can’t imagine covering it in salt resistant paint would be that much of a price increase and even if it is I don’t imagine it would be cost prohibitive if it means a 20 year replacement cycle vs. a 10 year cycle.
If anything this may be protecting them from dog piss.
Just FYI, the striped pole attached to the hydrant is so it can be found under snow.
I was driving down a highway once and noticed that there was a blue reflective marker on top of the concrete barrier every few hundred feet or so.
Took me about an hour or two before I noticed that it aligned with where the drainage basins were, probably for snow removal in the winter.
I believe there’s some logic in alternating patterns being more attention-grabbing to our brains, which is why you usually see stripes on anything you need to be cautious around.
The pole isn’t for locating the hydrant, per se, as much as it is for avoiding the hydrant. It’s so you don’t drive into it if it’s covered in snow.
Because its easier to see
It’s also why flashing led road signs exist here in Australia around school zones
To maintain freshness
Possibly out of service. There are dedicated high visibility bags for this purpose but if whoever did this didn’t have one, this looks like a stopgap to help make it more obvious.
Firefighter here:
They’re made from cast iron that likes to rust and the only thing protecting them is the Paint on them.
My guess is that the paint got scratched and they’re bagging it up until they can repaint it.
