On the one hand, the fireguys usually don't like people messing with their hydrants. On the other hand, it is YOUR house that is on fire, and they ain't there yet. But be advised, a 4" hoseline is a handfull, even for a big guy like you, 100 pushups or not, the first time you are on the end of one, alone. And you for sure want someone else to turn it on while you hang on to the nozzle end. Someone with some upper body strength, some hydrants are hard to open. I would also wonder about the quality of a firehose I got on e-bay. Might blow out the first time pressure hit it...
Nobody is using a 4" hose as a hand line, trust me. What you want is a properly sized gated "Y" valve between the hydrant and an 1-1/2 or 1-3/4 hose, with a reducer if necessary, and an adjustable nozzle. The Y valve will prevent the FD from losing a connection point, and the nozzle is essential to control water flow and pattern. This assumes that there is pressure in the hydrant and that the whole idea isn't illegal from the get go.
But I am by no means advocating it. There are lots of ways to get hurt around both fire and water under pressure that many folks might not be aware of. Consider volunteering with your local VFD, or at least checking with your local fire authorities. They may be able to pressure test your hose for you, or even give you some good surplus hose for a small donation.
That being said, sometimes a little water now is much better than a whole bunch of water later.
I've put a y valve in my pool pump line and my aux. generator is in the pump room. I've attached some small diameter hose for firefighting purposes. The electric pump doesn't have a lot of pressure or volume, but it is considerably better than a garden hose, and it will flow water when the power is out or the water pressure is down or off, as it would be if there were a major urban interface fire in my neighborhood, which borders on a nature preserve, after a hurricane, etc.
Jeff
Professional Firefighter
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