Fire hose reels are the first-aid firefighting equipment that occupants use before the fire service arrives. In Singapore, clause 6.2.8 of the SCDF Fire Code 2023 requires hose reels to SS 575 on every storey of every building, with a few listed exemptions. Each reel covers up to 36 m (30 m of hose plus a 6 m jet), sits within 5 m of an exit door and never inside an exit staircase. The two least favoured reels must each throw at least 6 m at 0.4 L/s when running together. This guide sets out those rules and what they mean for layout, pipework and supply.
The figures here come from the Fire Code 2023 and its explanatory notes as published by SCDF in October 2026. Check the current clause, any amendment circulars and SS 575 before designing.
Where hose reels are required
| Situation | Requirement (cl. 6.2.8a) |
|---|---|
| Every storey of every building | Hose reels to SS 575, regardless of building height |
| Non-habitable roof with M&E plant | Hose reels to cover the plant and equipment on the roof |
| Factory or warehouse mezzanine | The nearest hose reel must reach the most remote point of the mezzanine within 36 m |
| Exempt | Purpose Group I buildings; certain small, compartmented non-residential 1st-storey units that meet all the listed conditions; small standalone buildings such as guard houses, bin centres and substations of 22 kV and below; and other items listed in the clause |
The small-unit exemption has a list of conditions, including floor area and use. Read the clause in full before relying on it.
Coverage and siting
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Coverage | Up to 36 m from the reel: a 30 m hose path plus a 6 m jet |
| Location | Prominent and accessible, no more than 5 m from the exit door, not inside an exit staircase |
| Extra reels | Areas beyond 36 m need more reels, in common areas or within 5 m of a room's exit access door |
| Reels inside rooms | Count only for that room, not for the areas outside it |
| Surroundings | Beside exits, clear of obstructions such as parked vehicles or stored goods, and protected from damage and misuse |
Plan coverage along the route the hose would actually take, around walls, partitions and fixed furniture, not as a circle on plan.
Hose and equipment
- Hose of 20 mm or 25 mm nominal diameter to EN 694, no longer than 30 m.
- Shut-off branches with 4 mm or 6 mm nozzles.
- Reels type-tested to EN 671-1 or an equivalent standard.
- An operating notice next to the stop valve, telling the user to open the inlet valve before running out the hose.
- Reels in recesses or cabinets marked with the appropriate SS 508 sign.
Flow, pressure and pipework
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Performance | With the two topmost reels (the least hydraulic head) running together, each gives a jet of at least 6 m at no less than 0.4 L/s |
| Pressure at the reel | SCDF's examples: about 1.5 bar for a 30 m hose with a 6.5 mm nozzle, about 4 bar with a 4.5 mm nozzle |
| Pipe sizes | Mains at least 50 mm nominal bore; branches to individual reels at least 25 mm |
Pumps and tanks
Where the mains pressure is not enough, the system is boosted by pumps:
- usually an electric duty pump with a standby pump that starts automatically if the duty pump fails, on a separate power source where possible;
- pumps that start automatically on a pressure drop or water flow, stay primed, and can be started and stopped by hand;
- pumps, motors and their power supply protected from tampering and fire.
A suction tank holds at least 1,100 litres in total and refills automatically from the town main or another reliable source through a ball valve of at least 50 mm. A domestic water tank can serve the hose reels only if a reserve is always kept for them and PUB approves the arrangement. SCDF's notes allow hose reels and sprinklers to share a tank under SS CP 52.
Testing and maintenance
Each hose reel must be tested at least once a year and produce a jet of at least 6 m. Keep the test records with the building's fire safety maintenance records.
Common mistakes
- Coverage drawn as circles. The 36 m runs along the hose route, so partitions and corridors often leave gaps a radius hides.
- Reels inside exit staircases. They must sit near the exit, not inside the staircase.
- Counting a reel inside a room for the corridor. A reel in a room only covers that room.
- Forgetting roof plant. Roofs with M&E equipment need hose reel coverage even when they are non-habitable.
- Undersized branches. Branches under 25 mm, or a long run from a 50 mm main, can leave the top reels short of the 6 m jet.
- No standby pump. A boosted system without automatic standby is a common comment at testing.
Related guides
- Wet and dry riser requirements in Singapore
- Sprinkler hazard classification under SS CP 52
- SCDF fire safety plan submission
- Fire protection tender estimation
How Newham can help
Newham's fire protection design service includes hose reel system design (coverage planning, pipe sizing and flow and pressure analysis), alongside sprinkler, riser, fire pump and fire alarm design for SCDF submission. Newham prepares the design and drawings. It is not a QP: where the submission needs Professional Engineer endorsement, Newham coordinates review by a Singapore-registered PE, quoted separately. Book a call to scope a package.