Hose cabinets
Fire Hose Cabinet Sizes and Specifications: SFA 104 Dimensions, Contents and Mounting
Fire hose cabinet sizes and specifications: SFA 104 dimensions, contents, mild vs stainless steel, surface vs recessed mounting, vision panels and signage.
Safety Plus technical team · Updated · 8 min read
What a fire hose cabinet is for
A fire hose cabinet houses firefighting equipment connected to the building's fire water system and keeps it clean, protected and instantly visible. Inside you may find a hose reel for occupants, a lay-flat hose on a rack for trained teams, a landing valve for the fire service, a branch pipe or nozzle and sometimes a portable extinguisher.
The cabinet itself does not fight fire, but a poorly chosen one causes real problems: equipment that does not fit, doors that cannot open fully in a narrow corridor, locks that slow access, or rust that seizes hinges within a few monsoon seasons. Getting size, material and mounting right at the design stage avoids those problems.
The hose, valves and pipework are designed by the fire protection engineer. This guide covers the cabinet and its fit with that design. Related equipment is listed under fire hose reels and valves and hydrant fittings.
SFA 104 standard sizes
The Safety Plus SFA 104 fire hose cabinet is listed in three standard sizes, with custom sizes made to drawing.
| Configuration | Dimensions (L × W × H) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Single door | 600 × 500 × 750 mm | Compact cabinet for a single hose reel or hose set |
| Single door | 750 × 500 × 750 mm | More room for reel, valve and accessories |
| Double door | 1,500 × 500 × 750 mm | Combined cabinet, for example hose equipment plus an extinguisher compartment |
| Custom | To drawing | Non-standard contents, wall recesses or site constraints |
The catalogue lists dimensions as L × W × H. When you approve a drawing, confirm which figure is the face width and which is the depth, because depth decides how far a surface cabinet projects into a corridor and how deep a recess must be cut.
The "typical use" column is a guide, not a rule. The contents are set by your fire protection design; ask for a layout drawing showing how the reel, valve and accessories sit inside, with clearance for the hose to be pulled out without snagging.
What goes inside a fire hose cabinet
| Item | Purpose | Notes for cabinet sizing |
|---|---|---|
| Hose reel | First-aid firefighting by occupants; semi-rigid hose on a drum | Reel diameter and swing-out bracket decide width and depth |
| Lay-flat hose on rack | Higher-flow hose for trained teams | Commonly 1.5 in or 2.5 in hose |
| Landing valve | Hose connection point for the fire service or trained teams | Needs clearance to connect and operate |
| Branch pipe or nozzle | Directs the water jet or spray | Needs a clip or holder inside the cabinet |
| Hose reel valve | Isolates the reel supply | Must be reachable when the door is open |
| Fire extinguisher | Portable first-aid for small fires | Separate compartment in combined cabinets |
Hose reels used in building fire protection commonly use semi-rigid hose of 19 mm or 25 mm bore and around 30 m length; the exact selection belongs to your fire protection design.
For budgeting the contents, Bangladesh retail listings showed a fire hose reel at ৳10,400, a complete hose reel cabinet at ৳16,400, UL fire hose pipe at ৳4,400 for 1.5 in and ৳8,400 for 2.5 in (observed Bangladesh retail prices in Oct 2026 — project/bulk prices differ). The Safety Plus SFA 104 cabinet itself is made to order and quoted per project. For the difference between hose reel and hose cabinets, see hose reel cabinet vs fire hose cabinet.
Mild steel vs stainless steel construction
SFA 104 cabinets are MIG-welded in mild steel (MS) or stainless steel (SS) from 1.2–2.0 mm sheet. Mild steel cabinets are chemically de-rusted, zinc phosphate coated and finished with oven-baked powder paint.
| Factor | Mild steel, powder coated | Stainless steel |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Corrosion resistance | Good indoors when pretreatment and coating are sound | Excellent, including humid and wash-down areas |
| Appearance | Any RAL colour; red is common for fire equipment | Brushed metal finish; can be combined with red signage |
| Damage tolerance | Scratches can rust if not touched up | Scratches do not rust in normal conditions |
| Best for | Factories, warehouses, offices, car parks | Hospitals, food and pharma areas, coastal sites, semi-open locations |
Thicker sheet (towards 2.0 mm) gives a stiffer door and body for large or double-door cabinets and areas with forklift or trolley traffic. Thinner sheet (towards 1.2 mm) is adequate for small cabinets in protected corridors. Ask the supplier to state the sheet thickness for body and door separately.
For why the pretreatment matters in Bangladesh's climate, see powder coated steel fabrication.
Surface vs recessed mounting
| Factor | Surface mounted | Recessed (fully or semi) |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Bolted to the wall face; quick | Needs a wall opening and frame; coordinated with civil work |
| Corridor width | Projects by the cabinet depth | Little or no projection |
| Wall integrity | Wall stays intact | Opening reduces wall thickness behind the cabinet |
| Fire-rated walls | Generally simpler | The recess must not reduce the wall's fire resistance below what is required |
| Retrofit | Easy | Difficult in existing walls |
| Appearance | Industrial | Neater, common in hospitals and commercial buildings |
Three practical checks apply to both:
- Door swing: the open cabinet door must not block an escape route or hit a door or column. Specify left or right hinging to suit.
- Operating height: position the cabinet so the valve and reel are easy to reach and operate, as your fire protection designer specifies.
- Pipework: the supply pipe entry (top, bottom, side or back) must be agreed before fabrication so knockouts and holes are in the right place.
For RCC walls and fire-rated partitions, discuss recessing early with the architect. A semi-recessed cabinet is often a good compromise.
Doors, locks, glazing and signage
The SFA 104 is supplied with a cabinet lock, hinges, a stainless steel concealed handle and a single-glaze vision panel. Each of these involves a decision:
- Locks. A cabinet should protect contents from misuse and theft without delaying access in an emergency. Agree a lock type that trained staff can open instantly, and make sure keys are held where responders can reach them. In public areas, discuss break-glass or quick-release arrangements with your consultant.
- Vision panel. Lets people see the equipment and confirms it is present during inspections without opening the door.
- Handle. A concealed SS handle avoids snagging clothes and trolleys in corridors.
- Signage. Clear "FIRE HOSE" or "FIRE HOSE REEL" lettering on the door, plus a wall sign visible down the corridor. Photoluminescent signs help in smoke and power failure.
- Colour. Red is widely used for fire equipment; Safety Plus can finish in your chosen RAL colour.
Add a laminated instruction card inside the door showing how to open the valve and run out the hose.
Specification checklist
Use this list when requesting quotations:
- Quantity and locations, marked on floor plans.
- Size: one of the SFA 104 standard sizes or custom dimensions.
- Contents: hose reel, hose rack, landing valve, nozzle, extinguisher compartment.
- Material: MS powder coated or SS, with sheet thickness for body and door.
- Mounting: surface, semi-recessed or fully recessed; wall type.
- Door: single or double, hinge side, lock type, vision panel.
- Pipe entry position and any knockouts.
- Colour and signage text.
- Whether you need the cabinet only, or cabinet with equipment supplied and installed.
Send your list through the request a quote page, or see the fire hose cabinets range. For the full building procurement picture, the fire safety procurement checklist helps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard size of a fire hose cabinet?
The Safety Plus SFA 104 is made as a 600 × 500 × 750 mm single door, a 750 × 500 × 750 mm single door or a 1,500 × 500 × 750 mm double door cabinet (L × W × H), with custom sizes to drawing.
What sheet thickness is used for fire hose cabinets?
Safety Plus fabricates SFA 104 cabinets from 1.2–2.0 mm mild steel or stainless steel sheet. Thicker sheet suits larger cabinets and high-traffic areas.
Should I choose a mild steel or stainless steel hose cabinet?
Powder-coated mild steel is economical and suits most indoor factories and offices. Stainless steel is better for hospitals, food areas, coastal sites and damp or wash-down locations.
Can a fire hose cabinet be recessed into a fire-rated wall?
It can, but the recess must not reduce the wall's fire resistance below what is required. Agree the detail with your architect or fire consultant before construction.
Should a fire hose cabinet be locked?
Many are fitted with a lock to prevent misuse, but the arrangement must allow immediate access in an emergency. Agree the lock type and key location with your fire safety team.
Sources
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