Products

Two Valves. One Standard: Never Let the Fireground Down.

From the original Humat 4-Way Valve to the compact Simpla Valve, every product is built to the same standard of durability and simplicity.

See the full specifications, dimensions, and coupling options behind the valve departments have relied on for fifty years, then let us know if you’d like a formal quote or bid specification language for your next purchase.

Humat 4-Way Hydrant Valve

The original Humat valve is built for departments that need maximum water, minimum training, and equipment that lasts. Its main chamber has a 5½” interior diameter; its smaller chamber, controlled by a differential-pressure clapper valve, is 4″. Both are housed in hard-coated, heat-treated aluminum alloy for durability without excess weight. It’s the same core design departments have relied on since 1975, refined through decades of coupling and mounting improvements rather than replaced.

Overall dimensions: approximately 14″ wide, 14″ long, 16″ high (approximately 20″ with the hydrant wrench attached).

Maximum capacity

A 5½" main chamber and 4" small chamber together are rated for 2,000+ GPM with no measurable friction loss, so the valve never limits how much water a big fire can get.

Minimum training

A quarter turn of the handle is the entire operation, which keeps onboarding short even for a roster with mixed experience levels.

One control, one indicator

The handle position shows at a glance whether the valve is open or closed, even in low light or heavy smoke.

No reverse twist

The valve performs identically whether the small chamber ends up facing up or down after a hose lay, so crews don't have to think about orientation.

Uninterrupted flow

The valve shifts from hydrant to pump pressure automatically, with no break in flow, so the attack line never loses pressure during the changeover.

Any Coupling

Flanged couplings are available in virtually any thread size or Storz-type fitting, and bolt on separately from the valve body.

Automatic, not manual, at the moment it matters most.

The small chamber's clapper valve responds to differential pressure: as long as hydrant pressure exceeds the pressure coming from the pumping engine, water flows at hydrant pressure. The moment the engine's discharge pressure exceeds that hydrant pressure — because the pump operator has opened the discharge — the valve shifts to pump mode on its own. If the pumping engine should fail for any reason, the valve reverts to hydrant pressure automatically, without anyone needing to reach the valve to make the change.

The Humat "Simpla" Valve

The Simpla Valve is a compact, 5.50″ bore butterfly valve built on the same never-obsolete philosophy as the original Humat: modular flanges accept any thread or Storz coupling, and internal parts are shared with other Humat products.

Standard valve ships with one male and one female flange.

Overall length with flanges: 9" (long-neck version: 16½" for remote installations).

Weight with standard flanges: 18 lbs.

Flange options include NHT, Storz, pipe, local, and weldable — all interchangeable with other Humat products.

Matching the valve to the application.

For mobile, engine-side hydrant operations — the classic 4-way setup a first-due engine drops at the hydrant — the Humat 4-Way Valve is the standard choice, built for the full range of hydrant and pump pressure changeover. For fixed or space-constrained applications — tanker gates, hydrant gates, inline installations, or remote mounts where a compact footprint matters more than a full 4-way configuration — the Simpla Valve is generally the better fit. Both share the same coupling philosophy, so a department running both isn't managing two incompatible parts systems.That focus has a purpose: every change to the valve has been weighed against the same question asked back in 1975 — does this make the job easier and safer for the crew using it — not against a marketing calendar. When newer entrants to the 4-way valve market have claimed to offer a "next generation" alternative, Humat's answer has stayed the same: the fundamentals of moving water safely and quickly haven't changed, so the core design doesn't need to either.

Durability built into the material, not added on.

Both products start from the same hard-coated, heat-treated aluminum alloy. The heat treatment adds strength so the valve body can take repeated impacts from mounting, dragging, and dropping without deforming; the hard coating on top resists corrosion and surface wear, which matters as much on a salt-exposed airfield or a chemically active refinery site as it does in a standard municipal environment. The result is a valve light enough for one person to handle, but built to outlast the environments it’s most likely to be used in.

Parts diagrams for both coupling types

Illustrated, exploded-view breakdowns are available for both standard-threaded connections and Storz connections, so your team can identify parts by diagram rather than guesswork when ordering or performing maintenance.

A 4-way hydrant valve made of hard-coated, light-weight aluminum alloy, having a main chamber interior diameter of 5½” controlled by a butterfly valve with positive locks in open and closed positions, and having a small chamber with an interior diameter of 4″ controlled by a clapper valve operated automatically by differential pressure — all threads attached by way of detachable flanges utilizing O-rings.

Product Questions.

What's the difference between the Humat 4-Way Valve and the Simpla Valve?

The 4-Way Valve is the full hydrant appliance built for standard engine-side hydrant operations, with automatic hydrant-to-pump changeover. The Simpla Valve is a compact butterfly valve better suited to tanker gates, hydrant gates, inline installations, and remote mounts.

Can I retrofit new couplings onto an existing valve?

Yes. Couplings and flanges bolt on separately from the valve body on both products, so a change in thread type or hose size doesn’t require a new valve.

What is the expected service life of a Humat valve?

Humat valves are built to remain in service for the operational life of the apparatus they’re mounted on, and parts remain available to support that.

Is the Simpla Valve compatible with existing Humat parts?

Yes, the Simpla Valve shares internal parts and flange options with other Humat products.

Do you offer custom bid specification language?

Yes — contact us with your department’s requirements and we’ll provide bid specification language tailored to your configuration.

Can I order a valve with mixed coupling types — one side NHT, one side Storz?

Yes. Because flanges bolt on independently at each port, a single valve can be configured with different thread or coupling types on each side.

Do you provide illustrated parts diagrams?

Yes — exploded-view diagrams are available for both standard-threaded and Storz connections to support ordering and maintenance.

Not sure which configuration fits your fleet?

Send us your hose diameter and thread type and we’ll recommend the right valve and coupling setup. We’ll walk you through whether the 4-Way Valve or the Simpla Valve is the better fit, provide a written quote, and include bid specification language if your department needs it for a purchasing process.