Fire Pumping Systems

Fire pumps boost water pressure and flow to sprinklers, hydrants and hose reels where the town main cannot supply enough on its own. A pumpset comprises one or more duty pumps driven by electric motors or diesel engines, a small jockey (pressure maintenance) pump that keeps the system pressurised, controllers that start pumps automatically when pressure falls, test and flow measurement arrangements, and the suction supply from the main or from storage tanks. Diesel pumps also have fuel, batteries, cooling and exhaust systems.

The power supply to an electric fire pump must keep it running in a fire: it is connected ahead of the main switch or from a protected supply, and its cables are fire-rated, so isolating the building does not stop the pump. Pump rooms are often separately fire-rated, with access for the brigade.

What shortens life:

• Missed weekly runs, which leave seals dry, batteries flat and faults undetected.
• A leaking system that makes the jockey pump cycle constantly.
• Cold pump rooms in winter.
• Water quality and sediment drawn from tanks.
• Cavitation from poor suction conditions.

Failure to start

Diesel pumps fail to start for the same reasons as standby generators: flat batteries, failed chargers, fuel problems, failed engine heaters. Electric pumps fail to start when their supply has been isolated, a controller fault is present, or settings have changed. A pump that does not start on a pressure drop leaves the sprinklers and hydrants on town main pressure alone.

Performance decline

Impellers wear and erode, wear rings open up, and suction strainers block; the pump delivers less flow and pressure than its rating. Only an annual flow test against the pump's rated curve shows the decline. Pumps whose test arrangements were never installed or have become unusable are often never flow tested.

Water supply problems

Town main pressures fall as utilities manage networks; break tanks and storage tanks lose capacity to sediment, corrosion and failed inlet valves; suction pipes blocked or undersized cause cavitation. The pump can only boost what reaches it.

Jockey pump cycling

A jockey pump that starts frequently is replacing water lost through a leak or a passing valve. It wears out quickly, and the leak it masks may be corroding pipework or wasting water.

Power supply vulnerability

Electric fire pumps connected after the main switch, or with non-fire-rated cabling, can lose power when the building is isolated in a fire, or when the cable burns. This is a design defect found in older buildings and after switchboard replacements.

Pump room conditions

Pump rooms freeze in cold climates, flood in basements, overheat in summer, and are used for storage. Diesel exhaust leaks and fuel spills create further hazards.

Relief valves and churn overheating

Pumps running against closed outlets (churn) heat the water in the casing; circulation relief valves and pressure relief valves prevent damage and over-pressure. Stuck or wrongly set relief valves either waste water continuously or let pressures exceed what pipework and fittings are rated for.

Controller settings and modes

Controllers left in manual or off after maintenance, start pressures set wrongly, and pumps set to stop automatically when they should run until manually stopped are common findings after service visits. The controller's status should be supervised by the fire alarm panel.

In the pump room

• Nameplates: rating, year; pump curve displayed.
• Controllers showing alarms or manual mode; selector switches in off.
• Diesel batteries, fuel level, engine heater, exhaust condition.
• Packing gland or seal leaks; corrosion; vibration.
• Jockey pump run counter; frequent starts.
• Pressure gauges; test header and flow meter presence.
• Room temperature, ventilation, flooding signs, storage.

In the records

• Weekly run test records.
• Annual flow test results plotted against the pump curve.
• Diesel battery and fuel records.
• Tank inspection and cleaning records.
• Water authority pressure and flow information.
• Power supply arrangement for electric pumps.

• Controller status signalled to the fire panel.
• Relief valve discharge during weekly runs.
• Pump room access for the brigade and its signage.

Findings are graded by what they demand: safety (can hurt someone now), failure (failed and damaging the building), condition (distress present and progressing), lifecycle (renewal due on age and exposure), deadline (a regulator or ordinance sets the date), check (investigate before sizing works) and nil (cosmetic or stable).

A fire services engineer with the pump maintenance contractor.

• Records review: weekly run logs, annual flow tests, battery and fuel records, tank inspections.
• Inspection of pumps, motors, engines, controllers, jockey pump, pipework, valves, tanks and pump room.
• Flow test at churn, rated flow and peak flow, plotted against the manufacturer's curve and the system's design requirement.
• Supply check: town main pressure and flow, tank capacity and condition.
• Power supply review for electric pumps: connection point and cable rating.
• Leak investigation where the jockey pump cycles frequently.

The report should state whether pumps deliver the required performance, the reliability of starting and power, the adequacy of the water supply, and works needed.

• Controller testing: automatic start on pressure drop, alarm signals to the fire panel, and phase reversal and power failure alarms on electric controllers.

• Overhaul: impeller and wear ring replacement, seals, bearings, alignment.
• Starting reliability: battery replacement cycle, chargers, engine heaters, fuel management.
• Controller replacement.
• Test arrangements: install a flow meter or test header so annual testing is possible.
• Power supply correction: reconnect ahead of the main switch with fire-rated cable.
• Leak repair to stop jockey pump cycling.
• Tank works: clean, recoat, reline or replace; repair level controls.
• Pump replacement where performance cannot be restored, sized to current design requirements.
• Pump room: heating, drainage, ventilation, clearance.

• Relief valves: reset or replace circulation and pressure relief valves, and pipe discharges to drain.
• Supervision: signal controller mode, pump running and power failure to the fire panel so faults are seen.

Weekly and annual testing are recurring. Overhauls are lump sums per pump. Controller and pump replacement are lump-sum projects with temporary measures during the outage. Power supply correction is a lump sum. Tank cleaning recurs; relining and replacement are lump sums.

Testing and safety rectification are code compliance; overhaul and replacement are lifecycle; repairs are repairs and maintenance.

Pump room works and tank relining often require the system to be impaired; temporary pumps, fire watches and brigade notification are part of the project cost.

• Australia. AS 2941 governs fire pump installations; AS 1851 sets routine service, including weekly pumpset tests and annual flow tests; fire pumps are essential safety measures with annual certification; water authorities publish main pressure information for design.
• United Kingdom. BS EN 12845 and the LPC Rules set sprinkler pump requirements, including weekly automatic start tests; BS 9990 covers wet rising mains; insurers often set additional pump testing requirements.
• United States. NFPA 20 governs installation; NFPA 25 sets testing, including weekly no-flow runs for diesel pumps, monthly for electric pumps (or weekly where required), and annual flow tests against the pump curve.

In all three jurisdictions, insurers and the fire brigade commonly need notice before a fire pump is taken out of service, and impairment procedures apply until it is restored.

• Weekly pump run records.
• Annual flow test reports plotted against the pump curve.
• Diesel battery and fuel records.
• Tank inspection and cleaning records.
• Single-line diagram showing the fire pump power supply.
• Pump and controller installation dates.
• Water supply pressure and flow data.

• Controller alarm and supervision test records.
• Impairment records for pump outages.