The fire fighting pump is the heart of any fire suppression system, able to supply enough pressure to supplement incoming water at an emergency scene and deliver it through your hoselines. Choosing the right fire pump for your facility requires an understanding of the equipment, its limitations and how it works in practice. While the fire pump is a piece of life-saving apparatus, it’s important to understand that it will not operate effectively without a well-planned and tested plan for use.
To select a fire pump for your needs, start by determining the sprinkler demand and maximum design density in gallons per minute (gpm). Then choose between centrifugal and turbine pumps that can be configured in several configurations to meet specific challenges like structural, high-rise, wildland and industrial applications.
For any configuration, be sure to factor in the pressure generation of a pump at three specified points: churn or zero flow, rated flow and 150% of rated flow. Then select the appropriate pressure booster, which is typically a nozzle that’s mounted on the suction side of a pump, to increase the supplement of the incoming pressure.
Also consider whether your department would prefer diesel or electric power for a firefighting pump. Diesel fire pumps are ideal for facilities with wide open spaces such as warehouses and aircraft hangars, while electrical motor-powered fire pumps work great in buildings and other confined areas. No matter which option you choose, it’s critical to perform regular inspections and maintenance on the fire pump to ensure it will function correctly in a real emergency.
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