Fire pump testing

What is the testing procedure of fire pumps? What are the requirements for fire pump testing? How often should you test your fire pump?

Fire pumps provide water supply to fire sprinkler systems where the water supply pressure is too low or nonexistent. The field acceptance test is conducted on newly installed pumps and demonstrates that all the fire pump unit components perform according to manufacturers’ specifications as well as proving that the water supply is adequate.

The test should be performed by attaching hoses to the discharge test header. The hoses are run to a safe location where the flow of water will cause no damage. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) fire pump testing requirements are issued with and detailed procedures for performing these tests.

The Insurance Services Office, Inc. ISO) also requires annual pump testing , and the help determine the fire suppression capability of your community, which will be reflected in local insurance rates. For electric motor-driven fire pumps , we recommend at least running your equipment once a week for at least ten (10) minutes for a visual inspection.

You do not need to flow and measure water during this test — just witness the equipment running and have someone qualified present to address any problems that may arise.

Fire pumps are tested through a series of flow rate percentages to assure they generate proper GPM and pressures. Each pump test lasts approximately 1. Fire Pump Inspection Checklist Your Fire Pump Is the Heart of Your Fire Protection System A booster pump reinforces the public water supply when the public water main cannot provide the volume or pressure needed to supply an automatic sprinkler system. In recent editions of NFPA 2 the requirements for no-flow (churn) test frequencies have changed for electric motor driven fire pumps (only). Diesel engine driven fire pumps have always been required to run weekly for minutes. Fire pumps should be test started via the automatic starting mechanism weekly ( pump churn tests ) and flow tested annually.

Electric motor driven fire pumps should be run for at least min. A multiple-alarm fire is no place to test the pump. FIRE PUMP How to perform annual Fire pump test. However, the test pit is.

All fire apparatus should be tested yearly–there should be no exceptions or excuses. Fire Pump Controllers, Testing Equipment, Fire Pump Repair Parts, Motors, Jockey Pumps and More! The fire pump churn test is done by running the fire pump without the water flowing.

The churn pressure is measured. This is a measure of the pressure the pump delivers when it is running without water flowing through it. This is general knowledge for people who wish to pursue a career as a firefighter.

Fire Pump Testing It is highly recommended that all fire pumps undergo weekly testing at shutoff conditions. Electric fire pump systems should be tested for minutes, while diesel fire pump systems should be tested for minutes. The FDNY, NFPA and your fire insurance company all require monthly non-flow testing of fire pumps , known as the churn test In this test the qualified tester looks at the supply water gauge going to the pump (psi) and looks at the water gauge on the system side of the pump (discharge) (1psi) In this example it means that the pump has added 1psi to the water.

In a nutshell, an annual pump test is a documented procedure to prove your apparatus can perform at its rated capacity from draft. PUMP TEST : Attach copy of fire pump flow test to include voltage, current and pump speed r. Are the values in the Fire Pump test acceptable?