Fire pumps are an essential part of many water-based fire protection systems. They are used to increase the pressure (measured in psi and bar) of a system’s raw water supply when it is not enough to deliver the required fire suppression capacity. Choosing the right portable fire pump for your application requires a bit of consideration, but when you know what to look for it’s not difficult to find an ideal match for your needs.
Fire Fighting Pump Capacity
The first thing to think about when choosing a portable fire pump is the amount of water it can pump, in gallons per minute or L/min. Then, you can determine which class of fire pump is appropriate based on the requirements of your water-based system.
Generally, fire pumps are designed to be portable, with most being able to be easily carried or loaded onto vehicles such as trucks and fire engines. This makes them easy to move from the vehicle to the site where they will be needed. They are also able to be moved between sites over rough terrain, as well as from one water source to another.
Fire pump ratings are determined by a number of factors including NFPA 20 (Installation and Testing of Water-Based Fire Suppression Systems) and EN Standards. In general, a pump’s flow capacity should be sized to be slightly larger than the minimum system demand to ensure that the pump can always meet the system’s needs. This helps to minimize the cost of a pump as well as any other supporting equipment, electrical service power requirements that drive larger wire sizes, more space to install, etc.
The type of water that the fire pump will be pumping is an important factor to consider as well. Some of these systems will require a fire fighting pump to be diesel powered, while others can use water from any standing water source. Typically, a fire fighting pump that will be used on large construction or industrial projects is a diesel powered unit.
If a fire pump is to be used in a small building, an electric or petrol model may be more suitable. In either case, it is a good idea to test the pump thoroughly when setting it up and to practice regularly so that it will be ready to go in an emergency situation.
When shopping for a portable fire pump, it is important to choose a model that has the ability to be easily primed. This is critical to ensuring that the fire pump is capable of providing a reliable stream of water for any firefighting operation. In addition, look for a model that has a range of options for starting, including recoil, electric starter, or both. In addition, look for models with convenient handles that make it easier to maneuver the pump from one location to another. Finally, make sure that the portable fire pump has a good amount of power-to-weight ratio so that it can be easily moved and loaded into a truck.