Fire Pumps Supply and installation

Fire pumps are required when the local municipal water system cannot provide adequate pressure to meet the hydraulic demands of the fire sprinkler system. This typically occurs if the building is tall, such as in high-rise buildings, or in systems that need to flow a large volume of water, such as in storage warehouses. Fire pumps are also needed if the sprinkler system water supply is provided from a water storage tank. Fire pumps are powered by an electric motor or diesel engine. If the local building code requires power independent of the local electric power grid, a pump using an electric motor may utilize what’s called a transfer switch that directs power over to an emergency generator in the event of a power failure. The fire pump starts when the pressure in the fire sprinkler system drops below a threshold. The sprinkler system pressure drops significantly when one or more fire sprinklers are activated or alternatively when other firefighting connections are opened, causing a pressure drop.