Pump Rooms for Fire Fighting

A fire pump is a component of a fire sprinkler system’s water supply that is driven by electricity, diesel, or steam. Either the public subterranean water supply pipe or a static water source are connected to the pump intake (e.g., tank, reservoir, lake). The pump pushes water through the sprinkler system risers and hose standpipes at a greater pressure. A third-party testing and listing body, such as UL or FM Global, tests and lists a fire pump for its usage exclusively for fire service.

Electric motors, diesel engines, and, on rare occasions, steam turbines power fire pumps. When a pump with an electric motor is linked through a specified transfer switch and the local building code needs power independent of the local electric power grid, an emergency generator can be installed.

When the pressure in the fire sprinkler system falls below a certain level, the fire pump activates. When one or more fire sprinklers are subjected to heat beyond their design temperature, the pressure in the sprinkler system decreases dramatically, and the sprinklers open, discharging water. Other fire hose reels or other firefighting connections are also opened, resulting in a pressure decrease in the firefighting system.

When the local municipal water system cannot deliver enough pressure to fulfil the hydraulic design requirements of the fire sprinkler system, fire pumps are required. This usually happens in systems that require a relatively high terminal pressure at the fire sprinkler in order to provide a large volume of water, such as in storage warehouses, or in systems that require a relatively high terminal pressure at the fire sprinkler in order to provide a large volume of water, such as in high-rise buildings. If the fire protection water supply is given from a ground level water storage tank, fire pumps are also required.