Fire Pumps

This session will be a joint presentation / discussion with Larry Ayer related to application of fire pumps and alot of reference to the National Electrical Code.

We will be referencing NEC 2020 so bring your code book.

[KennyB]

You must have a controller for each fire pump motor.

[KennyB]

Tap rule does not apply to fire pump systems.

[KennyB]

The tray cable needs to be CLX type (armored) of cable. Cannot use regular tray cable exposed. One photo here looks to not be CLX type.

[KennyB]

The controller manufacturers standard is NEMA 2. There is NEMA 4 and NEMA 4x available.

[clintonwoodward]

Is there a way I can find a copy of this PowerPoint? I'd like to use it as a reference guide.

[natalioramirez]

Hello, I just started my career as an electrical engineer and I’m struggling to understand grounding/earthing. Do you have any materials that might help me? Thank you

[KennyB]

There is no overload protection in an electric fire pump controller. There is a locked rotor protector and a disconnect.

[educationpower]

Nice job again as always Tom
Great work !!

[chrisw]

Are there any videos/trainings that demonstrate how to wire the electrical parts: jockey pump controler to jockey pump….fire pump controler to fire pump, etc?

[RyanJacksonElectrical]

I think one of the biggest concepts is that we want the fire pump to work during a fire, but we don't want it to start the fire. Hence the prohibition of overload protection and the requirement for ground fault and short circuit protection.

[ViniloMc]

Today Why in the pump fire’s plate info shows 2 diagrams, one of them is for 200v and the other 400v . What is the right way to join it correctly ? I understand the diagrama but the fire pump’s wire are thinner than my 300 kcmil feeder conductors

[willlock]

The 7psi comments are correct. To a point.
Systems with Standard sprinklers are designed for the furthest sprinkler to have a minimum of 7psi.
This sprinkler could be 1000’ above ground.
I’ve worked on fire pumps that are rated at 600+ psi.

[jessiesantos]

Why do we need to size up the breaker to LRC, though the FIRE PUMP CONTROLLER is not required? We do not want to trip the breaker during overload but the overcurrent protection at the fire pump controller would trip.

[attitudemedia]

Thank you guys and could you help me showing the way how to I get trainings on fire pump
Thanks!!!

[johnbowen]

This was great!! thanks guys. Tom you wanted 695.3G.

[willlock]

Jockey pumps are pressure maintenance pumps.

[garbo]

How the hell do they get away with open motors on fire pumps ? Too many times I have seen fire pump packing spraying gallons of water onto an open fire pump motor during g the weekly 10 minute test runs. Wish they would Install labels on panels stating the turn on water pressure ( & off pressure for jockey pumps ). Reason being more then once when a mercoid or more modern pressure switch went bad they throw it away and when the sparky comes in to wire them up has no ideal where to set water pressure. On one 14 floor building they purchased a jockey pump pressure switch that maximum pressure was maybe 5 to 8 pounds less then it needed to be. Plumber had us lower the turn on pressure on fire pump to compensate for it but never liked doing such a thing without a sprinkler company service tech approving it. We had a 100 HP Fire pump pane! Replaced and they new fire pump Y - Delta contractors were junk sty!e that you could not remove cover to inspect the contacts that was on our quarterly PM'S check list. We always performed voltage drop across contactor contacts & checked connections with a FLIR camera but still rather be able to look at conditions of motor contacts.

[JoseCastillo-ypfn]

Excellent presentation one more point that I think did not see in the presentation. NFPA 101, which is adopted throughout, requires the jockey pump, for high rise buildings, to be connected to the standby power too. 11.8.5.3.4 -2018

[toolbeltworkshop]

Thank you, Tom & Larry for a well rounded discussion of Fire Pumps, very well done. Steve Kavallaris, Electrical Instructor.