The fire water pump is the heart of your fire truck, and it delivers the pressure and flow required for successful fire suppression. It is critical that this vital piece of equipment be inspected, tested and serviced at regular intervals by qualified personnel. This includes (but is not limited to) checking the water supply & pump suction conditions, discharge piping and valves, electrical system conditions and engine consumables.
Fire pumps are sized and selected based off of the sprinkler demand as determined by a fire protection engineer. They should be UL Listed and FM Approved for their rated capacity, which is found on the pump curve. This curve shows how much a fire pump can deliver at the rated point, churn and horsepower.
Intake: The water draws from its source, which can be either a dedicated tank or a city water line. The water is then pumped through the pump by an impeller or positive displacement mechanism, which creates a pressurized water stream. This is then pushed through a system of pipes and hoses to provide an adequate supply of water to fire sprinklers or hydrants.
Marine growth on intake and firewater systems can retard performance and eventually cause plugging of the system. This is a major concern for firefighting, as a compromised fire water system could cause delay in the ability to respond to a fire. There are several ways to control marine growth, including screen use, system construction using materials that resist marine growth and biocide injection.