Fire Pump Testing – Hose Valve Manifold vs Flow Meter

This week we embark on a two-part segment where we’ll cover fire pump testing, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of two different methods of testing water flow during a fire pump test: external water flow through a hose valve manifold on the exterior of a building, versus a flow meter recirculating loop within the mechanical room. In our first segment, we will examine the common, traditional method of testing fire pumps through use of a hose valve test manifold. Continue reading →

Aurora Jockey Pumps Offer Fast Lead Times

Jockey pumps are not officially “listed” equipment in the fire pump world, but if you suddenly discover your jockey pump is not performing, you can quickly find yourself with a much bigger problem. That is because with the jockey pump not working, there is nothing available to keep your sprinkler system piping pressurized. A small drop in pressure from a small leak, and now your fire pump will start and likely alert the fire department. You are left with a choice – keep the fire pump off, or get a new jockey pump – FAST.

We have been stocking smaller jockey pump models for years with great success. But larger jockey pumps present a stocking challenge. Who wants to wait 2 to 3 weeks to replace their pump?

We have some great news! Aurora now allows us to offer a fast lead time with their Quick Ship Program for the PVM Series jockey pumps.* As long as your approved order is placed before Noon Central Standard Time, your jockey pump will ship the following day! Inquire today on the specific jockey pump models available.

*A maximum order of 3 PVM pumps and motors
*The pump model and specific motor need to be in the program (contact us for a brochure to see the list!)
*Only EPDM pumps and premium efficient motors qualify

You shouldn’t have to wait long for something so vital to your businesses fire protection system, which is why we offer this for our customers looking for Aurora jockey pumps. If you have any questions on this program or anything else fire pump sales and service related, we’re here to help!

How are Engines and Motors Sized for Fire Pumps?

Another question we get pretty frequently here at Steven Brown & Associates, Inc. is how are engines and motors sized for fire pumps? In order to determine the sizing of motors and engines for Aurora fire pumps, we refer to the guidelines put forth by the U.L., as well as in Factory Mutual’s Approval Standard for Split-Case Fire Pumps, and finally the NFPA 20 (2013) 4.7.6.

These standards ensure that the engines and motors supplied with Aurora pumps are designed to operate on any point of the fire pump curve without exceeding the motor nameplate service factor, or engine HP rating. Many of our customers have assumed that motors are sized only to 150% of nameplate capacity, but the reality is that it’s not uncommon for these fire pumps to operate well beyond 150% of rated capacity. This can happen if there is an open hydrant or broken pipe downstream, for example. The confusion is understandable, as many sections of NFPA 20 talk about 150% capacity as a point used to calculate maximum water velocities (such as Table 4.26), and NFPA 25 requires yearly testing only out to 150% of rated capacity. So it becomes very easy to assume that motors and engines are sized for the same point.

While fire pumps may be sized across the entire range of their performance curve and not just up to 150% of rated capacity, they are allowed to utilize a 1.15 motor service factor upon starting. So, for example, if the maximum brake horsepower required (BHPr) is 114 HP for a given fire pump rating, you are allowed to utilize a 100 HP motor with a 1.15 motor service factor (100 x 1.15 = 115). For budgetary reasons, this is common practice and permissible by both U.L. and Factory Mutual.

Outside of covering for BHPr across an entire performance curve, there are some exceptions to motor and engine sizing in some specific circumstances. For example, if your fire pump installation is installed at a high elevation above sea level, or in a room with a high expected air temperature, then you may require a larger motor or engine to account for those factors (see NFPA 20 (2013) 11.2.2.4 and 11.2.2.5., as well as 9.5.2.5 for motors).

Another exception would be in the case of motors used with variable speed drives. To ensure reliable performance, motors intended for use in a variable speed application would not be allowed to use any motor service factor at all. So, while you are still sizing the motor to handle performance across the entire performance curve you are not allowed to utilize the motor 1.15 service factor in accomplishing this.

If you’d like to learn more, or have additional questions about fire pump parts or fire pump service, feel free to reply to this post, call us at the contact number below, or use our service or info request page.

2014 Clarke Factory Mutual Changes

One of the most popular engine manufacturers for the Aurora and Fairbanks Nijhuis fire pump lines, Clarke Fire, has recently reviewed the 2013 changes to the FM1333 requirements and announced the changes it has made to meet these new standards. FM1333 is the approval standards for diesel engine fire pump drivers, and requires active compliance by the end of November. There were several changes made that you should be aware of and this blog breaks down each of them.

Re-Examination Testing

If your FM engine was previously approved to comply with the May 2012 FM approval and testing standards, it needed to be re-examined. This re-examination requires a vigorous durability test to ensure operating conditions are met. Clarke FM approved engines were therefore re-examined to confirm their compliance with the FM1333.

Updated Raw Water Hoses

Clarke replaced raw water hoses to meet ISO 15540, which required the raw water hoses between the pump discharge and engine discharge to drain to be threaded rigid piping or flexible hoses.

Manual Starts for Microprocessors

If the control panel for the engine has microprocessors, they must be capable of starting manually if the microprocessor is not functioning. Clarke added a manual start override procedure to their control panels.

Electronic Engines ECM Failure

Clarke added an automatic ECM switch in case the ECM fails to all their engines with electronic fuel injectors. This has added two additional terminals for alarms.

FM Approval for the Entire Loop

Clarke fire protection products include a name plate stating the FM approval and model information for all their approved cooling loops. These include galvanized cooling loops, as well as high pressure, sea water, and stainless steel cooling loops.

As you can see, there were several key changes to the FM1333, and Clarke Fire has responded to each change. If you’d like to learn more about Clarke’s changes, you can check out their flyer or feel free to contact us at Steven Brown & Associates and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

5 Winter Fire Prevention Tips

With winter creeping closer and the cooler weather already underway, there is no better time to share with you some of our best winter fire prevention tips to ensure you a fire-free holiday season. Between holiday cooking and using alternate heat sources, winter is the most prevalent time for home fires. With over $2 billion in property loss every year due to winter home fires, being aware of the home hazards is half the battle. Be sure to share these five winter fire prevention tips:

These 5 tips will help prevent a disaster this winter!

Check Smoke Detectors – Obviously one of the most important fire prevention tips is to have working smoke detectors on every level in your home. Be sure that the system has operating batteries and the detector is in good working condition.
Christmas Trees – Dry Christmas trees can be one of the most flammable things in your home. Be sure to keep your Christmas tree watered to maintain the moisture in the tree as long as possible. Also make sure the tree is at least three feet away from heat sources. Once the tree has dried out after the holiday, properly dispose of the tree.
Lighting Safety – $8.4 million in direct property damage is caused each year from holiday lighting. Make sure you are properly using the lights, which means not using indoor lights for outside decorating, or vise-versa. Loose bulbs, broken or fraying cords and/or strands of lights should be replaced. Be sure to turn off the lights on the tree if you go to sleep or go away, and always make sure you are not overloading the outlets!
Heating – There are a variety of different reasons we use alternate sources of heat in the winter, from the cost of heating fuels, to winter storms causing interruption in electric. There’s also a variety of sources we use as heaters, from kerosene heaters to furnaces, wood stoves, and fireplaces. Fortunately, the same basic steps can apply to each. Be sure to properly clean the equipment and keep flammable items away.
Candle Safety – Believe it or not, candle fires caused over $438 million in property damage from 2006-2010. As with heating sources,
be sure you clear the area around your candles from anything that is flammable, particularly decorations, and extinguish them before you go to sleep.

With these five simple tips you can help prevent a fire disaster this winter. Many of these tips also apply to businesses as well, so feel free to share them with whoever is in charge of decorating at your workplace. If you’d like to learn more, you can check out the NFPA’s blog, which includes a great informational video as well as some other tips.

The Constantly Evolving NFPA 25

No one can doubt the importance of having a properly functioning fire pump ready to operate when there is a fire. But stationary fire pumps and their controllers spend the majority of their life not running at all – just sitting there. If there is a problem with your automobile, chances are you will see this as it operates – not when it’s parked on the street. So how to you ensure that equipment that is a) not running, b) located in a part of the building that is scarcely attended, and c) equipment that is rarely on anyone’s mind — but at the same time so crucial to life and property – is in proper working order and will operated as intended? You test and operate it on a regular basis! NFPA 25 helps guide you along the way.

If you are unfamiliar with the NFPA 25, it is the standard that governs the inspection, testing, and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems. Put forth in 1992, the NFPA 25 has evolved over the years, and covers evaluation techniques like fire sprinkler inspections, fire pump flow tests, and more. It is estimated that the effective use of the NFPA 25 can reduce the risk of death by 80%, as well as the average property loss by almost 70%. But lately this standard has come under question as to its adequacy in ensuring successful operation of these water-based fire protection systems.

There are several issues with the NFPA 25 that many have started to express their concerns with, and a symposium is even being hosted this December in Chicago to discuss these issues ahead of the 2017 revision cycle. Some of the most pressing questions being asked are:

Why do design issues, like areas not reached by a sprinkler, or spray pattern obstructions go unreported even after inspection by qualified personnel? Is it the inspectors job to notify the owner since this is supposed to be covered in the initial system setup through the NFPA 13?
What happens if owners delegate responsibility to outside contractors in ensuring the proper inspection, testing, and maintenance of their water-based fire protection systems, and the contractor only partially fulfills these responsibilities? This can occur because the agreed upon contract states that owners are responsible for the rest of the duties not covered, without fully realizing what is needed.
What happens if inspectors don’t inquire about the adequacy of the system? Some of the forms contractors use pose this question, but most do not.
Say the building has undergone changes, such as renovations. How can the owner be expected to have the knowledge about water-based fire protection systems in order to honor the responsibility of making sure these changes don’t affect the performance of the sprinkler system?
Do monthly inspections of valves need to examine more than just one possibility for a sprinkler failure?
How much of the inspection, testing, and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems can reasonably be expected of owners, and do they fully understand what is required?

As you can see, there are a surprisingly large number of important questions with regard to the effectiveness of the NFPA 25. This list only scratches the service of questions and topics that will likely be covered at the NFPA’s symposium in December. If you’d like to learn more, be sure to check out the NFPA’s website, or keep an eye on our blog page here for a follow-up in the future. Later articles will be presented here which focus on the specifics of NFPA 25 and how it covers the proper maintenance and testing of fire pumps, controllers, motors and engines, and how to best ensure that your equipment is ready to run when needed.

Do I Need a Main Relief Valve on Diesel Fire Pumps?

One of the more common misconceptions we see when it comes to diesel fire pumps is that you are no longer required to have a main relief valve, also incorrectly referred to as a relief valve in some cases, for your fire pump installation. In order to comply with the National Fire Protection Association’s code 20, or NFPA 20, you need to determine two different things first. These are:

The expected performance of the specific diesel fire pump being considered
The expected maximum static suction pressure feeding the fire pump

Once you have these, you can quickly determine whether or not you’ll need a main relief valve for your diesel pump. Simply take the fire pump’s churn pressure and multiply that number by 1.21, and add the result to the maximum suction pressure you expect for the pump. If your answer exceeds the pressure rating of your discharge fittings (and it would not have if you hadn’t multiplied by 1.21), then you *do* require a main relief valve. For those curious as to where the 1.21 comes from; The pressure from a centrifugal impeller is a square of its speed. It is expected that a listed diesel-driven engine will engage an “overspeed shutdown” condition once the rated speed is exceeded by ten percent, so mathematically we have 1.10 x 1.10 = 1.21. See Figure A for an example.

The fire pump churn pressure can be found in published curves from the manufacturer. They are not all the same! Even after performing the above math, you can easily get different results depending on the fire pump churn pressure.

Don’t just assume churn pressure. Take a look at the individual performance curves. We sell an Aurora pump model with a 100-101% churn pressure, which is a tremendous help to estimators who know of its existence. We also keep a library of every certified performance curve from every fire pump we have sold so we can research and find an even higher accuracy of expected churn performance from our equipment, and go one step beyond the published catalog curves.

The intent of fire pump main relief valves is that they be used as a safety device, to be activated in the event of an engine overspeed situation. They should not be operating under normal operation as a means to regulate system pressure, as was once common practice in the industry. Refer to NFPA 20 (2013) 4.7.7.2

As safety is a primary concern for us at Steven Brown Associates, we recommend going beyond just complying with the NFPA 20. Because engine overspeed safety devices frequently operate at 120% of rated speed rather than 110%, we recommend using the pump’s churn pressure multiplied by 1.44, instead of 1.21. Consult with your local Authority Having Jurisdiction for their opinion on the matter.

If you’d like to learn more, or have additional questions, feel free to reply to this post, call us at the contact number below, or use our service or info request page.

Pentair Nijhuis Merges with Fairbanks Morse

Earlier this year Pentair Nijhuis and Fairbanks Morse announced a merger to bring together two of the leading brands in the fire protection market. In response to this news, we have begun carrying the Fairbanks Nijhuis line of products! If you are looking for anything from compact fire pump systems to vertical turbine fire pumps and anything in between, Steven Brown & Associates can fill this need for you.

The Fairbanks Morse brand name (also a Pentair brand), has been an industry leader in fire protection for over 75 years, and many of their fire pumps are still in service today. So if you need replacement parts, rotating elements, or even a completely new pump, you have come to the right place. In future blogs, we will review the important data needed from your existing Fairbanks Morse fire pump to ensure that you get the correct, factory-authorized parts.

We have recently updated our website, and created a whole new page for our Fairbanks Nijhuis line of fire protection equipment. Be sure to check out our Fairbanks Nijhuis product page on our website to learn more.

As we told you in our last blog, keep an eye out here for more exciting news to come. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns be sure to leave us a comment, or give us a call at the number listed on our contact us page.